ENGLISH SUGAR BEET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19205, 23 June 1924, Page 5

ENGLISH SUGAR BEET.

GROWING AREAS BEING CROPPED.

That the cultivation of the sugar beet is making good headway in England is evident from inquiries made by a representative of the Christian Science Monitor at the offices of the British Sugar Beet Growers’ Society in London. Three years ago the society's report showed an'area, ot 7000 acres under sugar beet, which was only sufficient, to keep the ' two factories at KeUihm. in .Nottinghamshire, and at Cantley, in Norfolk, working at half their capacity’. ■ Last year some 15,000 acres were .under beet, and both factories were ■working at full capacity, and produced 15,000 tons of sugar. Farmers are reported as really keen on growing sugar beet, and all that is necessary now is, the building of further fai tories. These must bo within easy, reicir of the land where the beet is grown. The railway companies have given si.eciai rates, so that tiie grower may not be hit too hard by freight charges. And at uresent there is no excise duty, on homegrown and manufactured sugar. Mr MacDonald, asked if he would continue this policy should the Labour Party come into* power, said that he should! advise this.

The society is able to show enthusiastic letters from farmers all over the country testifying to the value of tho .dried pulp from sugar beet as food for cows. Many quote considerable increase of milk yield. In this, of course, they are only discovering what the American farmer found out some time ago. It has been well established, too, that the beet crop increases the fertility of the landIt is a profitable cleaning crop for agricultural rotation and lowers the figure at which cereals following it can be grown. Added to this, the farmer sells his sugar beet crop for cash, in contradistinction to mangold roots, from which he lias to wait, for a less return after its indirect use as fed for cattle. 1 1 f

How much further England has to go really to help the sugar question through tho production of sugar «om beet, may be gauged from the fact that last year’s crop of 15,000 tons of sugar is only enough for three days’ home i 4.