Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-20
THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY


The growth of interest in the cul-
tivation of the sugar beet in this coun-
try, and the promise that within few
years the beet sugar industry will have
become one of very considerable impor-
tance here, render interesting all facts
pertaining to this industry in other
| countries. The May number Of the
Popular Science Monthly contains an ex-
haustlve article on this subject by Mr..
A. Fl. Almy, which 80 far as the facts
presented are concerned, is exceeding
ly instructive. The problem of success
fully cultivating the sugar beet and ex-
tracing its saccharlne principle, en-
gagged the attention of the governments
and people of European countries dur
ing the early part Of the present CEN
tury, with no satisfactory results, until
about twenty years ago, when Germany,
after many experiments and the pay
ment Oft vast sum in bounties, solved the
problem. AS soon as the desired result
was attained there followed an immense
increase OF sugar production, and the
German farmers found in this industry
source ofprotit and prosperity that they
could hardly have dreamed of as posi-
BILE. The value of their farms increased
enormously, there was an added demand
for labor which gave employment
to thousands, and every department of
trade and every channel of transporta-
tion speedily experienced the benefits
of the new industry. The lead taken by
Germany in the production of beet sugar
she has maintained, increasing her
product from twenty-five hundred tons
in 1875 to a million three hundred
thousand tons in 1888. The other Euro
| pean countries which produce beet
sugar are France, Austria Hungary,
Russia and Poland, Belgium and Hol-
| land, and the total European product
in 1885 was two million five hundred and
| forty-six thousand tons. This is some
what greater than the product of the
cane-sugar countries. The value of the
beet sugar industry to Germany is esti-
| mated at seventy-five million dollars q
year for the sugar alone. The statistics
of the cost of manufacture, under the
simple and inexpensive methods adopt
ed in the German factories, show the in
dustry to be highly profitable, the prime
cost for conversion being but one cent
| per pound of sugar, leaving out the cost
| of the beet root. The production of beet
| sugar in continental Europe has doubled
in the last decade, With the effect of re-
ducing the price OF sugar in the markets
| Of the world more than fifty per cent.
With regard to the introduction of
| the industry in this country, the most
| successful experiment thus far has been
in California, but Mr.. Almy is of the
| opinion that various sections north Of
| Mason and Dixon's line, where the rain
fall is regular like eastern Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersey, with their long
Indian summers, present all the condi-
tious to produce the sugar beet to per-
fecton. The regions thus designated
| as especially favorable to this industry
are doubtless no better than the sec
| tions of Nebraska where the sugar beet
| has been to some extent cultivated with
| the most satisfactory results. SO far as
| climatic conditions are concerned, the
| portion of Nebraska whore il is pro-
| posed to try the cultivation OF the sugar
beet on large scale, is uuq uquestionably
as we'll favored as eastern Pennsylvania
and New Jersey.
All the facts segardiug the develop
ment of the sugar beet industry are of a
character to encourage its introduction
IN this country. The growing Of oeets
is not only profitable in itself, having
averaged the farmers of California, en-
gagged in it, over eighty dollars per
acre, but it is good thing for the soil.
| The beet root, says Mr.. Almy. as n
biennial plant enters readily into rota-
tion with annual plants, and with those
plants known TO exhaust the soil. 1t
precedes barley, wheat, rye and oats,
and prepares the soil in marvellous
manner for cereals, the subsequent fer
tilization Of which prepares the soil for
| the beet.