The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-03-01
Government Is Interested In
Vegetable Production
Will AID SWEET SUPPLY
Charts Were Used To illustrate
Talk He Made At State Bank
Auditorium
From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
Vital and timely was the message
brought by j. A. Brock, representa-
tive of the Sugar Division of the
United States food administration
of Washington, d. c., who addressed
a meeting of farmers in the base
ment auditorium of the Mankato
State bank yesterday afternoon.
Every farmer in Minnesota should
hear these talks by Mr. Brock and
profit by his suggestions, thus Loyalty
aiding the government as well as
themselves. In his trips over the
United States he is carrying this
| message TO every farming community
| which he visits.
''The United States is being called
on to furnish two millions tons of
sugar to the allies, stated Mr.. Brock.
Under normal conditions the sources
of our own produce about one million
five hundred thousands tons. This
must be increased in every way
! possible if we are to supply the allies.
England formerly obtained much of
its sugar from Germany and Java.
France produced it's own sugar, and
also exported sugar and the same
! was true in Italy. The war had put
a stop to the production of sugar in
those countries, and America is now
being called upon to do its utmost
! to supply those countries. In normal
times 81 per cent of our sugar comes
| from Cuba, % per cent is domestic
/ cane sugar, ard Is per cent is do
nestle beet sugar. Minnesota last
year produced eight million pounds
of sugar; this year it is called upon
/ to produce fifteen million pounds.
This must be done by raising sugar
beets. Wherever I have met with the
/ farmers they have responded Loyalty,
] and / am sure this will be the case
in Minnesota
Charts Were Used
Several charts were used by MFR.
/ Brock to illustrate his talk, and he
! proved to those present that the
/ sugar beet industry can be followed
with much profit and no loss. Utili-
cation of the y-products of the
| beets also results in considerable
profit, and the tops may be sliced in
pit silOs made by the farmers, with
great success. By the rotation of
crops the land is greatly improved,
and the tons of beet roots left in
every acre Of land after the beet crop
is harvested is a great enricher of
the SOIL The increase in crops the
season after the land has been
harvested of a crop of sugar beets,
was given by Mr.. Brock as follows:
wheat, 40 per cent; barley, SO per
cent; oats, 4S per cent; potatoes, 46
per cent; corn 81 and nine tenths
per cent.
/ Mr.. Brock advised deep blowing,
! and by the aid of sketches showed
the farmers the difference in the
growth of beets planted on ground
/ that had been plowed shallow, and
! ground that had been plowed deep.
He also explained to them that beets
took none of the richness from the
| soil, and did not impoverish it in
any way, but that the beet roots left
! in the ground were very good ferti-
lizer. The cost of preserving beet
j tops in pit silos he gave as about
/ $3.50 ton, and advised that the
/ farmers save all products of
their beet crops, and in this way
gain very substantial profit in
| addition to that accruing from the
| sale of the sugar beets.
| Another meeting will be held by Mr..
| Brock at the council chamber in the
! city hall next Monday afternoon at
| two o'clock. All those interested are
| urged to he present.