9 2 



Sugar Beet Growing in England. 



[APRIL, 



Sugar Beet Crowing in England. — Much^ interest is at present being 

 taken in the question of the growth of sugar beet, and the possibilities 

 of the establishment of a beet sugar industry in England as a result 

 of the high price of sugar, the adverse rate of exchange and' the insistent 

 demand for increased production of essential food-stuffs. It has, 

 therefore, been thought desirable to set out clearly the present position. 



Quite apart from the question of the production of sugar, sugar-beet 

 is a useful crop to grow ; it would occupy the same place in the rotation 

 as roots without materially, if at all, reducing the "supply of succulent 

 food for stock ; both leaves and by-products make excellent food for 

 cattle ; and the careful and thorough cultivation necessary for the 

 best results reacts favourably on the subsequent crops of the rotation. 

 It has the further important advantage of giving a direct monetary 

 return for its cultivation. Extensive trials conducted before the War 

 have already indicated the suitability of many parts of the country for 

 production of beet on a large scale for manufacture into sugar, but 

 owing to the bulky nature of the crop and the consequent high cost of 

 transport, it must be definitely understood that its growth forvthe 

 extraction of sugar on a commercial scale is only advisable within reason- 

 able transport distance of a factory. 



A beet sugar factory is to be erected on the Kelham Estate in 

 Nottinghamshire,* but there is little likelihood of the factory being 

 completed this year. The Government are financially interested in 

 this enterprise, as the}^ have agreed to take up an equal number of shares 

 with the public up to a maximum value of £250,000 in the company 

 (" Home Grown Sugar, Limited ") which has been formed to control 

 the enterprise. The Treasury have a financial representative on the 

 directorate of the company. The nominal capital is to be £1,000,000. 

 £500,000 will be issued and shares to the value of £250,000 have been 

 subscribed by the general public. Communications from farmers with 

 regard to the scheme should be addressed to the Secretary, Home Grown 

 Sugar, Limited, 14, Victoria Street, London, S.W. 1. 



There is a sugar factory at Cantley near Norwich, which closed down 

 in 1916 owing to war conditions, "but which, it is understood, is now being 

 re-opened. The Ministry understands that new' processes^are to-be 

 installed at the factory, and the machinery overhauled, and it is pro- 

 posed, by alterations to the plant, to refine cane sugar in periods when 

 beet sugar factories usually stand idle. Inquiries with regard to the 

 growth of beet for this factory should, for the present, be addressed to 

 J. Crosland Graham, Esq., 3, Stanley Street, Liverpool. 



A memorandum of the Cultivation* of Sugar Beet has been prepared 

 by the Ministry. Copies may be obtained free on application at 72, 

 Victoria Street, London, S.W. 1. 



Foot-and-Mouth Disease.- — No outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease 

 has been confirmed in Great Britain since the 27th February, on which 

 date there were two outbreaks, one at Ripple (near Tewkesbury) 

 Worcestershire, and one near Wendover, Buckinghamshire, By an 

 Order of the Minister which came into operation on the 29th March, 

 all the remaining general restrictions on the movement of animals, 

 which were imposed by the Ministry in connection with the above 

 and other outbreaks, were withdrawn. 



* See note in this Journal, January, 1920, p. 1000. 



