EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III. 87 



Mr. Van Pelt : The milking machine is still in the experimental 

 stage. The best man on that subject is probably ]\Ir. Scribner, of 

 Wisconsin. His opinion is where heifers are broke with the first 

 calf, they do reasonably well, but in cows who have formed the habit 

 of being milked by hand, they do not respond readily to the milk- 

 ing machine. 



Question : In your figures, what is the percentage of butter fat ? 



Mr. Van Pelt : I took five per cent. 



Ql^estion : Can 3^ou find a creamery that will give you a five per 

 cent test? 



Mr. Van Pelt : I can find plenty of cows that give five per 

 cent milk. 



The President: Our next subject is entitled, "Sugar Beet In- 

 dustry in Iowa," by Earl C. Moore, Secretary Iowa Sugar Factory, 

 "Waverly, Iowa. 



SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY IN IOWA. 



E. C. IIOORE, WAVERLY, IOWA. 



I infer that the invitation extended to the Iowa Sugar Co. that their 

 representative meet with the State Agricultural Society at Des Moines 

 was given rather with a view of learning something of the manufacture 

 of sugar than the question of beet culture with which I assume every 

 one of you is more or less familiar. 



The important feature in the success of beet sugar manufacture 

 is the question of profit to the farmer, and the manufacturer who does 

 not inform himself as to the conditions of agriculture in the immediate 

 locality of his factory and who does not co-operate with the farmer in 

 every step is not likely to make a success of his factory. 



You will understand that the success of the beet sugar industry is 

 so interwoven with the farmers profits that the factory can not exist 

 unless it develops that the growing of beets is profitable to the farmer. 



It is impossible in the short time alotted to give you more than the 

 outlines of the possibilities of beet culture in Iowa and we must to a 

 certain extent depend on. the experience of other states as the factory 

 established at "Waverly has not yet been demonstrated as an entire 

 success. That is, one year's experience is not sufficient for a grower to 

 know whether or not he wants to continue the culture. From the side 

 of the investor we have demonstrated our faith in the ultimate outcome 

 by providing the cash for the construction of the factory. 



We believe that you have the fertility of soil, the average favorable 

 amount of precipitation, and most necessary the sunshine and cool nights 

 during the maturing season. It must not be forgotten, however, that 

 a crop brings to the farmer $60 to $125 per acre necessarily demands 



