SUGAR BEET CULTURE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1503, 21 February 1882, Page 2

SUGAR BEET CULTURE.

The following letter has been received by Mr W. A. Graham from his Efamburg correspondent, and has been handed to us for publication, in the belief that its contents will prove of interest to the farmers of the district • —

Hamburg, x6th November, 1881. . War. A. Graham, Esq., Tamaheie, Hamilton, Auckland, N.Z. Dear Sir. — Your address I received from your brother, Mr G. S. Graham, Wellington, N.Z. The said gentleman tells me that you are quite informed of the beetroot sugar affair. I therefore shall not mention the mercantile part, being enabled to make a valuation yourself. Il remains only to inform you of the great advantages the sugar beetroot affords by its cultivation, which gives the ground fertility, and makes it specially tit for following grain in general. As an example, I shall try to explain you u. sugar beetroot farm in the neighbourhood of Halle, Prussia, Glanzig, with 7854 A acres in area, in a rather cold climate, colder than that in England. The land is partly the property of sharenolders, and partly hired The beetroots may occupy the halt or one-third, the other half or two-thirds bears wheat, barley, beans, peas and red clover — the latter three changing with the cereals, by which rotation all fruits gain. They used to fallow thus: 1, beetroot; 2, half wheat half barley ; 3, half barley half oats ; 4, beetroot ; 5, wheat; 6, beans, pease, green crops, &c. This rotation is not necessary, especially for the benefit of the beetroots, but for all succeeding crops. In 1880 there were sown: beetroot, 25672 acres; barley, 1302^ acres ; wheat, 7-59$ acres : r>e, 002 acres ; oats, 615-! acres ; peas, 178 acres ; green forage, 8372 acres; potatoes, 712} acres. On this farm are kept, as stock, 370 oxen, 306 cows and 1,400 sheep. Besides, were fattened and sold, 1879-80, 102 oxen, 125 cows, 314s sheep, hereafter renewed again. You will find that breeding and fattening of cattle and sheep is very profitable. In autumn the soil is ploughed 12-15 inch deep, with oxen or by steam, remaining in rough furrow until thespring comes, and soil is dry enough to put in the artificial manure with a machine, which covers the manure with soil again ; after that it is rolled with a cylindrical presser, whereon it must be kept for some weeks at rest Before the kernels arc brought in the ground it must be harrowed with a heavy and with a light harrow, and after the seed is m the ground it Is rolled again with a slighter cylinder than before. After the little, beet plants are come out they must be rolled down in order to fasten them, and to make them germinate; but as soon as the plants begin to giow they are to be singled out, and the ground must bo grappled up until the leaves of the beets completely shade the giound; there•iltcr the plants are heaped with some earth and left alone till end ot September. When the beet show their ripeness they must be taken out with a machine to prevent the breaking of the root After the roots are out, the ground cleaned and heaped, the plough begin its work again. It is advisable to have the place where the beets grow fixed not too far from the manufactory, but if so, ! there should be laid portable railways, jn order to make use of locomotives, sparing- time and money. The wages are rather high here, and mostly paid by piece-work, which generally brings a man 2to 3 marks a-day. At Glanzig there aie generally from 150 to 200 men in work. Although there are great expenses at an establishment such as this, still there resulted a great benefit only out of the beet root, the harvest of 1879 being 339,054 cwt., which gave a revenue ot n, 120 m.uks ; for 1880, at 395,652 cwt. beetroot, the revenue of 66,87s marks. These sums are the return of clean profit, or revenue for the shareholders. Moreover it may be interesting to havo the crops registered. 1879. 1880. Wheat, g6Blbs. per acre ... i34olbs. per acre Rye, f)B4lbs. per acre ... ii42lbs. per acre Bade), r326lbs. per acre ... 1364^. per acre Oats, n^olbs per acre .. to74lbs. per acre Pease, issBlbs, per acre ... io2Blbs. per acre Potatoes, Bi3olbs. per acre .. 87061b5. per acre Beetroot, 14,365105. per acre .. i6,3601bs per acre It is a great advantage for the agriculturist, producing beetroots to have a share in the manufacture, because if he makes a good crop of beetroots, he has double profit, say, by payment tor his roots and by a share of the manufactuiing revenue. Is the harvest less good, the results of the sugar manufactoiy may be better and compensate. I dare not close without guiding your attention once more, viz. : in general, on the unexpected high tesults of science and practice in cultivating sweet beetroots, even in the rough climate of nud- Europe, and preparing finest sugar of their juice, getting besides an excellent food for cattle and sheep in the roots offal. In the meantime, soil is deepened and improved by the cultivation of beetroots, 111 consequence of which the corn, &c, crops are augmented for the benefit of the producer and the population. Germany ovcitook England in agrtcultuie undeniably since the beetioot cultivation, and I don't doubt that New Zealand would make an equal progress. If you get this letter, Mi Gr.iham, and compare it with my last one, your brother will be able to judge by it, and you will have a true image of Geimany and its sugai beet agricultuie, as well as the sugar manufacturing. Just as well you will have found that the sugar cane manufacturing is more expensive than the beetroot sugar. The judgment in England is the same ; the planter of sugar-cane has nothing else if his harvest is not sufficient, but the beetroot agriculturist has, besides different giain, &.c , to sow, and to gam food for stock, which give and secures him a. good profit in several ways. You would oblige me, dear sir, by a speedy answer. — Yours respectfully, Hr. Schnumaxn.