BEETROOT-SUGAR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1922, 30 October 1884, Page 3

BEETROOT-SUGAR.

to the Eorron. Sir,— l have not read Mr Gwilnun't. pamphlet on beetroot-sugar, but think th.it the W*ik*to soil and climate aio suitable for the culture of beetroot, and theio i.s sufficient evidence to prove that the production of beetroot Migar is rapidly increasing. The total product) of all countries in 1853 wai 200,000 tons and in 187(5 it was 1,154,230 tons. The produce of sugar varies very much, it it. moie in small loots, than in the large roots. The average being about 10.^ percent. That p.utof the root under the ground gives nioio sugar than th« portion above ground. Sug.u fioin tin*-. root is. the most \aluable product, but the exhausted pulp is useful for c.ittlo food. And the fibrous portion of the rout is occasionally used to mix with other niateuals for making paper. The distillation of spirits or *' beetroot brandy" it. hugely practised, and some say that it is nioie profitable than the making ofbeetioot sugar. .Some 20 years ago I bought, m Jorsey, some of the beetroot brandy. The price was about Is 2d per gallon, and if I remember rightly it was 17 to 20 underproof. So far all well, but I differ from Mr Graham in seeing no obstacle) about laboui. He gires the price for raising and carting on an urerage crop of 15 tons per acre, £1 9* per acre. Surely there is some serious mistake here. Mr Giaham cannot mean that a ton of roots numbering over 2000 can be pulled out of the ground, the soil scraped off clean, the leaves cut or tom off, the roots packed in a cart and conveyed several miles to the factory at a cost of less than 2s per ton 1 It is simply nonsense, (.is any farmer knows) and it cannot be done for the money. This labour question I fear is the obstacle. Mr Graham shows "on paper " as per your leader on the 1-1 th ni'-t. a profit of £5 8s per aero. If Mr (-iiah.un can prove that we Waikato farmpis cm get this auiount of profit by gi owing sug.nbeet, lie will deserve a very handsome te>timonial, to which I should be very pleaded to contribute, land also make him this offer — If Mr Graham will guarantee me a clem profit of £■"> per acre, I will put 30 or 40 acres into .sugar-beet next year and he shall have one half the profit. — i am, &c. Progress.