MICHIGAN BEET SUGAR 397 



THE BEET SUGAR COURSE AT MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL 



COLLEGE. 



F. S. KEDZIE, M. S., ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF CUEMISTKY AT TIIK MICIIIGAX AGRICULTURAL 



COLLEGE. 



Four years ago when the Michigan Sugar Company started on 

 their first campaign, there were no citizens of Michigan who had sulfi- 

 cient knowledge of the processes of manufacture of sugar from beets 

 to be of and assistance, except as general helpers. At that time all 

 the work involving the chemical control of the factory process and 

 the testing of the beets as received at the sheds had to be done by 

 men with previous experience, obtained outside of Michigan either in 

 Europe, in the beet sugar course given by the Nebraska State Univer- 

 sity, or learned in some factory, usually from some person with strong 

 foreign accent and a decided aversion to teaching a Yankee anything 

 about the business. It seemed obvious that the new industry should 

 give employment to Michigan young men, and that here at the Michigan 

 Agricultural College, a brief course, covering the main features of the 

 factory process and its chemical control, would be of interest and pro- 

 fitable to those of our students who desired to take it. 



In the spring term of 3899, Mr. J. V. Wolf, Jr., chemist of the Mich- 

 igan Sugar Company (a graduate of the Nebraska State University 

 and Sugar School) gave a four weeks course on the chemistry of beet 

 sugar manufacture to 15 of our junior and senior students. Four of 

 this number had employment during the campaign IJiat year, two at 

 Alma, one each at Bav Citv and Rochester. 



It was ai)parent from the beginning that the instruction necessary 

 to impart a useful knowledge of the subject could not be given in so 

 short a time. So the following year, January 1, 1900, a three months 

 course was inaugurated. In addition to the chemistry of sugar manu- 

 facture, inslruction was given in the production of the crop. Professors 

 Smith and Towar giving lectures on proper selection of soils, pre- 

 paration of the seed bed, fertilizers, thinning, weeding and cultiva- 

 tion of the beets. These lectures were supplemented by field work done 

 by each student. 



Professor \N'lieeler in a course of leclures discussed the botanical 

 origin ami history of the sugar beet, and the fungus diseases which 

 attack the beet plant. This course was supplemented by laboratory 

 work in testing beet seed for purity and vitality. In this manner each 

 student learned how to detfMinine which of two samples of seed showed 

 greatest germiiialive slreiiglh. The chemical inslruction and (he in- 

 struction in the woik of tlie factory, which constituted the largest pro- 

 portion of the work, was given by Mr. Alfred N. Clark, who having had 

 factory experience, and being a competent cluMuist and engineer, was 

 well pi-epaied to make the details of the process and the chemical con- 

 trol clear (o the students. During the campaign following (1900), we 

 had eleven men from our school working in Michigan factories. The 



