1 Sepr., 1897.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 205: 
sugar beet requires a certain amount of moisture in order to produce its normal: 
crop. This moisture must be derived either from precipitation in the usual 
way, by irrigation, or else the soil must be of that particular quality which will 
allow subterranean moisture to reach the rootlets of the plants. Soil of this. 
latter kind appears to exist in many localities in California, where beets are: 
grown almost without rain. The porous and sandy soils adjacent to many of 
the western rivers, such as the Platte River in Nebraska and the Arkansas 
River in Kansas, also appear to furnish a sufficient amount of subterranean 
moisture to produce a good crop in connection with the rainfall, of which, 
however, but little is expected in those localities during the summer months. 
Where there is little subterranean moisture, and where irrigation is not 
practicable, the endeavour should be made to secure localities for the growth 
of the sugar beet where an average summer precipitation of from 2 to. 
4 inches per month may be expected. There are many conditions of agricul- 
ture, however, under which the beet becomes quite independent of extremes of 
precipitation. The beet may thrive with very little rainfall or with a great 
deal, if properly cultivated in a suitable soil.” 
Tt will thus be seen that the conditions of climate and soil under which 
the beet will thrive are such as to enable the farmer to produce the crop under 
circumstances where cane cultivation would be a dead failure. It is: this 
very facility of growth and cultivation, and the vast extent of country available: 
in many parts of the globe for the sugar beet industry, that makes it such a. 
formidable antagonist to the canegrower, not to mention the subject of the 
bounties on beet sugar in continental countries. As it is, our sugar factories. 
have to be worked with the greatest care and judgment to merely pay interest 
on the outlay for machinery. What will it be when the southern colonies are 
supplied from within themselves, and when foreign markets are still further: 
flooded with beet sugar ? : 
From the same source we take the following figures as to the beet-sugar 
industry in one district of California :— 
“A Great Bect Year.—The beet season is now so far advanced that it can: 
be said definitely that Chino will this year have not only the greatest acreage 
ot beets in its history but that the yield per acre will exceed that of any former 
year. Reports from Anaheim and Hueneme are to about the same effect, and 
it is now roughly estimated that the Chino factory will this year handle in the: 
neighbourhood of 120,000 to 130,000 tons of beets, from which there will be: 
extracted something like 17,000 tons of refined sugar. If the price of beets 
average $3.50 per ton this will give the beetgrowers about $450,000, while the: 
factory will also pay about $125,000 for crude petroleum for fuel, and a large 
sum for wages and other expenses. Thus it is evident that the company will 
distribute over $500,000 within the next six months. It will not be a losing 
investment for the company, however, as, without considering the bounty 
question, the output of sugar from the factory, at 4: cents per lb., will be worth: 
about $1,360,000. The immense stretches of beet-fields now present a striking 
appearance. Jor miles the sea. of beets is spread before the eye. They are 
growing with wonderful rapidity, and the farmers all wear happy looks in. 
contemplation of the coming harvest.—Chino Letter.” 
Dr. Wiley has been often asked the question “if beet sugar cannot be- 
made in a small way so that farmers could club together, put up a cheap 
pubaratus, and produce their own sugar? On account of the elaborateness of 
the process and the costly nature of the machinery which is necessary to: 
produce beet sugar even ina small way, it is not believed that it could be profitably 
made in the way indicated. A small factory could not possibly compete with 
a large one; aud hence there is no encouragement to be offered in the way of 
producing home-made beet sugar.* The Department has no knowledge of any 
successful beet-sugar factory of this kind. ‘There is no country producing any 
notable quantity of beet sugarin which home apparatus costing onlya few thousand 
__* Old Queenslanders will remember the disastrous results of experiments with small sugar 
mills in 1870,—Eb. Q.4.J. ; 
