SUGAR BEET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 65, 10 December 1907, Page 2

SUGAR BEET.

AN INDUSTRY FOR NEW ZEALAND. FAVOURABLE TESTS. ■ % cf '' ?, u 2 ar can bo successfully produced in Now Zealand. An impression has long been hn'.d that beet grown m our moist climate would possess a low sugar content. But tests- recently mado_ by Mr. 15. C. Aston, our Government chemist, on sugar beets grovni at tho Ruakura experimental station gave tho following results:— . . ■ , Weight Sugar n ~ lbs. per cent. Root ho, 1 5 \ 161 £°°t No. 2 5J /' U25 • Root No. 3 4j 16 7 Root No. 4 3} ' 16A6 These percentages of sugar are exceedingly satisfactory, and would be considered so 'by a manufacturer. The total weight of the crop was 15 tons per acre, capable, therefore, of producing over 1\ tons of sugar. The purity co-efficient of the juice ranged from S2 to 34 per cent., and the' ash from 0.48 to 0.5S per cent. The smallness of the ash is important, because lib. of saline salts m the beet prevents the dissolution of about olbs. of sugar. The most remarkable feature in tho test is the large size of the beet-a which gave high sugar percentages. In the beet-sugar countries efforts are always made to grow crops of small-sized beets, because the small beets—weighing from lib. to 111b.—yield the greatest quantity of sugar per ton. ' Tho beets are, therefore, allowed to grow closely together. Even in the New Zealand tests tho sugar content falls as the size of the root goes up, but a sugar percentage of 16.1 from a 51b. root is exceedingly oncouraging. New Zealand is obviously well able to produce the sugar beet, as it is to produce the other members of the maugel family. Whether beet sugar could be made here, to give the farmer a proper price for the raw material, is a matter-rather for niercantilo men to determine. .Tests made by Dr. Curl, as long ago as 18S0, showed that. ]Now Zealand beets grown at Rangitikei gave a higher percentage. of sugar than those of France, Russia, Austria, or Germany:— Variety of beet. , France. New ZeaUnd. Per cent, sugar. Bettcravo Blanch 9£ 12 Disette Blanch a Collet Rose :....; 7- 9 Disette Blanch a Collet Vert 8 9*. Bettcravo Vilmoren ... 16 ■ 174 Betterave Jauno Globe- 6 '6 Betterave Jaime Sarrazin 6£ 7 .Germany. New Zealand. Magdebourn 11-J " 13^ Imperial 13} 15 j N. Russia. New Zealand. One of the best Rusßian beets 15i 16 Austria. Now Zealand. A variety from Austria 15 16 J Moumahaki beets last year'gave the following tests: — Variety. Weight. Cane sugar per cent. Vilniorm 2!b. 9Joz. 16.34 '• ,_ " :.. 21b. 7oz. 15.39 Wanylcban 41b. sJoz. 14.00 ' " ...... Alb. Ooz. 15.31 ' White Silesian ... 41b. ljoz. 14 99 " ... lib, 14*oz. 15.57 Giant Mangold, half ' , sugar 31b; 6Joz. 020 Giant Mangold, half ■ sugar 21b. o'oz.■ 7.92 Giant Mangold, '•■.■'■' sugar rose .„ 31b. 7ioz.. " ; 8.05 Giajit Mangold, ■■"-."" '' ■ , "sugar rose . ... 31b. 13Jbz. .' ■ ■ 6.84 ■A beet industry has sevoral good features attending it. One of the most important is tho fact that it is an industry that does not exhaust the fertilityof a country's soil. The sugar which is extracted is in its pure state carbo-hydrate—composed solely of carbon (obtained from the air) and" the two ■elements of water (oxygen and hydrogen). Tho "manurial elements " which the crop draws from the soil may be restored in the residue—the beet pulp. This beet pulp has a higher feeding-value even than maize*meal for young stock. The two foods were recently fed to a number of steers in an American experiment to'test their relative, values. The sttws fed on dried beet pulp increased iii weight as rapidly as thoso fed on maize meal—and at a smaller cost; But tho nature of the increase was slightly different. The beet pulp promoted growth arid development, whilo the inaizo meal was better for fat and finish. Tho conclusion arrivod at was that in the early stages of a feeding period the beet pulp can be used to great advantage, but it should be superseded by maize meal in the finishing period. If further operations should result in the establishment of a sugar-beet industry in New Zealand, it may exercise a wide influence on the farm industry generally. The production of a cheap cattle food as a byproduct would doubtless, to some extent, givo an' impetus to cattle-raising, which ias lately been _ flagging, and possibly lead to better wintering of our dairy stock. Tho effect on fruit-growing and preserving should also be beneficial. As to tho local consumption, apart from any question of exporting, it may bo said that Now Zealanders are estimated to use sugar at tho rate of about 1071b. per head per annum. Tho sugar-beet question is reaching a stage when it might well engage tho attention of manufacturers. The Government chemist recommends the resowal of tho offer of a bonus of £10,000 for the first 100 tons of white sugar made from New Zealand beet.