The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-01-01

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realty there 10 no reason Why the On.
terprise should not sonceed. bat there
| are many things that could easily
operate to make it failure. There il
NO question bat that We can raise beau
tiful sugar beets. to look at - but
whether they sre good for sugar making
| or no. Is entirely another thing. To
| dstermine this point. many experiments
must be made in growing the beet in
the different soils. and the products
subjected to careful analysis. and the
sey@ral results compared. The root
takes to itself, from some coils. elements
that render it valueless for sugar maxi
ing purposes.
Many of the Puyallup farmers will
engage in these experiments the coming
season. Arrangements have been made
for each to plant IN acre to beets and
give them . fair cultivation in order to
ascertain the cost of production, yield 3.
etc, and . portion Of each lot grown
will be analysed to determine the
sugar-making qualities. A premium
Of 500 vii! be paid to the person
raising the best acre, and $50 to the
second best. The farmers here would
be pleased to have those Of other 10.
calities join them in these experiments,
that the trial may be more general in
its character. It might b we'll to
state for the benefit of those easily
frightened at the prospect of work"
and wbo would begin 70 yelp down
this sugar best business from the very
start. that the planting and cnltivsting
is done entirely by machinery, where
the business is extensively followed.
and that machines have been devised
which will, with the aid of one span
of horses and two mon, plant or cult.
vate 20 acres Of bcets day 90 to al
such I will say. take courage.
1t would hardly be necessary TO
dwell on the superior natural advants.
ges Western Washington offers this
industry over California and other
places. If the quality Of the beet here
proves sati.facto-y. Oar rich alluvisl
valley soils are peculiarly adapted to
root crops. While in California and
Maize the average yield of beets to the
acre does net exceed 20 tons. here IS to
80 could be obtained without difficulty.
These snld ct four or five dollars ton,
the price usually paid. would bring
the farmers clear profit Of from SIS
h 800 an acre. No other crop prom
ises such sure and handsome returns.
The average each value of the grain.
crops per acre in the United States for
four years previous to and including
1869. as given in the report OF the Ag.
ricalturxl Bureau, was for oats, SIC 81,
and wheat $2244. Doubtless the a7-
erags in Western Washington, eve, on
the rich valley lands. 10 muctt ices.
In no less marked degree would
tho location here subservs the interests
Of tho manufacturer. % this poiut I
could not do better than introduce the
observations of Mr.. E. Meeker. of Puy.
sllup. who has carefully investigated
this part of the subject. He says: IL
visited the Alvarado compsny's factory.
situated about Is miles from San
Francisco. to gather what information
I could with reference to this business.
and fonnd that sixty-Hve per cent. of
the cost Of producing sugar. was in the
material, and the remaining thirty
five in labor. interest. etc. Coal and
lime make up fully 33 per osnt. Of the
cost of the material, and l found
By comparison With the prices
paid ct this factory. and the cost
OF the same material at any
convenient point on Prget Sound.
that there would be . difference
in such sn estsblishment - is now in
operation at Alvarado Of eighty-two
dollars per day. or a difference of
nearly fifteen dollars per ton in the
cost Of producing sugar, al other con-
ditions being eqnal. TIE land upon
which the beets are raised TO supply
this factory - valued ct from three to
Ave hundred dollars per acre. aud il in
nowise better than many Thousands of
acres -of the bottom lands along the
numerous rivers emptying into Puget
Hound. According to the estimates
made. and the figures given BY the
partiss themselves. the cost Of produc.
Ing pound OF that sugar at the Alva-
rado factery i but . fraction less than
six cests per pound. and would Be not
more than I've cents ct . suitable loca-
tian on Puget Sound. A beet sugar
factory. 70 he successful. must be able
70 ebtsin tho product from i've or six
hundrsd acres Of land. Under existing
circnmstsoces. it would be difficult to
And location In the Puyallup vslley
supplying this requisite Of land sus-
oeptibls of cultivation, that wosld be
cootiguousto fantory. o. this account
Il would psrhsps b necessary 70 locate
the factory at some centfal pint and
rely o. oaslying districts for IL supply
Of beeta 10 this cass some process Of
drying the beets would have 70 b ~
seated 70. Tais hes besn very snccess-
fully pracsicsd il Maine. The manu-.
fictulipg company see up and own dry
houses u the several nsighbnehoods.
Thsse dry hoasss cost aboot $500 each.
The fazunsrs ere paid d per ton for the
beets st the kills.. Five tons OF bssts
ars reduced 70 one. 10 drying. and will
thea keep IN indsdnite lsngth Of time.
l will closs this already over -lsnsthy
alticls with the following pithy extract
from letter on the same subject, writ
ten by Nr y @ NaEsillioss. . eeotls-
man Who has given the subject much
thought and carcfnl attention: sThers
are eighty TO . hsodrsd millioa dollars
guiaa ont 81 this coantry every year
for 09ne ood o8ootnninR foR eko Uoo.