FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 21 



to store beets enough to run the season. The farmer has simply to pit the beets 

 while' he has a big gang of help, then haul at his leisure later when the factory 

 calls for the beets. 



L. A. Hunter: In Binghamton the farmers prefer to harvest as rapidly as 

 possible with a big gang of workmen, then haul later. They think it cheaper than 

 to harvest and haul at the same time. 



G. Beckley, Midland: Do beets deteriorate by freezing? 



N. B. Bradley: No; the factory is now working altogether on frozen beets. It 

 win not do to allow the beets to thaw and freeze again, but if they freeze and 

 slay frozen up to the time they are worked, the beets are not seriously injured. 



J. H. Campbell, Big Beaver: At what price in Chicago was Bay City sugar sold? 



N. B. Bradley: The factory at present lacks store room for sugar, a defect that 

 will be remedied before next season. On this account, however, some sugar was 

 forced on the market at a slightly reduced rate. 



Mr. Chamberlain: What objection is there to storing beets in a cellar? 



N. B. Bradley: Too much work and liable to be too warm at times, and at 

 times danger of freezing. 



E. B. Graham: How far can beets be shipped by rail? 



N. B. Bradley: The railroads give special rates on beets that enable them to 

 be profitably grown many miles from the factory. 



Geo. A. Wells: If contracts are not in accordance with State laws, can the fac- 

 tory draw bounty? 



N. B. Bradley: Probably not, but this is a legal question that would have to be 

 settled for each case. 



L. D. Snook, Pontiac: If a beet freezes and thaws is it spoiled? 



N. B. Bradley: Yes. If a beet freezes, keep it frozen until delivered. 



L. A. Hunter: Do beets deteriorate in storing? 



N. B. Bradley: Not if pitted, but if in cellar they are liable to wilt and thus lose 

 v;i lue. 



Q. How about the experience of Mr. Silcox? 



J. Y. Clark: As the statements have appeared in the papers the facts are not 

 squarely stated. Mr. Silcox sowed three acres and harvested hardly one, yet he 

 charges all the expenses for the three acres against the meager returns from one 

 acre. He seems to have tilled the beets fairly well in the early part of the season, 

 but neglected them later so that he did not gather the beets at all from the weeds 

 and grass on part of the area. The beets were below standard and the whole 

 enterprise was a failure. 



P. G. Towar, Lansing: I happen to be a neighbor of Mr. Silcox, and I can assure 

 you that there was more to this failure than has been brought out here today. He 

 took care of the beets so poorly that they could not grow, and as a matter of fact 

 he did not try to harvest the whole area planted, but contented himself with pull- 

 ing a few beets here and there over the patch. 



Q. How about the shrinkage he reports? 



N. B. Bradley: The sugar company has nothing to do with the shrinkage. The 

 amount of tare is determined by a State officer, who is impartial ana gives general 

 satisfaction. There are, as far as I know, not more than three or four farmers 

 about Bay City who raised beets last year that are dissatisfied. The delegation 

 visiting the factory from Alma stood about the gates of the factory all day, talk- 

 ing to farmers. They reported on their return home that the sugar beet growers 

 were the happiest lot of farmers they had seen in many a year. 



SUGAR BEETS: A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND A WORD 



OF WARNING. 



PROP. C. D. SMITH, AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



The word of encouragement I shall give is simply this: Southern 

 Michigan is in the very heart of the beet belt as far as climate is con- 

 cerned, and possesses a soil over most of her territory well adapted to 

 growing roots very rich in sugar, as rich, on the average as any other 

 state in the Union, and richer than any other with the possible exception 



