The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-04-22
The 0aEette.
rron sAs PsopIs's Jamaal.
THE RISE IN SUGAR.

The late rise in sugar ought 70
suggess : lesson 70 us as . people,
II shows how wholly We are de-
pendent upon other countries for
q supply of this great staple. ia
We use in the United States up.
wards of four hundred thousand
tons Of sugar yearly; three hun
dred and fifty thousand tons of
which are imported. There is at
present no lessening Of the supply,
but the bare possibility Of next
seasons supply Of sugar from Gu
ba being cut of on account Of the
troubles in that Island, is sufficient
to send up the price rs per cent.
in q single week: If the prospect
ofcontinued war in Cuba should
be realized, the price Of sugars is
likely TO be still more largely in
creased, and iu case Of the cessa.
ton of foreign commerce, should
we become involved in war with
any foreign power, nearly our
whole supply would be cut off, and
and prices must advance wholly
beyond the reach Of all bat the
wealthy classes. This would be a
National calamity greater than the
loss fdMs other single article Of i'm.
POrtdtion. II would affect every
citizen.
We know but one way to insure
ourselves against such possibility,
and that 10 to raise our own sugars.
This we arc ahundantly able to
do. We do not refer now to our
capacity for the production of
cane sugar, but 10 our far greater
capacity for the production of su-
gar from the Sugar Beet.
In q recent complete and valua-
bic work on Farm management,
farm crops, &C., (entitled-"How
to make the Farm Pay"-and pub
lished by Zeigler, cCurdy & Co =,
of Philadelphia and Chicago is a
most excellent chapter on the cul-
tivation and management Of Beets
for sugar, from which we make the
following. extract: XIX, IT.
"The production OF beet sugar,
throughout the world, Is now o.
bout six hundred and fifty thous-
and tons, or one fourth OF the whole
production Of sugar. We have
millions of acres adapted to the
cultivation of the sugar beet. We
have the best labor saving macbin.
cry Of any country on the globe,
and there is no good reason why
we should not produce q million
tons Of sugar annually, within ten
years. In accor dance with the
practical aim Of this work, we
shall endeavor 10 show that it is
TO our pecuniary, and especially 10
$ our agricultural interests, TO do so.
The cost Of raising the beet can.
not. under judicious cultivation OK.
ceed threo dollars per ton, and VIC
think that they can lie raised for
two dollars per ton. But taking
the highest estimate, Of three dol.
lars per ton, there Is left a large
margin for profit, as one ton Of
beets will yield from one hundred
and forty to one hundred and
eighty pounds Of refined sugar !;
about fifty pounds Of molasses suit.
able for dlstillation five hundred
pounds of leaves, an excellent
green fodder; and FIVE hundred
pounds OF pulp, worth one thirdas
much as good hay. But this ia
not all; the beet crop cleans and
prepares the soil; and, in u rotation
is one Of the best precedors Of any
grain crop. The yield Of beets,
per acre, varies from seventeen TO
forty two tons. We think that,
With our improved methods, an
average yield Of thirty tons. per
acre can readily be secured, but
taking tho low average yield OF
twenty tons per acre, at Eve dol.
lars per ton, Is one hundred dollars;
deducting the highest estimate OF
the cost Of production, three dol
lars per ton, leaves forty dollars
per acre clear profit TO tho farmer.
Considering the probability of
yield Of thirty tons pOr aero, cost.
ing two dollars per ton, we have
the possibility Of q profit Of ninety
dollars por acre.
"There are, at present, but few
manufactures Of beet sugar in this
country, but they would spring up
on every side, II farmers once de-.
termined to raise the crops, and
made that determination known.
Communities settling on the rich
Aoils Of the west and south, have
this matter In their own bands, us
have also the farmers in the older
states. Lot q dozen farmers, in
any section Of the country, agree
with some capitalist to supply him
with beets, and o market will be
at once created. II is for farmers
to,agitato this matter, 10 their daily
conversation, 10 their visits to the
city markets, In farmers clubs, and
through the columns of thcir cho.
sen agricultural journals. Tho
manufacture must be exceedingly
profitable. II is carried on from
September TO March, period
when labor is easily commanded.
II will employ tho extra farm Ia
borsrs, at q season when their sor.
vices are not required on the farm;
thus incidentally comforting q per-
manent benefit upon every com.
munity, whore such on industry is
established" Tho author of the
work from which We quote the
above, estimates tho cost Of work. |
one thousand tons Of bcets as fol. |
lows ttoAatltl #lE ..i