THE EXPERIMENT STATION. 141 



imported from Germany — and one lot of American sugar beets, each lot 

 properly labeled. 



In answer to how they were grown and on what kind of soil, I would say 

 that the American sugar beet was grown on red clay, planted on pine stump 

 land that had never been cultivated or manured. Before the seed was 

 planted the ground was hoed, and after the beets came up they were hoed to 

 keep the weeds down ; that was all the cultivation they received. 



The German sugar beet was grown on sand with clay subsoil two feet 

 below the surface. The ground had been plowed four times — once in each 

 season; no manure used, nor had it been manured previously. 



The selection sent is of medium size ; larger and smaller specimens were 

 grown on the same soil. The smallest would contain more sugar than 

 mediums or larger : that is why mediums were chosen. 



I also give you an outline of how they are grown in Germany and on what 

 principles a sugar plant is run. 



1. The ground on which sugar beets are grown in Germany is sandy, or 

 high clay land. Low land is not used for growing the beet. It is claimed 

 that on low land the beets grow larger, but contain less sugar. The year 

 before the beets are grown the land is heavily manured with stable manure 

 and a crop of barley or other grain taken off. The ground is then very 

 deeply plowed and seeds sown in drills 14 inches apart, and plants 

 thinned to 14 inches in a row, and hoed about three times during the season. 

 If the beets tend to grow out of the ground they are covered to the leaves. 

 (You will find the specimens sent are trimmed of all that grew above the 

 ground. All the portion trimmed off is of no use to the sugar manufacturer, 

 and is fed to cattle by the grower.) 



2. The sugar plant in Germany is mostly owned by the farmers and run 

 on the same principle as a bank or other organization, each stockholder 

 agreeing to grow a certain amount of beets, delivering them in the fall to 

 the factory and receiving so much a ton for his beets. All the refuse of his 

 beets is returned to him and used for fertilizers, and no other fertilizers 

 are allowed. Any stockholder using fertilizers or freshly manured ground 

 is subject to a fine of $50, and for a second offense he is expelled from the 

 organization. Beets are grown every three years on the same ground, and 

 an acre will average about ten tons. 



This information is from parties that have grown the beet in Germany 

 and worked in the plant. They believe that the beet can be successfully 

 grown here, and if so, it would be a great benefit to this part of Michigan. 

 We have a good harbor and railroads, and plaster which is used in cleaning 

 the sugar. * * * * Any farther information as far as I can obtain it 

 will be cheerfully given. 



Kespectfully yours, 



Geo. C. Anschuetz. 



The roots, as received, were well developed and fair in appearance. _ A 

 quantity of each kind was cut into very thin slices, weighed and then dried 

 to constant weight in an air-bath at 212° F., and the weight of original 

 substance, the loss by drying and the weight of dry residue, the per cent of 

 dry matter and of water was determined. Each kind of beet was grated to 

 a fine pulp, and the juice extracted by a filter press; the specific gravity of 

 the juice taken, the quantity of sugar in the juice estimated by the saccha- 



