Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-16

REroKr OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED Ir
THE MAIZE STATE GRANGE.

At the sixth annual meeting Of the Maine
State Grange, held in Portland in December
last. Nessr. Fred Robe, Samuel Bell andL-
=. bennett we're appointed committee 10
ascertain the facts in relation 70 the produe-
ton Of sugar beets, and their manufacture in
| the State Of Maine, and report. From the
/ report lust completed, We take the following
statements
! The capital stock Of the Maine Beet Sugar
| Company Is $4,000, invested in buildings
and machinery In addition, the company
rents and uses buildings and machinery Of
the Forest City Sugar Refinery, which cost
several times that sum. The total cost Of the
buildings and machinery used exceeds $780,
90. The rent paid the Forest City Sugar
[ Refinery BY the company is less than the in
tere.t and taxes on the investment the
| amount Of rent paid has been favorable 10 the
company. Notwithstanding this, and the ex-
ceptionaly high price of raw sugar during
q portion Of the season, the books Of the COM
pany show, a. will be seen further on, that no
div idend can be declared this year, which is
a great disappointment TO the company, who
| invested their money, as we can readily be-
| iievc, relying upon statements Of parties who
I claimed to know, tina, at least a fair dividend
would be the result Of the enterprise. But
the gentlemen Of the company. as well a. the
farmers, had something TO learn by expert
ence and while we do not venture to make
suggestions to them, beyond this, that they
pay ~ much for beets, and sell the pulp as
| low next year as they did this. we hope they
will be able 10 so manage the business, that
| thew can eventually pay more for beets.
/ The quantity of beets used this year
! . 900 tons. of which 5000 were raised in
Maine. These bcets were the product Of
contracts tor 100 acres, showing an average
OF less than nine tons per acre. But as many
farmers held back n part of their crop. per-
haps it is safe enough to place the average Mt
ten tons per acre. In some cases 80 tons were
| raised, and in many cases over 20 per
acre. The company paid for 2,240 pounds
of unwashed beets, 81 at the railroad stations
and So delivered at their factory. The crown
of the beet contains but little sugar, but con-
fains salts which lessen the percentage of SUI
gar which can be extracted from the beet.
| Taking this into account, and the dirt, it is
considered in Europe that 2,2i0 lbs. are
about equal to 1000 lbs. washed, and their
crowns cut of This is the explanation of
this matter. which has occasioned censidera-
bic comment among farmers. they not believ-
ing that 30 pounds of dirt adhered to the
! bects
The proportion of raw sugar obtained was
: per cent of the weight of the trimmed and
washed bcets and in addition there was 3 per
cent. more of molasses. From 9. 900 tons of
hccts the company made 900 tons of raw SUI
gar and molasses The sugar sold at prices
ranging from six and fv:-cights cents to nine
and thrce-eights cents per pound. and the mo-
iasses NJ 90 cents per gallon. The factory began
work Oct. 20. 1879 and ended Jan. /, 1880,
= having worked day and night for IS days.
During the latter part of the time it manu-
featured $50 tons OF beets per day. The daily
expenses were over $500. The sales of SUI
gar, moiasses, pulp and lime waste have
amounted TO 81 1000. The expenses have
been SlO2 900. exclusive of the cost of the
, buildings, machinery and fixtures. Add 10
these expenses a charge of 10 per cent. for
wear Of machinery, and the total expenses
exceed sos. 900. leaving less than $1,000
: profit.
None Of the gentlemen experimenting the
has mess have drawn salaries The State
bounty will be spent in necessary changes
and additions to the machinery SO far.
therefore, from the company's having made,
as many have supposed, an exorbitant profit.
| they have, in fact. barely held their own
And we are authorized by the company to Of
fer to any farmer or grange in the State Of
, Maine, share Of the stock at its original
eos, OF 500. payable next fall in cash or
bects fla sufficient number of our farm
ers should accept this offer. thew would not
only participate in the profits. if any shall be
: made. but might control the management Of
the company.
The sum paid for beets and freight was
SIS. }2l.5s. for fitting and storage. 81, $50 %.
maxi " a total cost of S5o. o0t73. Almost
the whole Of this large sum of $50. 900 was
, paid out within four weeks. in sums VARYING
from s. to $500. to more than 1900 farmers
In every case the money has been RENTED
. to each farmer by check PAYABLE to his or
der on the Merchants National Bank of
: Portland, nv return mail, on receipt Of rail-
= road agents certificate of weight and deIiv-
cry. In no case has the farmer been asked to
wait for his money until the beets were re-
ceived Nothing can be more satisfactory
, than this prompt cash payment. 1t will be
seen that this SO, 900 paid the farmers, to-
Gether with all the expenses for laborers and
coal. &c, &c. amounting to S43 900 more,
has been furnished outside of the capital
stock of the company. which is only $50 600
. all invested in buildings and machinery
Whoever furnished this should have interes,
on it. which would still further diminish the
, profits.
, IL is evident from these figures that with
, hcets at 81 per ton. without the State bour-
". the business could not he continued II
il also evident that the farmers cannot afford
to raise beets at a lower price than that hith-
erto paid So that the problem looking both
the company and the farmer in the face. is :
How shall this joint enterprise be managed
so as to keep it going in the future?
! The company produced last year about 5000
tons Of pulp and sold but about 1000 tons.
Both the farmers and the company lost by this
waste. I, is evident that this pulp should be
fully utilized. At 81 rer ton with so cents
|, fra;rts IL Is al 81. 81