THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Ill 



with the size and strength of the crystals as well 

 as the superiority of the beet-sugar in flavor, and 

 in the latter the total absence of all gummy mat- 

 ter. Eastern sugar refiners speak in the highest 

 terms of the quality of the beet-sugar. It is the 

 opinion of Mr. Belohkk, as well as other intelligent 

 gentlemen, that from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds (based 

 on these experiments alone) per acre can be grown 

 in almost any part of the State upon suitable soil." 



The editor of the Prairie Farmer also says he 

 knows of one gentleman in Illinois who has made 

 arrangements to plant one hundred acres the 

 present season. 



European experience shows that the manufac- 

 tore of beet-sugar can only be successfully carried 

 on by large manufacturers. A farmer who grows 

 only a few acres of beets can not afford to erect 

 the necessary machinery. The plan adopted is for 

 farmers to raise the beets and sell them to the man- 

 ufacturers at a certain price per tun. We see no 

 reason to doubt that the same system might be 

 adopted with entire success in this country. At 

 the present high price of sugar the profits would 

 be immense. 



As to the comparative advantage of raising the 

 beet or the Chinese sugar-cane, the editor of the 

 Prairie Farmer, who is well qualified to speak on 

 the subject, is decidedly in favor of the beet. He 

 says: 



"Let us turn for a moment to the Northern 

 sugar-cane. No ma,n, we believe, is satisfied with 

 our progress in sugar making from either the 

 Chinese or African canes. It may be claimed that 

 as much has been accomplished in the five years 

 here as was done in fifteen of experiment in the 

 Bouth, but that is far from proving that the next 

 ten years will see Northern cane as prolific in sugar 

 as the Southern. We earnestly hope it may be 

 so, but let us see what point we have now reached. 

 After five years of experiment not a barrel, so far 

 as we know, of Western sugar has appeared in 

 market — one or two hundred pounds of tolerable 

 sugar is the utmost any man has shown to the 

 public, and excepting for the moment a single va- 

 riety of cane, the process has been at best uncer- 

 tain, and the amount from a gallon of sirup so 

 email that if it were produced in any considerable 

 quantity, upon all occasions, it would be far from 

 profitable to the producer. ***** 

 In view of all the facts in the case, we are com- 

 pelled reluctantly to come to the conclusion that 

 our previous strong hopes of success in sugar 

 making from Northern cane must be abandoned. 

 We say this not for the purpose of deterring from 

 further experiment, which we hope may go on. 

 We may be wrong, but at present, when we com- 

 pare the promises of the sugar cane and the beet, 

 we firmly believe our reliance for a sugar crop in 

 the North must be placed upon the latter. The 

 *Otaheitan' cane may prove an exception. So 



far as known it has done remarkably well ; another 

 year will undoubtedly fully settle its merits. 



"Should the cultivation of sugar cane, then, be 

 abandoned ? By no means. It is a fixed fact that 

 the best of sirups can profitably be made from it; 

 and the present product may be immensely in- 

 creased without in the least injuring the market. 

 With its increased culture, an increased home de- 

 mand will ensue, and as its merits become known 

 abroad, a large shipping demand will be created." 



The experience of growers with the sorghum in 

 France corroborates this opinion. It will make 

 sirup, and can also be used for the distillation of 

 spirits, but it will not compete with the beet in the 

 production of sugar. 



FLAX AND FLAX-COTTON. 



At the last annual meeting of the New York 

 State Agricultural Society, Dr. Gould, from the 

 committee appointed to examine flax-machinery, 

 made an interesting report. He said : 



" The best soil for flax is that which is best for 

 barley, and the best manure phosphates, and the 

 land should be well drained and carefully and 

 deeply plowed, and the best for the purpose is the 

 Michigan plow. After a few days, go over with 

 a cultivator each way, and sow and roll the ground • 

 very smooth, and then the crop may be cut with 

 the reaping machine. The length of straw depends 

 upon the length of root, and no crop is more in- 

 jured by weeds. The crop is ready to pull when 

 the bolls are fiUed and the lower half of the stalk 

 turned yellow. 



" It is very important to get off all the seed, 

 else it stains the lint; and it is equally important, 

 to make the business of flax-growing profitable, 

 that the grower and manufacturer should be lo- 

 cated near each other, so that the grower can sell 

 the straw without attempting to clean it. If he 

 rots it, he must take great care not to carry the 

 process too far. It is now settled that mechanical 

 and chemical operations must be combined to suc- 

 cessfully prepare flax. A solvent is wanted, which i 

 has not yet been discovered, to dissolve the gum 

 that holds the fibers together. 



" At Lockport, N. Y., there is a chartered com- 

 pany in operation which pays $10 per tun for flax- 

 straw, and makes 300 pounds of flax-cotton at a 

 cost of $27. It goes through a great number of 

 process, mechanical and chemical. It is first 

 broken by fluted rollers, then hackled and worked ' 

 again with rollers, then combed, steeped, boiled, , 

 washed, bleached, dried, picked, carded, roped and 

 spun. For the coarse portions there is a great de- ■ 

 mand for upholstering purposes. 



" There is also a large demand for paper stock. 

 Indeed, there is no lack of demand, and no doubt 

 of flax culture being profitable so long as the seed 

 and straws can be sold near where produced at the 

 present prices, and there will be a very large area i , 

 in this State sown the coming spring." 



Mr. Gould also described the Pen Yan flax ' 



machine, which puts the straw throtigh a crushing 



process about fifteen minutes, and then it is beaten 



to shake out shivea and then passed through flutedi . 



