CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 407, 6 September 1876, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Our columns are open for free discussion; but we do not hold ourselves responsiblefor the opinions of our Correspondents. :o: letters to the editor. Sugar Beet. Sib, —I have to thank you for a perusal of the pamphlet (I suppose it may be called) by Sir Julius Vogel, on the “cultivation of sugar beet and manufacture of sugar” in New Zealand, and gladly avail myself of your permission to extend my remarks in continuation of my last letter, making extracts from the publication mentioned, in support of my views as to the suitability of this district for the undertaking, the intrinsic worth of the crop, and the consequent future benefit to be derived through its culture, in both its agricultural and commercial relations. In urging the adoption of this industry it is necessary that 1 show that the several conditions of primary importance, exist here in favorable conjunction. Those conditions may be classed thus:—Soil: Its suitable quality, necessary area, and position witli regard to transport. Climate : Its average seasonableuess for the development of the needful qualities of the plant. Labor: Its supply, cost, and the possible aids thereto. Capital: How procurable; outlay and returns. Under these heads almost all necessary details may be included, in doing which, and quoting from the pamphlet, I must be understood as keeping the locality of Poverty Bay in view, thereby somewhat lessening the difficulty of making appropriate extracts from a work of which every sentence forms part of a connected chain of most interesting information. Before entering on the merits of this question however, I must interest your readers with extracts from the reports of the highest authorities, collected from all parts of the world ty Sir Julius. In a lecture delivered by Colonel Stewart at Kingston, Jamaica, he says, “ by the Press of California, we see beet sugar is becoming one of the chief industries of that wonderful state. From the San Francisco papers of January I find the following report : —The beet grows here very abundantly, and yields very heavily to the acre, the average per eentage of sugar being about 8 per cent. One factory this season has cultivated 1500 acres, which are estimated to yield over 3,000,000 pounds of saccharine matter. Judging from the crop of the previous year (which was from 800 acres of beet, producing 982,125 lbs. of sugar, and 146,000 gallons of malasses) it would give in round numbers about 2,000,000 pounds of sugar, and a similar proportion of molasses. When you bear in mind that this is only the fifth year since its introduction into that state, seeing this great interest in the hands of your cousins, and considering what Franco has done, you may readily conclude, when Californian lias two per cent, more that European beet, what may be expected in a few years.’ ” Sir Julius Vogel himself says : —“ The statement is made that in London it is estimated that the total production of sugar at the present time in the world is 3,000,060 tons, of which quantity half is beet sugar. 1,500,000 tons in 1876, compare!! with 630,006 tons in 1866 is a wonderful result.’ again, “the

manufacture of sug.tr from beet, is one of the most important elements of public prosperity. Resting on agricultural progress and the wants of a constantly increasing population, allied, by reason of the cattle which it supports, with the production of meat and bread, based upon improving cultivation, it renders to modern society the greatest services, at the same time that it attains for itself the highest point of prosperity and glory to which any industry ever had the ambition to aspire ; but when it is a question of supplying one country from another, of sending the cane sugar from a tropical to a temperate climate, the cane caunot compete with the beet sugar produced in a consuming country, under the improved conditions of growth and manufacture which have been arrived at.” Another writer says:—“All cultivators and economists are unanimous in recommending the cultivation of the sugar producing plant, which is the source of deep tillage, heavy manuring, and increased production. No one believes now that it exhausts or impoverishes the soil, or that it hurts other crops; these are the prejudices of a bygone ago, which science and practice have banished, to set up iu their stead a recognition of benefits of the highest order produced by the culture of beet.” M. Dureau says, “ the manufacture of sugar was formerly charged with being a local industry. To-day it no longer deserves that reproach, for it is not alone in the north of France, that it is pursued, but it has penetrated into the East, the West and the South —into Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain—everywhere. Another writer observes “ Wherever beet is cultivated in France, laud advances in value ***** it is the triumph of industry.” L’Echo Agricole says “ the brothers Fieret have a model farm ofss2acresat Masny. They are sugar manufacturers and fatten 800 cattle, and 3,000 sheep every year. They attribute their success as cultivators to the immense amount of manure that the beet pulp enables them to make to the improved condition of the soil, and also to the increased amount of profitable serviceof the land, consequent upon beet culture, no fallows being required. They then cultivated the farm for 13 years, the crops were beet, wheat, oats, rye, and hay. In 1853 the crop of oats was 45) bushels, in 1862 nearly 92J and the average for the whole time 90 bushels to the acre. The crops of straw increased in like proportion, and a veraged two tons to the acre. In 1863 it was nearly 3 tons. The crop of rye improved in still greater ratio, increasing from 17 to 34) bushels per acre. The average crops of wheat had been over 36) bushels to the ~ acre. Parts of the land had produced 67| bushels to the acre. The yield of hay had been over 3 tons and of beet 20 tons to the acre, 30, 35, and over 4) tons of beet had been raised to the acre. The Messrs Fieret stated that the thorough cultivation of the ground for beet reduced the cost of cultivating succeeding crops enormously. The grain crops are not manured and the ground is so thoroughly prepared by the beet for the succeeding crops, that a single light ploughing suffices for the grain, which is all sown iu drills by a machine.”

