SUGAR BEET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 3

SUGAR BEET.

•SOME AMERICAN DETAILS. ''.' "-■ The beet-sugar industry of America is ably reviewed by Mr. C. F. Savior, of the United States Department of Agriculture. He describes the progress made in the studies of the, effects of fertilisers, and culture methods; the breeding of varieties for early maturity; for dry-and alkaline land., for increased yield and- improved quality; -and' the -question' of the commercial-raising of; seed-. - One of_ the most interesting statements in,the review.for . Nc\w Zealanders is tho statement that' twenty acres of .steed beets; all' of which analysed 22' per cent, or more of sugar, were grown at- Fairfield, 'Washington, lastyear, and 'about 15',0Q0lb. of seed, was'obtained from them. Doubtless if bur Department of Agriculture desires 'to experiment further with the sugar-beet, a supply of this' seed .'.would : be obtainable.'•■'.

■The sugar-beet fields in the States last vear. covered 3/6,074 acres', and yielded an average of 11.26 tons per acre. The (33 factories operating'worked 4,236,112 tons of beets, and obtained from them 483,612't0ns of sutrai Tne average sugar content was 14.9 "per cent., and the: average purity 82.2 per cent. The sugar actually extracted averaged 11.42 per cent. The industry is expanding and the' culture improving, the-area having increased by. 22 percent, .over, that of the previous year, and the yield per acre by 23 1-3 ' per cent. The average yield per acre in Utah was; 15.88 tons per'acre. Economy in" the extraction of the sugar is expected: to result from dessication prior : 'to pressure, experiments'in which direction still proceeding." \ In a test by the Bureau of Plant Industry American-grown seed yielded 14.32 tons per acre, with a sugar'content".of 14.9 pbr cent"or 42671b. of sugar-per, acre; and imported' seed gave 12.14 tons per acre, a sugar content of 15.1'por'cenfc., and 36661h5. of per acre. • ° ■■