318 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
VEGETABLES. 
SUGAR BEETS IN MINNESOTA. 
PROF. W. M. HAYS, FARGO, N. D. 
The experiment station has clearly demonstrated that sugar beets, with 
a high percentage of sugar, can be grown in Minnesota. The sugar beets 
of to-day are highly bred sorts that have been perfected in Germany and 
France, where by selection the per cent. of sugar of the common beet 
has been raised to more than double its former amount of six per cent. 
This seed will produce quite as good sugar beets on Minnesota soil, and 
with Minnesota sunshine, as it will in Germany, sunny France, or.in Ne- 
braska, where considerable sugar is now made. In fact, our results show 
exceptionally high. While our soils will produce beets of superior quality, 
they also produce large crops. Twelve or fifteen tons per acre should be 
a fair average. As the seed can be purchased cheaply, the labor be partly 
done by horse implements, and as rents of rich land is very low, we should 
be able to grow and market beets, where the haul is not over five miles, 
at $2.75 to $3.50 per ton on an average. Of course, where we put so much 
expense in labor and seed per acre the chance for loss is considerable, as 
in avery unfavorable year, there is a chance to lose $25 or even more 
per acre. 
The paramount question now is, shall factories be built? Some one 
says to me: Would you like to take stock in a company and help erect a 
factory at Owatonna, Stillwater, Lake City or other point, where the 
farmers have left wheat and are experienced in general farming, and with 
assurance of $4 per ton for their beets would grow them? Under good 
management I believe it would be a safe investment. There would be at 
the start two disadvantages. 'The newness of the business to the farmers 
would doubtless result in Some poor, coarse beets and in some discourag- 
ing yields. The newness of the locality to manufacturers would result in 
some troubles. The short season between pulling time and when it is 
too cold to handle beets out-doors would require some modification of the 
ordinary beet buildings. Allowing them to freeze in the piles in the field 
and then hauling on the snow like stove-wood, might work where fuel is 
very cheap. The freezing would not necessarily interfere with getting 
out the sugar, as it would be perfectly preserved until the roots were 
thawed. Storing the roots in buildings that would not allow them 
to freeze, thus extending the operation of the factory over several months, 
could be done but would be expensive. The farmers would very soon 
learn to raise good beets, and doubtless economical arrangements could 
be made for saving the beets so as to run the factory far into the winter. 
As horticulturists you are especially interested in the methods of plant- 
Ra Se 
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ing, cultivating and harvesting the beet. What is wanted is medium — 
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