The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-05-13
BY PERCY L. EDWARDS.

BY PERCY L. EDWARDS.
THE pulpy matter rejected in the
process of sugar making from
beets constitutes about 10 per
cent OF the beet. This formerly waste
matter at the beet sugar factories
is now put through process of dry
Ing, or baking, somewhat similar to
bread baking, and is thus prepared
Tor sacking preparatory to putting It
on the market. But few years ago
this portion of the beet was regarded
as waste at the factories and a serious
embarrassment to the management
because of becoming offensive to the
pubic on account of the bad smell
when fermented. What to do with
IL was for a time perplexing prob
lem. Someone pointed out that Euro
pean countries were making use of
this pulp as stock feed. Then a few
farmers having stock and doing busi-
ness with the factory were induced
TO haul some of 1t home. 1t was
soon found that stock ate it raven
tously.
Investigation by the manufacture
ers in France and Germany led to
the installing OF machinery at some
OF the plants in this country two or
three years ago. Now the factories
using this drying process save this
FORMER waste and it is now put on
the market and sells for S21 to $25
per ton, the price varying somewhat
IN different parts Of the country.
Dried Beet Pulp.
This dried beet pulp Is now pro-
duced at many of the sugar plants in
this country 1t is put up in sacks
weighing 100 pounds either in plain
form, that is without the infusion of
molasses in the process of drying, and
the form known as 'molasses pulp"
which contains an infusion of from Is
to ~ per cent of crude molasses.
Many stock feeders prefer this mo
lasses pulp" to the plain form, espe-
cially the dairy feeders. While the
plain pulp is less likely to cause
bowel trouble, it is not productive
OF the same good results in increas-
ing milk flow on dairy cows.
AS feed for dairy stock the dried
pulp ration is growing fast into favor
with dairymen on the Western Coast.
The best method of feeding the pulp,
according to the judgment of dairy
men, Is to moisten 1t five or six
hours before feeding. The pulp will
absorb water freely and will swell to
quite large proportion. or course,
where beet pulp is fed In this way it
furnishes part of the grain ration as
well as succulent food In feeding
"molasses pulp" less should be used
than when feeding plain pulp. The
reason Is obvious since the crude mo-
lasses used in the infusion contains
elements that affect the bowels in
greater degree and 1t is not desired
to physic the stock. A ration OF five
or six pounds at feeding. for each
cow, fed twice day, with plenty Of
dry hay and straw, is good feeding
proportion for dairy cows. The grain
ration should follow, giving nutri-
tive ratio of about one in six. Beet
pulp is figured as containing about
the same value in protein as corn
meal and, of course, is much cheaper.
Minimum Cost.
In all matters of stock feeding, the
question that governs with both dairy
and meat feeders is to feed that
selection and proportion which will
produce the best result at the minr-
mum cost All stock feed in these
days is high priced, especially grains.
So that any considerable addition to
the visible supply of feed is to be
hailed with joy by dairymen, stock
men and the rest of us. The produc-
tion of dried beet pulp may In time
become a factor in helping to solve
the high cost of living. 1t looks as
II the sugar beet is to help the but
ter producer and the meat producer
in solving the problem.
Just how important this discovery
of how to turn waste material at the
sugar plants Of this country into a
valuable stock food may become will
be understood from some figures
gathered from reliable sources.
There are in operation in this
country 70 beet sugar factories in the
territory lying between Ohio and the
Pacific Coast. The past seasons
sugar beet product of this area was
considerably over 100000 tons. As
before stated, 10 per cent Of the beet
is waste pulp. In the drying process
this 10 per cent is reduced by one
half in weight, leaving per cent of