The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-03-02
BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY.

of factories, have become so numerous
that II Is utterly impossible to send sep
arate written reply to each individual !
have, therefore, framed this letter which
embraces all the necessary information
that am prepared to give at the present
| time.
My belief is that the cultivation OF Su.
gar Beets will soon be one of the largest
agricultural pursuits,not only In Caliiorn-
Ia but In all the Western States and Terri
tories, both soil and climate being mere
favorable 10 the purpose than even In Ger.
many The failure In the past to manu-.
facture sugar from beets,on a paying basis,
has been mainly due 70 the absence of the
best available machinery. The beets thai
were grown have been suitable for the
purpose but the machinery has been def
cient. This, however, will be obviated in
the future, as have secured the right for
the whole Of the uRlted States, OF all the
latest mechanical appliances and manu-.
featuring methods that arc Acw In use In
Germany, which Is the largest snd most
successful beet sugar producing country
In the world.
The soil best adapted for growing Sugar
Beets Is rich, sandy loam. Beets must
not be grown successiveiy In the same
soil, and they must never be manured.
Land that has produced crop Of beets
should be planted In grain the next year,
then manured and planted again In grain,
and In the third year It may be replanted
with beets but II must not be manured
that year. Thus farm Of 50 acres would
enable farmer to grow so acres Of Sugar
Beets in each yeaF,and ! think may safe
ly say that the 50 acres planted In beets
will prove more profitable each year than
the whole of the other hundred acres that
are producing grain at present prices. The
price of beeta will be determined BY the
percentage OF saccharine matter that they
contain,a few bseta being taken from each
load, as delivered at the factory, for anaiy.
sis-the result Of that analysis forming the
basis upon which each load shall be paid
for. BY this means the bess beets will OBJ
tain the best price, and the farmer will be
encouraged 10 careful cultivation.
IproPose to erect ono factory at Watson
vile. at cost Of about S4oo.ooowhlch will
be In fun operation by Sept. Isl, 1887
factory will consume $50 tons Of beets In
every a hsars bat be doubled by the fol.
lowlag year. At preseAt Il will require
100 cords of wood and seven tons OF lime
daily during the four or Ave months that
Il Is In operation. This viii show the
necessity for having coed supplies Of wood
and lime close 70 othe factory, which should
also be near TO line Of railroad Or 10
suitable water facilities for shipment Of
raw sugar 10 San Francisco. The lime Is
a good fertilizer and can be returned TO the
soil again. The pulp from the beets can
be fed 10 cattle and will keep ihem In iine
condition.
Before erecting a factory anywhere !
must be gaaranteedthat At least $500 acEes
will be planted In beets every year for q
definite number of years. must also be
assured of sufficient supplies Of wood, water
and lime In the neighberhood, and good
transportation facilities. Il requires from
IS to 20 pounds Of beet seed 70 plant an
acre of ground. The seed costs 10 cents
per pound In Germany and would probably
costI7 cents per pound here. am I'm.
porting IS tons (which are now on the way,
and some of this will be distributed gratui-
tously, In small packages,to those who de-
sire to experiment on their farms But !
shall expect In return that those who do
make such experiments, from seed that !
give them, will send me samples Of the
bests that they grow,and the soil In which
they are grown, for the purpose OF anaiy-
sis. II must be remembered that the large
heets are not the hest fer making sugar.I
the soil be very rich the beets should not
be planted more than four inches apart In
the rows. II the soil be of coed quality
the bects should be six inches apart In the
rows, and eight inches apart II the soil be
not so good. The rows should always be
fourteen inches apart from one another.
A factory will cost about $4,000, but.
for the first one, some of the machinery
must be imported from Germany, Sub
sequently / anticipate no trouble In It's be-
Ing manufactured In this country. 4 site
OF from 90 to 40 acres Is necessary wher-
ever each factory Is erected, SO as to give
ample room for the large quantity of ma.
chinery and buildings, also for the prompt
handling of the great number Of wagons
that will be delivering beets at the same
time, SO that the wagons may not be de-
| layed and the work of the farmers imped-
ed.
1t is impossible yet to determine where
factories should be located. have re-
ceived invitations from all sections of Cal
ifornia, Oregon and Washington Territory
tc visit different localities, and will en-
deavor to do so as quickly as possible.
From the foregoing remarks, ,however,you
will be able to form an idea of what Is es-
sential to the erection OF factory. Such
information as have indicated, If forward
cd to me in conjunction with samples Of
soils and beets, will materially assist me in
locating the sites for future factories. !
am, sir,
Yours very truly,