1913.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. G9 



BEET SUGAR IN NEW ENGLAND. 



J. B. LINDSEY. 



The Massaclnisetts Agriciiltural College investigated the sub- 

 ject of sugar beet production in this State as early as 1870. In 

 its eighth report for 1871 the late Professor Goessmann pub- 

 lished a comprehensive review of the sugar industry — beet, 

 sorghum and cane — both at home and abroad. A large amount 

 of valuable data is therein collated. 



In the report for 1872 he gave the results of experiments 

 conducted upon the college farm and elsewhere and drew the 

 following conclusions : — 



1. It is possible to grow beets of high sugar content in 

 Massachusetts upon well-drained mellow loams when proper 

 attention is given to fertilization and cultivation. 



2. Whether or not the industry will prove profitable in 

 Massachusetts depends upon the area that is available for the 

 cultivation of the beet, and whether the necessary capital can 

 be secured to erect sugar factories for the extraction of the 

 sugar. 



Later, considerable beets were grown in the vicinity of 

 Franklin, jMass., and a small factory erected for the manufac- 

 ture of the sugar. This enterprise did not meet with success, 

 owing, among other things, to the crude methods employed in 

 the factory and the relatively small supply of beets available. 

 The industry has languished since that time in this State, al- 

 though it has thrived particularly in California and Michigan. 



In order to make the industry a success large tracts of com- 

 paratively level land must be available, and the factory must 

 be loeated as near the center of the area as possible. It is 

 dnnbffnl if the hill towns of the State would be suited to the 

 conditions, the beets having to be transported to the factory 

 either liy rail or wagon. It is believed by the writer that the 



