SUGAR BEET CULTURE FOR WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1423, 16 August 1881, Page 3

SUGAR BEET CULTURE FOR WAIKATO.

We are indebted to Mr W. A. Graham for tho following minute of tho meeting of farmeis and others convened by Mm at Camp's Tamahere Hotel last week. The meeting was well attended, and the chair was occupied by Mr James Hume. Mr W. A. Graham proceeded to explain his purpose in calling the meeting together. lie said : — Gentlemen, — The object of our meeting to-day is to discuss the advisability or the non-advisability of entering upon the cultivation, of Silssian Sugar Beet, and of manufacturing the same into sugar. My purpose to-day is not to persuade you, but to enlist your sympathy and attention, and to ask you each to express your own opinion — whether it be for or > against. The main point for discussion will be from a farmer's point of view ; that is, not whether the sugar beet will grow in Waikato — that has been proved ; , not whether the required percentage of sugar can be produced from Waikato-grown beets — that also has been proved, but whether we can hope to grow a sufficient quantity of roots to induce my friends in Hamburg to come out and erect the pioueer mill and commence operations. I piep&red and lead a lengthy paper on the subject in Tauranga, but fearing that I should not be ablp.to return to! Waikato for some wenks, and being anxious to inform my H imburg fi lends correctly as to your opinions with as little delay as possible, I have asked you to meet to-day. I am indebted to the courtesy of the editor cf the Watlato Ttmet, for tho reproduction of my papei, which doubtless you have perused, and will thus save the time required to read it for discussion Gentlemen, the facts aie these. My fi lends are so satisfied with the tests made from samples of beet sent them from Mr O'Neil's, Mr Watson's and our own fauns, that they have advised me of of thuir willingness to ri&k 1-oth of the capital required to carry out the opeiations of a sugar null if our farmers will guarantee to grow for them at least 300 acres of roots per annum, and we can, amongst u.\ float or take up tho remaining 4 sths of the capital of the company. The object of my friends tin owing upon us 4-sths of the burden of the company is not that they fear the result of the mill, but that they dread the farmers foisaking them when speculators' eyes are opened to the profits accruing fiom the manufactory, and so staitinc; other mills to compete with them, which would place my fi lends on the back of a white elephant. I estimate 16s being the price per ton at mill for beets, and that by propel cultivation 20 tons per acre be obtained. At this rate, 10 acies of land would return gross £100 woith of loots, and at least 10 tons of tops worth £20. 50 acres ■would return £SOO woith of loots, and £100 worth of tops ; 100 acies would pioduco £1600 worth of roots, ami £200 worth of tops. My friends fiom the null anticipate paying 30 pi»r cent, on capital invested, in which the fauncis co-opciating would shaie. The lesults to be looked for by the farmers from the establishment of a co-operative sugar null mn&t not be from a .sugar point of view alone, as the following figuios- — stai tlmg but ti ue — will i show, \ i/. : —Supposing 500 acres roots be grown for the null and the yield be 20 tons to an acre, then 500 acres of roots, yielding 20 tons to an acre, would give 10,000 tons of loots ; and 10,000 tons of root^, yielding 30 per cent, pulp to a ton, would give 3,1)33 tons ; and 3,333 tons of pulp would fatten (affording four months' feed, mixed with other ordinary fodder), 1248 oven, or SOOO Metheis, very ncaily, or feed 20,000 ewes for four months. As I estimate that 6000 acies would foi m a sugar district, that is, say, 3000 acicson each side and surrounding the null, then fauncis may be able to judge whether a mill would not be of immense benefit to them independent of the sugar lesults, inasmuch as their being able to obtain an ample supply of foddei for their stock during tho woist months of the year, and fatten their animals when beef and mutton is dear ; also the return 1 to the soil fiom the dioppings of such a number of stock on a limited arei of country. The averago of tests made would lead us to expect 10 per cent, of marketable sugar at least. Mr O'Neil's tests wore | nearly 14 per cent., and Mr Watson's nearly lo per cent. As much as 38 to 40 tons of good sugar beet has been grown ou an English acre according to published reports; we may therefore leasonably expect to 20 tons per acre. The price, J am informed, of marketable sugar is from £32 to £40 per ton in Auckland. Thercfoie, upon tho above basis, at 10 I per cent, rate, xrom 20 tone to an acre 2 tons of sugar will be obtained, worth £61 at lea«fc in Auckland. 500 acres of roots at this rate will yield £32,000, besides molasses and pulp. ( It remains, gen lemen, now for you to express your opinions, and to say whether there is any use moving further in the matter so far as I you arc concerned. A general discussion eiiaued, , the fanners present being 'altogether averse to the pioposal that they should be asked to raise 4-sths of the required capital. It was enough, it was argued, that the fanner should giow the amount of crop lequiied without subscribing towards the capital. After fuither discussion, the following resolutions was carried :—: — (1). Pipposed by Mr S. S. Graham, and seconded by Mr Jas. Runcimau, "That a committee be formed, consisting of Messrs Bavugh, Snowden, Steele, Lake, Yialon, Hume, and the mover, to report as to the quantity of beet that could be grown, the cost, &c, to repoit to another meeting, to be held this day four weeks, at 3 p.m." [" (2). Mr Runciman moved a vote of' thanks to Mr Wm. Graham for the trouble he has taken in this matter and the hiformation furnished. ' Seconded by Mr Vialou. The usual compliment having paid to the chairman, the meeting terminated.

W. W. Cole is the richest showman in America. Imprimis Oils > ' collection ' of wonders, positively his own, with the, cars, etc., is worth. §250,000, besides large personal property and hundreds of acres of real estate. The stallions are an item in value of §.50,000. The expenses of the hliow daily are $180. The usual take at the doors is, on an average $3,000 to §4,000 per diem. „The largest BUtn of money ever taken by the circus was $8,000, at Los 'Angles, (in one day). Mr Cole is a young 1 man, quiet in demeanor, and very bashful, yet he hap travelled for years with' one woman whom he loves devotedly — bis mother. By the way, the cost of the round trip for stallions alone to the colonios and back, with two grooms and a trainer, was $33,000. Mb Geobge Da^^ehw>, jiqw in^merica^ is reported to be 'writing a backwoods drama, the, $i^le of which w,H[l ( probably be "The Blood-Soaked Dagger, or the Coffin-Lid K!aVih&." "'How' 'we long "to «cc' fch^e famous Australian axithor-actor in a % red Bhirt and a belt bristling with, bowieknives, dealing out death and destruction | to an axroy of ,woll-tramed " supers !"