THE BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2455, 5 April 1888, Page 2

THE BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY.

Tnk beet root sugar industry has taken firm hold at last in America, as will be seen by a letter published belotv from Mr Sprockets, the Americhi sugar celebrity, to Mr Graves Aicl<en, of Auckland. The letter is a reply to a communication from \tr Aioken, one of the Auckland committee, who has warmly supported Mr Graham from the first onset in his endeavours to inaugurate this industry. As will be seen Mr Spreckols has been asked to come over to New Zealand and join in the undertaking here, but, owing to the many applications he is receiving in his own country, it appears doubtful if he. can do so. This, however, should only serve to show what miy 1)8 expected to happen in Waikato if only the farmers and others will give their active support to the movement. From Mr Spreckels letter it will be seen that, tiie beet-root crops can be grown without manure, and that two crops of wheat arc to be reaped between each crop of beet-root. TII2 profit on t'e beet crop would therefore materially assist the farmer in the present depressed state of the wheat markets. Western Beet-sugar Company, No. 327 -Market-street. Craves Aicken, E-;q., Auckland, N.Z. Driar .Sir, —Your letter, addressed to my father, has been duly received. He is at present in the Ti'st-ni States, engaged in making arr .1;..-. for the erection of sugar relin-a-ies there, so that it is probable he wir.ild not be abls to engage in any new undertakings in New Zealand just at the present time. I will, however, place your correspondence before him on bis return, and I shall be glad to receive further particulars from you mi tlv: lines suggested in the encloiod circular. —I am, Sir, yours truly, C. A. Spuicl'kki.s. San Francisco, March (ith, ISKS, Office of the Western Beet-sugar Co., 327 Market-street. Graves Aicken, ]'}«(., Auckland, N.Z. Dear Sir, —The enquiries regarding the cultivation of tlm sujjar-beet-t in California, and my intentions as to the erection of factories, have become so numerous that it is utterly impossible tn ssinl a separate written reply to each individual. 1 have, therefore, framed tlm letter, which embraces all the necessary information that I .1111 prepared to give, at the present iiine. My belief is that the cultivation of sugar-beets will soon be nnn of the largest agricultural pursuits, "■'" only in California, but in all tlm Wo-teru States and territories, both soil an 1 climate bei'isr more favourable to the purpose tha'i o.v<yi in Germany. The failure, in the past to nvimifacturi sugar from boots, on a paying '.lasis, has boon mainly duo to the ao.-vhee of the b:-t available nriehinery. The liHc.ts that wore grown have been suitable for tin , , purpose, but the machinery has been deficient. This, however, will be obviat-jd in tho future, as I have secured the right for tho United States of all the latest mechanical appliance and nianuf.ieturiii!? methods that are now in use in Germany, which is the largest and most successful beet-sugar producing country in thn world. The soil b.;st adapted f<n- growing sngar haots is a rich, sandy loam. JJnets must not be grown successively in the same soil, 'Mid they must ''never" be manured. Land that has produced a crop of lieets should be planted in grain the next year, then manured and planted again in grain, and in the third year it may be replanted with beets, but it must not be manured that year. Thus a farm of 150 acres would enatile a farmer to grow 50 acres of sugarbeets in each year, and I think I may say that the 30 acres planted in beets will prove more profitable each year than the whole of the other hundred acres that are producing grain at present prices. The price of bsets will bs determined by tlm percentage of saccharine matter that they ciintain, a few beets br.ing taken froiu each load, as delivered at the factory, for analysis—the result of that analysis forming the basis upon which each load shall ba paid for. By this moans the best beets will obtain the best price, and thrt farm.:r will be encouraged to careful cultivation. I propose to erect one factorv at Watsonville, at a cost of about 400.00 D dollars, which will bn in full opHi-Ation by Sepfem her Ist., ISSS. This factory will consume 3">o tons of bsets in evm-y 24 hours, hut t>o doubled by tin following y>s ir. At present it will ivrpiirc 100 cords of woo- and seren tons of limed.lily during the four or rive niKiiths that it i-J in operation. This will show the necessity for having good supplies of wood and lime close to the factory, which should also be near to :i line of railroad or to suitable water facilities for shipment of raw sugar to S:in Francisco. The lima is a good fertilizer and cm ba returned to the soil again. The pulp from the beets can be fed to cattle and will keep them in fine condition. Before erecting a factory anywhere I must be guaranteed that .at least 2,500 acres will be planted in beets every year for a definite number of years. I must also be .assured of sufficient supplies of wood, water and lime in the neighbourhood, and good transportation facilities. It requires from 15 to 20 pounds of beet seed to plant an acre of ground. The seed costs 10 cents per pound in' Germany, and would probably cost 12 cents per pound here. I am importing 25 tons, which are now on the way, and some of this will be

distributod gratuitously, in small packages, to tljose who desire to experiment on their farms. But I ehall expegt in return that thoso who do make such experiments, from seed thiit I givo them, will send me samples of the beet that they grov/, and the anil in which thoy are grown, for the pur> pose of analysis. It must be remembered that the large bests are not the best for making sugar. If the soil is very rich the beets should not bo planted more than four inches apart in the rows. If the soil be of good quality the beets should Ise siy inches apart in the rows, and eight inches apart if the soil bo not so good. The rows should always bo fourteen inches apart from one another. A factory will cost about 3rto,oGGlok, but for the first one, gome of the machinery must be imported from Gevmany. Subsequently I anticipate uo trouble in it 3 being manufactured in this country. A site nl from 30 to 40 acre* is necessary wherever each factory is erected, ao as to give ample room for the large quantity of machinery and buildings, also for the prompt handling of the great number of waggons that will bo delivering beots at the same time, so that the waggons may not bo delayed, and the work oi the fanners impeded'. it is impossible yet to determine where factories should bo located. 1 have ro ceived invitations from all sections of California, Oregon and Washington Territory to visit different localities, and I will endeavour to do so as quickly as pqssible. i'Yoii) the foregoing remarks, however, you will be able to form an, idea of what is essential to thp erection of a factory. Siich information as 1 have indicated, if for : warded to iue in conjunction with samples of noils and bouts, will marorially assist !j:c in lncnl.imi the siti-s >i;r future factoriua. —I am, Sir, y'lvs vpry truly, Ci.aus .SrwiKias, ! J r- •!.! • ,( . San Francisu'i, Mi't'i »„' 'BSS.