Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01

IN keeping the beets free from weeds In
CaillOrnla, on account of the absence oi
rams during the summer months. weeds do
not grow
In Europe Farmers are put to great ex-
pense Tor fertilizers. In California that ex-
pense tor many years will be nominal
But the cheap labor i'll Europe offsets, to
great extent, Inc advantages enumerated,
| and may perhaps enable them 10 mann
iacture sugar at a less cost than in this
country. The farmers of Europe have had
also, many years of experience in cultivate
ing beets Tor sugar; our farmers none.
one OF the greatest obstacles we had tn
contend with was TO induce the farmers of
! California to cultivate beets in manner tn
be profitable to manufacture into suoar
We bad to convince them that beets cnIti-
VateG TO be profitable 10 the manufacturer
would also be profitable crop TO the
farmer, and that beets raised properly foI.
sugar were not exhaustive TO the soil We
nave as ms ulne happily, overcome most
o. the farmers preIudices, and nov have no
diificulty in obtaining an abundant supplv
OF beets, cultivated properly for SUGAR. 0ur
FARMERS nave also ascertained, by actual
experience, that beets are VERY desirable 10
rotate with other crops; cereals raised IN
land planted to beets the preceding wear
give large returns.
Wherever beet sugar factory is located.
sufficient land should be secured to enable
farmers TO alternate their crops for bv So
doing they are enabled to raise large
number OF cattle on the refuse beet. after
the sugar has been extracted which. mixed
with straw, makes u most excellent food far
stock
The effect of locating a beet sugar fac
tory in neighborhood gives the following
results;
A cheap and abundant supply of butter.
milk, cheese and meat, as well as sugar
and grain.
1t gives employment to a large number
of people, requiring both skilled and com
mon labor.
A large amount of money is kept in the
country, and distributed among the pro-
ducing and manufacturing classes of our
own country, instead of being sent to for
eign countries, to enrich foreign sugar
planters. The greater wealth resulting to
any community where a beet sugar factory
is located, and the beet is grown. instead of
the usual cereal crops, viii be readily APP
parent by comparing the relative values of
the product of beets and grain.
4 low average yield Of beets is fifteen
tons per acre, and these beets manufactured
into sugar will yield 1900 pounds, which,
at cents, is worth $210.
An acre of wheat will produce 10 centals
which, at 81 TO- is worth SIG %; now add
Ito TO manufacture the same into -four
makes value of 500 81, as the product Of
one acre of wheat. Placing the yield of
barley at 20 centals, at 81 80 per GENITAL,
makes value of S26 TO the acre.
a beet sugar factory of 200 tons daily
capacity, will require 1000 acres of land to
grow sufficient beets TO supply it, Now, as
each acre of land, if planted in beets. will
produce value to the community of $40,
the 1000 acres will add to its wealth to the
extent of $4,000 annually.
The highest value produced from cereals,
as above is $2S 81 for each acre, and for the
1000 acres it would be $57, 740-a difference
OF 1862, 260 in favor of growing the beets
on that small quantity of land, to say moth
ing OF the increased production from alter
mating the beets with other crops In con-
nection with this subject / desire to saw
word in relation to the
RELATIVE VALUE OF CANE AND BETS
As sugar producing plants: For centuries
mankind has looked to the sugar cane as
the source from which to obtain their sugar.
and, until about the first of the present cen
tury, that has been almost The only source
from which sugar was obtained. 1t re-
manned for the present century to utilize
the beet as an additional source of supply.
The quality of the sugar from both these
plants is nearly identical what little diff
ference there is. is in favor of the beet.
Cane sugar contains more or less glucose
weak reducing sugar; the beet, when in
good, fresh condition. none. An acre O.
beets will produce as many pounds of sugar
as an acre of cane and can be cultivated ct
as little cost. 1t requires over year for
cane to mature; beets mature in fiVe
months, consequently yielding quicker re-
turns. The cane has this advantage over
the beet molasses from the cane is veiu-
able for domestic USE that obtained from
the beet is not.
KEEP OUR MILLIONS AT HOME.
1t will be seen that all the conditions are
as favorable for the production of sugar
from beets IN the United States as in En-
rope, except the cost of labor. All we need
10 become independent of foreign nations
for our sugar supply is the same protection
and encouragement from our Government
that the producers of sugar in Europe re-
ceived from theirs. Assured of this. the
necessary capital and skill will be forth
coming; and no American will for one
moment admit but that we, placed on an
equal footing, can successfully compete
with the nations of Europe in the manu-
facture of sugar from beets as well as in all
other manufacturing enterprises. But i
we are handicapped by the mistaken policy
OF our Government, we will continue to
send our hundreds of millions of dollars TO
foreign countries TO purchase a necessary
article OF food that can be produced as well
in our own country.
Beet sugar produced in 1SSi-S5: In for
eign countries, $4,000 tons in CaIifor-
MIA, l $50 tons.
Cane sugar produced in 1SSi-S5: In for-
elgn countries, 1850 600 tons
From this il appears that there were AZ, =
800 tons more of beet sugar used in the
markets of the world during these years
han of sugar produced from cane.
PRESENT LOSS TO MANUFACTURES.
As before stated, there results from the
working of beets into sugar quite per
centage of sacchariDe product that will not
crystalline, i'll consequence OF salts and
other impurities presen. in the Juice of the
beet; and that this nOn-crystallzabls
product remains in the form of molasses
after the sugar has been obtained. This
m0lasses is unfit for domestic use, and can
only be utilized profitably in the manu-
facture of alcohol that the alcohol thus
! produced cannot be converted into potable
/ liquor, on account of its offensive odor and
taste, and can only be used for manufactur-
| ing purposes. In consequence of the in
| ternal revenue tax on alcohol, 1t is inn
! possible for beet sugar manufacturers to
/ utilize this molasses product, except in
very limited quantities. at merely nom
| inai price, for the manufacture of vinegar,
and that under present conditions valu-
! able product is rendered almost worthless
| to this struggling industry.
In view of the encouragement given by
the Government to the development of the
sorghum-sug industry, we feel that it is
but just and right that the beet sugar in
| terest, which already promises SO well,
should be encouraged to the extent above
mentioned. With this announcement,
factories would be established on the Pacific
coast alone during the first ten years suffj-
Gent to produce one-half the sugar con-
sumed in the United States to-day; and as
many more certainly would be established
east of the Rocky Mountains Five hun
dred modern sugar factories for the produc-
ton of crude sugar would produce suffi-
Gent refining grades of sugar to supply our
retineries.
From the progress made in other coun-
tries and the experienced gained, we be
! lieve this leading staple of constant use
may be successfully and economically sup
| piled from our own resources. extending
] the area md of ottttfvo+;o,, ,,,,Its