Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-11-18
Sugar Making With Dried Beets.

For the first time we find in the
United States four beet-sugar fac
tories in operation, and what is
more important than that mere
fact,is they are in successful opera
ton and are paying establish
ments. The sugar works at Sequel
have run this year their sixth
season, since their removal from
Alvarado, and we are glad to hear
that they are making money.
The Maine Beet Sugar Company,
at Portland, Me-, works this year
on this largest scale. Since Octo-
Der Goth they have worked regular
ly per day one hundred tons of beets
into sugar, which will be run up
into one hundred and fifty tons
daily before the expiration of the
first month, and the company hopes
before the close of this season to
bring il up to two hundred tons
daily; this would make it the equal
of any European sugar factory in
extent and also in quality of its
product.
The Maine Beet Sugar Company
was organized by Ernest Til. Gen
merit, in May, 1878, with nominal
capital of $4,000, Of which $4,000
were only available. OF this $4,000
one-half was expended in drying
establishment at Presque Isle,
Aroostook county, Me-, leaving
only $4,000 for machinery and
working capital, besides covering
general expenses for travelling
agents to make contracts with
farmers, etc. These certainly do
not look like enormous sums of
money. The Maine Beet Sugar
Company began work last year on
the Goth of October, and converted
in 1O3 days, five hundred tons of
beets into sugar, making within q
fraction of $4,000 pounds Of sugar of
all grades. In February this year,
the company worked 450 tons of
beets which had previously been
dried, and produced therefrom over
10000 pounds of sugar in a days.
The reason they did not make more
sugar was that they had no more
beets. These figures can be accept
ed as correct because they are taken
from q sworn statement furnished
by the officers of the company to
the Secretary OF State, who exer-
cised his right also to have their
books examined by commission.
The quantity of beets raised this
year amounts to twenty-five thous-
and tons, and as the improved and
increased machinery supplied with
the increased capital is in unison
with the large supply of raw mate
rial, the company may be consid-
cred on sound footing.
If this result has been brought
about with SO trifllng capital in
Maine, under the most unfavorable
circumstances, why can it not be
repeated in California where the
circumstances are SO extremely fa-
vorable? This we consider very
pertinent question and we should
be glad If some one who is compe.
tent to answer it would do so.
A few weeks before Mr.. Gennert
started for this State, he delivered
by invitation an address to the
Legislature of the State of Della
ware, the Senate and House being
Jointly assembled, and the result was
that the Legislature made an appro-
priation to foster this industry, and
the money was turned over to the
Delaware Beet Sugar Company.
| This company was organized with
capital stock of $4,000, and as
Mr.. Gennert was largely instru.
mental in calling this company
into life he must have been of the
opinion that it could be made a
success. What has changed his
opinion since? Certainly not the
great facilities and advantages
California offers!
No investment is needed in Cali.
fornia to dry beets; the California
sun does this to perfection on the
very fields which have produced
the beets so abundantly. II it was
so easy u matter to manufacture
nearly 200,0 pounds of sugar from
dried beets in Maine, in few days
with an actual investment of
So, 900 (not counting in the drier),
why cannot the same thing be done
here? And, If Mr.. Emery, editor of
the Prairie Farmer, was correct
when he said "it is easier to make
O barrel of sugar from beets than to
boil a pot of mush,n why not go
to work and do it in California,
where soil, climate, sun and price
have combined to make the work
easy OF successe If the beet sugar
industry can be introduced in Cali
fornia in small concerns and with
out creating any more large stock
companies, and make the whole
sugar industry an agricultural
business such as it is in every Eu
ropean country, we say let us do So