Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1895.

Te Aroha News, Volume XII, Issue 1786, 13 November 1895, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1895.

* Thli tkon all—ia tfaina own m 1( ki trw, And it must follow m tke night tba day - Thou canal not than bo false to any uaan.’ SHAKEarKABS. ;,

In another column we publish, a full reportof the meeting; of settlerr held on Monday evening ■ to consider the introduction of the sugar beet iudustry. The many heet were well brought.out, and a number . ■ of settlers present signified their willingness to .grow the beet asap ejperi . ment. We sincerely hope; thia dis-i trict will "-take the matter / up right heartily, <4t will ;.be one of the best crops that can be grown. It is an established facfthat our soil and climate are just suited to the production of fine roots, this has been proved ' by practical tests. Fanners tv ill find it to their advantage to give the subject the most careful consideration. ■■■■■■ Wo had occasion: to'ref er to this matter in June of last year, we now reprint a portion of our leader of that date as throwing light on this matter. “The world’s production of beet-root ' sugar how .exceeds 3,500,000 tons per " annum, whilst that from cane amounts to Eorae 2,600,000 tons According to the authorities the climate suited for the production of beet is one which is fairly moist With a moderate amount of dry, sunny weather during the autumnal months ; . w'tilst the best soil is a friable deep turnip joam, and all soil in which potatoes grow

to perfection are perhaps the most elegible for the growth of beetroots. This description of climate and soil applies to many large districts in New Zealand. It appears to us that if the people of the United States find it profitablo to turn their attention to the production of beet-root sugar, the people of New Zealand|shouid, at least, be equally.Bucces.sful. America is not the land of cheap labour, least of all California, where the beet is. principally cultivated. In these days of low prides for the ordinary of the farm,- agriculturists must turn their attention to the growth of any product which offers a reasonable return for their capital and labour. Looking at what'ls being done ;on the -Continent and in America, it seems likely that in beet-root .growing our farmers should find an add’t’oual source of wealth. There 'are over 400 factories .employing at least 40,000 hands, and using, annually from 8,000,000. to 10,000,000 tons of roots. The labour involved in the production of the raw material must be very large indeed, and give employment to an army of agriculturalworkers. Were the industry successfully, established: in New Zealand, even' on at moderate scale, every part of tne countryand all classes of the population would bp. benefitted. The industry is one of those in which there is practically no waste, as after the treatment of the roots and the sugar extracted the refuse is. equally go< d for feeding cattle, so that producers would be enabled, to derive double revenue from the roots, were the mantdaeture.of. sugar, once inaugurated ‘in a dairying district, such as. the Waikato.” > . .