THE BEET SUGAR, QUESTION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3403, 12 June 1868, Page 3

THE BEET SUGAR, QUESTION.

The San Francisco paeprs of late dates contain beveral important articles and letters upon the cultivation of beet, and produotion of sugar therefrom. We have considered it desirable t < r print short extracts from some <$ these communicati-ms, and which -we are satisfied must prove of great interest to most of the. country settlers in this province, so admirably suited ac it is in every respect for the development on a most, extensive scale, of this new industry.. An important statement is made by Mr. Wadaworth in the Bulletin, to the effect that " beet-sugar making can be carried on during the whole year, and that the beetamay be brought from a variety of sources, without maintaining a large plantation about the factory ; and, in support of these assertions, he cites the txample of certain European districts, where- he observed last year a simple, yet thoroughly practicable, plan. By simply slicing and drying the beets, a faotiory is enabled to run all the year ; there is no loss of saccharine matter, and it can be more economically, extracted. By submitting beet crops to this process our farmers could take their beets, co the manufactory from a greater distance than it would otherwise pay to haul them, while the difference between running the machinery four months and twelve may justify the assertion that 20,000 dollars will be enough to begin the manufacture. The far greater value of the beet crop over any grain crop would certainly be a sufficient object with farmer* everywhere in the vicinity of the mill, and thus the necessity for a mill plantation would be obviated. In Illinois, where they have no speoiajl advantages, beet-sugar making is carried on successfully on a large scale ; and if it thrives in the Western States, there is no reason, even apart from our remarkable facilities of climate and superior product in beets, why it should not be equally successful here. If California beets secrete two per cent, more Bacoharine matter than French beets, and if the beets when sliced can be dried by our hotter suu without artificial heat, we may achieve a success that will transcend that of any other State in the making of this kind of sugar,. At all events, the business promises so well, and so many interests, consumers' and producers', are concerned in it, that we shall ba sorry to see any influence from any cause array itself against the success of the interesting experiment which the public are assured is about to be made." The Sacramento Bee- Bays. :— " France manufactures beet sugar largely* and competes in the markets of the world with oane and all other sugars. It is proved by actual test that California will grow better sugar beets than France. The crop of beets for the last 20 years, without a single exception, has been a successful one all over Europe. The sweeteat beets are grown upon light dry soil, in a dry atmosphere. The root yields, on an average, 10 per cent, of crystallized sugar, or 10 pounds of sugar to every 100 pounds of beets. Ten pounds of sugar from 100 pounds of beets gives us 200 pounds to the ton of. white sugar, worth 12 oents per pound, or 24 dollars, and if we reckon on a basis of ten tons to the acre we have 240 dollars as the value of the yield in sugar per acre. In addition to, this, there V» the value of about ten gallons of syrup ; and stilj a residue from which good spirit is made ; and still another after this, which is sold as food for cattle and horses, or used as a concentrated manure, equal to guano. In California we do not stop at ten tons of beeta to the acre, but can easily produoe from 30 to 40. tons, and as many as 50 tons have been raised; but putting it at 30 tons, we have 720 dollars as the value of the yield in sugar per acre. Compare the beet crop with wheat. The average yie.'d of wheat is 32 bushels per aore, at I dollar 50 cents per bushel, amounting to 48 dollars, and allowing 16, dollar* for seeding, harvesting, Ac, the net value to the farmer is 32 dollars. Take 30 tons of beets, at 10 dollars per ton, and you have 300 dollars, and allowing 100 dollara for seed, labour, and marketing, th« net value is 200 dollan. This price, it is believed, will remunerate the farmers well, and yet enable the Company to manufacture sugar to advantage. This enterprise, if successful, would give to us an, unlimited demand for beett, for if one manufactory succeeds there would soon be erected others in every valley in the State; and thus would be given a great impetus to all the permanent interests of the country. For the present this Company will organise with a capital of 20,000 dollars, in 100-dollar shares, with power to increase,, and farmers may pay half their stock in beets. Only ten per cent, of the stock will be called in during the first six months, and everything it is expected, will be in readiness for the beet crop of 1869."