FARMERS' INSTITUTES. ^ 



time of year, before going too lieavily into beets. Other tilings are going 

 to be raised on the farm as usual and will require the customary amount 

 of work. How much additional help is available in the community for 

 this new crop? 



The success of sugar factories in this State, well placed and wisely 

 managed, is practically assured. The profit from beets planted on soil 

 adapted to the crop, intelligently cared for, harvested, siloed and de- 

 livered to the factory has been demonstrated. What we need to guard 

 against is misdirected effort, unwise location and unhealthy excitement, 

 followed by untimely and hurtful reaction. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Alexander: Are beets liable to drop in price on the withdrawing of the 

 bounty? 



C D. Smith: Undoubtedly, to some extent. As soon as the bounty is taken away 

 the struggle between factoi-y and farmer as to division of the profits will begin. 

 The former will strive to mal^e the price as low as possible and secure the requisite 

 acreage of I'oots, and the latter will seek to get as high a price as he can and 

 allow the factory a living interest on the capital invested. 



Mr. Grayley: How is potato ground for beets? 



C. D. Smith: I know no reason why it would not do. Later we shall have to 

 adopt systematic rotation in which beets will follow some cereal. 



Mr. Bailey: I want to ask Mr. Clark which kind of soil gave the highest per cent 

 of sugar? 



J. Y. Clark: I don't know. 



Mr. Sailor: How much has the location of the factory at Bay City raised the 

 price of land? 



N. B. Bradley: Certainly $25.00 per acre. It has given a large impulse to all 

 farming industries. 



J. L. Morrice, Monroe : Beets grown on different classes of soil on my farm and 

 sent to the Agricultural College for analysis showed 



Seven per cent on sand; 11 per cent on clay; some of the beets weighing as high 

 as six pounds. 



Mr. Jewell: I raised beets on sand, clay and muck Avith these results: 



On muck the beets tested 16 per cent, SO purity. 



On clay the beets tested 14 per cent, 80 purity. 



On sand the beets tested 12 per cent, 80 purity. 



On the muck the beets were deeper in the ground than on other soils. 



C. D. Smith: It should not be forgotten that it is not the proper function of 

 the Agricultural College to promote an industry. Its duty is done when, through 

 various channels, it furnishes information useful to the farmer concerning th© 

 industry. 



WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. 



E. A. Croman, Grass Lake, presiding. 



QUESTION BOX. 



Q. Have you considered how many acres of beets each farmer in Oakland 

 county must raise to supply a factory? 



J. Y. Clark: There are five thousand farmers in Oakland county, so that the 

 matter of Inlior is not a serious one here. Besides, we are near Detroit. 



A. E. Vantine: If it is a paying thing, why do manufacturers want a five year 

 contract with the growers? 



C. D. Smith: The manufacturers have $.350,000.00 invested in a plant which is 

 good for nothing but to make sugar from beets. The farmer has his capital in 

 land that he can turn to a variety of crops. If, at the outset, there should be a 

 bad year for beets, the farmer will refuse to raise beets unless he is bound to do 



