East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-05-22
TABLE srRuP FROM pEErs.
A simple Process by which the Fam
iIy May Make Its Own strip from

WASHINGTON, Hay 22.-Sugar
beets are grown in large quantities
for sugar making, but their value as
source of the family sirup supply
has been overlooked Sugar beets
suitable for sirup making may be
grown wherever soil of reasonable
fertility Is available The sweetness
of the beets may be greater in one
locality than in another, but all SUI
gar beets contain sugar enough TO
make sirup, say specialists Of the
United States department of agricul-
ture. The sirup may be made by
very simple process and a few rows
in the garden will produce beeis
enough to give family all the sirup
needed.
A bushel Of beets will product from
three TO five quarts OF sirup. AS the
beets when mature should weigh from
to pounds each. 80 or 40 of
them will make a bushel and as the
Ibeets after thinning stand about 10
inches apart in rows about 20 inches
apart it is easy to determine how
much ground to use for sugar beets
IL a particular quantity of sirup is de-
sired. A few rows in the garden gem
orally will be sufficient
The ground is plowed or spaded to
a good depth, without turning up
much raw soil. and is made firm.
! smooth and free from Jumps as early
in the spring as possible. 1t is then
kept free from weeds until seeding
time, which is not until the srounl
Is warm.
The seed Is planted half an inch or
an inch deep. either in hills or IN
solid rows If in hills. each hill con-
tains from 8 to seed balls ana the
hills are about 10 inches apart. If IN
solid rows the plants are blocked
by cutting out sections of the rows SO
that the plants remaining stands IN
TUFTS about 10 inches apart Inc
rows are about go inches apart.
As soon as possible. the beets are
thinned to one plant in each NIL OF
tuft. This is done by hand, as the
pla nts are very close together. Gooo
cultivation Is necessary. Where il-
CATION is needed the surface OF the
ground around the beets must not be
flooded. as a crust will form and the
air will be cut off from the roots.
For proper development, sugar
beets require four to six months
when they are ready for harvest
ing the tops show yellowish tinse
and the beets will pull up with lit
tie dirt After being loosened. the
beets may be lifted with two-tined
fork. They are then topped by cut
ting off the crowns at the point of the
lowest leaf scar. as the crown con-
tains much of the salts taken up dur
ing growth.
II not to be made into sirup at
once. the beets may be stored in pits
covered with earth or in some othet
way so as to ketp them cool Wlthout
freezing and without whiting.
In making sirup the topped beets
are cleaned by soaking few MN
utes then scrubbing with coarse
stiff brush The next step is to cut
them into slices as thin as one-siN-
teenth of an inch If possible. A
butcher knife may be used. but
krant cutter or some other slicing de
vice is easier
The sliced beets are placed in
tight barrel and just enough hot wa
ter to cover them--boiling water II
possible-is poured IN at once the
barrel is then covered with several
of canvas to hold the
heat. The sliced bsets are allowed
to soak for about 60 minutes. The
barrel is agitated from time to time ]
without being uncovered. This pro- I
cess brings out the sugar from the
beets. The liquid is then drawn off,
strained through several thicknesses
Of cheesecIoth. and placed in ket-
tie or other vessel in which it is