Mr Grant in bis book on this subject writes: —“The quality of wheat raised after beet is better than that usually produced ; the ears are larger and heavier, the straw stronger and not so liable to lodge. The berry is longer and brighter, its specific gravity is greater, weighing from 2 to 3 pounds per bushel more than ordinary wheat. But these effects are not all, even of those having an agricultural bearing, whieh this great industry produces. They are not confined to the comparatively narrow circle that surrounds the factories in which are expended for beet and labour, large sums that foster industry and acai ter plenty in the surrounding villages. The distribution of these large amounts for labour and crop opens a better market for the productions of other branches of industry —agricultural, mechanical, manufacturing, mining and commercial * * * * It gives employment to chemists and engineers. to machinists, founders, carpenters, blacksmiths, coppersmiths, wheelwrights, and plumbers —to woollen and linen manufacturers *.* * * At the same time that it produces for man, sugar, meat, bread, alcohol, potash and soda, it furnishes nutritious food for cattle, sheep, and swine, together with hay and grain for the horse. In the opinion of eminent French statesmen, it has twice, within 15 years, saved France from a famine. The historian Thiers has called it the “ Providence of the Empire.’ ’’ Mr Crooke, another authority, after shewing the success of beet sugar grown on the continent of Europe, in its competition with cane sugar, in the London aud other English markets, goes on to say :— “ Nor do these figures show the whole advantage derived from the root. To fairly estimate this, allowance must be made for the undoubted facts that its culture as a rotation crop so prepares the soil that it need not be left fallow, and so improves the wheat that from one fourth to one third more is produced than before beet preceded it; aud that cattle fed on the leaves and pulp are exceedingly prolific, while their milk becomes more abundant and of better flavour ; so that the production of wheat adds to the supply of bread and meat, and these three leading necessaries of man's existence, stimulate and aid each other.” Mr Bluett says :—“ Experiments have conclusively proved that lands now yield three times as much grain, and support from 8 to 10 times as many cattle, in the beet growing districts, as they did before beet was introduced. The great beetproducing districts of France are the best grain and cattle districts also. These three branches of agriculture always co-exist * * * * The cane crop is exhausting; beet on the contrary is an enriching and clearing crop ; it is the best known foreruneer of other crops.” In a conversation, with Sir Julius Vogel, a French manufacturer of sugar machinery for all parts of the world, gave it as his opinion that the beet was destined to become the great sugar-producing vegetable of the world, for the reason that it can be cultivated in the ten>]>orate latitudes, in countries of dense population and consequently in close proximity to the consumers of sugar.” From the above extracts—not a tithe of those equally pertinent which I might have selected—it will be seen at once that the “great industry” is fast gaining ground in tho temperate climes, all over

the world ; that by its adaptation to a place aud its adoption there, is insured such a process of agricultural and mercantile development as might easily (if only coming fr on one source) be thought somewhat overdrawn. In view of such well vouched facts.it surely becomes the interest and duty of those having a stake in a district, possessing a great need of some source of additional vitality, to consider well the practicability of putting it iuto immediate operation.— I am, Ac.. Hors.