THE SUGAR BEET ROOT INDUSTRY FOR WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8066, 28 November 1906, Page 2

THE SUGAR BEET ROOT INDUSTRY FOR WAIKATO.

TO THE EDITOR. Sik, —From the official jjurnal of the Department of Agriculture of Victoria, 'Jth July, 11106, Vol. IV., pages 400 and 401, wo obtain the following tacts and figures: L'hat if the extra water is dried out of sugar beet root, not pulp, it is equal in value tor feeding purposes, as olover silage, or maize silage, and that one great advantage oeet pulp has over ensilage ii that it does not require any expensive site for storage purposes. Beet pulp, if desired to be used to the best advantage, can be stacked and covered with a layer of straw ind earth in a similar way as potatoes are pitted. Ke the meteorio rise of the beet mdustry in the Uniied State* of America. After many years of pioneering non success, six years ago there were over 50 factories in operation with an invested capital of 34,000,000 dollars. The money paid to farmers was equal to JC3,000,000 a j yejr. In Germany eight years ago there were over 400 factoriei in operation, using 1.080,256 acres of land. The average yield per acre lu ueiuuuy was 12.2 ions, and the average quality of the beet of 12.7 per cent. In the same year the world's production of sugar was beet sugar 4,773,0U0 tons; sugar cane i 2,432,000 tons. A thoughtful study of j these statistics should be sufficient to im- ; press even the most prejudiced mind with j the potentialities of the beet gruwing inj lustry. Bir, the course of experiments i we mude m the eighties and comparisons j of climates of Waikatu and California, j taking the mean temperature in each I country for four years, shewed 1 per cent. | in tavour of Waikato middle basin. In soils, California was superior to Waik»to in nitrogen, ammonia, and phosphates. Waikato, however, was superior in potash i and natural iirigition or moisture, and therefore by additions of nitrogenous j manures and superphosphates, our soil | can be made to excel anything in America, j The average of cUurLse in beets in ISBS

was Frances per cent., Germany 12 per cent., tastern States of America ti per cent., California 13 per cent., Waikato middle oasiu l'» per cent, (not absolutely fixed), 1881 tests averaged 12.45, 1883 tests averaged It) 02. Latest tests from beets grown at the Waikato Experimental Farm by the Department of Agricul ure 17 per cent, as at least 12 pet cent, sucrose latest tests trorn California exceed 20 per cent, in the beets is required to ensure their being received at a tactory for making beet sugar, California and Waikato middle basin are States or districts, which have been proved safe for investment of capital in this great industry. One district in the north Kaitaia has produced sugar beets yielding 18 per cent, oucrose, Tnis warrants the tiuak iine of railway being puahed on to open that Held, for the beet sugar fields in xNew Zealand are surely going to become the revenue producing centres of population, and eclipse the gold fields. The best average sucrose in beets for factory and for farmer is 13 percent, iielow this,it is bad tor the factory, above this it is bad for the farmer. But now this is so well understood the factories gladly pay the farmer heavy bonus additions for beets yielding over lj per cent, sucrose, aud therefore, a 10 ton crop yielding 18 per cent, sucrose would pay the farmer better than a 15 ton crop yielding 12 per cent.

sucrose. This adds to tha excitement and energy which this industry imports into the district, which has been acoepted as prove! to bo a sugar beet growing district, suitable tor beet sugar manufacture. So far, \\ aikato middle bisin and lvaitaia, nortn ot Auckland, are the only districts in New Zealand which have proved satisfactory in reiults for sugar manufacture, liio borne, Napier and the South, although producing tfood yields of well shaped beets, tLoy do not yield sutlijient to pay for manufacture, aocording to the latest reports from Wellington Agricultural Department, and therefore it behoves Waikato residents to study the subject, always bearing in mind that the great beuelit of the =ugar heel industry to a district is that its waste products become, by in xpunsivo treatment, the best milk food tor winter dairies, and that, after a ton to a ton and a half of sugar per acre h»B beeu extracted anl paid -for —in other words, comparing sugkr with gold as an industry—tne tailings of a sugar manufactory is of more value to the distiict than the main crops in the held, after tho the sugar hn« been extracted, whereas in a gold field the tailings atter the gold is extracted is waste material and a nuisance. The molasses aud pulp from beet (after every grain of sugar is taken which the manufacturer can get out of the rout; diiid and compressed, is more valuablu to tin; than eiover or maizj ensilage. Extraots from Bulletin No. 12U of Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, 13Uo : Wisconsin last year ( 901) I urnished from the fur fact oriel at work in the State about 63,000 tons of pulp, a quantity sufficient to supply 50,00.) milch cows 5U pounds per head dally for ore hundred days (winter months). B.th dried beet pulp and dried molasses aud biot pulp are comparatively new feeds in Wisconsin county, but abundant experience is at hand from abroad show - ing that both these feeds aro of great value as foods for farm animals. Tthe results of recent State experiments at Massachusetts and Michigiu Experiment Stations indicate that tiie two teeds are of nearly e<jual value, and some.vhat lower value than ! equal weight ot corn meal, Experiments with wiloh ccws which have ; ust been completed at these American Experiment Stations gave results showing that one ton of either feed is worth somewhat more than two thirds if a ton of wheat bran. The question is one that most seriously concerns the rural districts of \Vaikt,.o. It is no use shutting the dour of the stable after i the horte is stolen. Sugar, like gold, is not I found broadcast over the whole country. Cambridge, Hamilton, Ngan \wahia and ! Taupiri are concerned in this industry. Waikato resideuts, townsmen and small 'aimers have now their opportunity to secure this industry for Waikato. —1 am etc., WILLIAM A. i, KAHAM. The Lolgs Hamilton, November 1000.