Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-08
FARM AND FIELD.
On Starting the Sugar Beet Industry.
A Matter Worthy the Study
of Texans.
Creameries Strongly RecOmmended-The lie
Conte Pear-A Cow for the Farmpr-HOg
Talk-Good Word for Texas Horses.

How to Start the Beet Sugar Industry.
For the Gazette.
Since was printed in these columns our
article suggesting that the sugar beet
might be made a very important crop for
Texas, and also Offering some informa-
ton concerning the great sugar-beet
plant now being built at Grand Island,
Neb. we have received from Mr.. C. N.
Ashfort of Omaha letter detailing q
few of the particulars relative to how the
new enterprise was worked up by the
people of that region. The letter is
specially interesting as showing what a
people may accomplish for a locality by
wisely pulling together in q determined
effort.
MIR. Ashfort says small tests were first
made about Grand Island with sugar
beet seed sent out by the United States
department of agriculture. Finding
these TO show up reasonably well, seed
we're procured from California and larger
tests made. Good success was again tile
result, and theTeupon the people of
Grand Island put their heads together
for working up an extensive sugar beet
Industry. OF course suitable mill was
the first requisite. With q view to get
ting this an eligible tract of land was
offered free of cost-and for q number of
years free Of all local ta1-to the compa-
ny that would put up an extensive plant.
A move entirely along the line was made
on the state legislature, which induced
that body to offer a bounty of one cent
per pound on all beet sugar made within
the commonwealth. These inducements,
with lots of good talking, finally led TO
the establishment of a beet sugar mill
costing $500 600, and said to be the
largest plant of the kind in the world.
1t is thought that there can be no kind
of reasonable doubt touching. the entire
success of the sugar beet industry in
Nebraska, success which, in the
opinion of Mr.. Ashfort, must soon bring
that state INTO prominence as the most
important sugar producing center OF
North America.
K copy OF the Minneapolis Tribune has
been sent US containing an article on
sugar beet culture for the states west of
the Mississippi river. the writer ven
lures the opinion that there is but one
thing we shall have to contend against,
the cheaper labor OF Europe, but this, it
is surmised, can DE overcome by ma
,hinery. and by the many natural advan-
LGGts pESSEINeN lg Inc suEdE OeGL regions
Of this country. II is maintained that
the sol of our beet regions is far better
Than that Of either France, Germany OF
Belgium, where most OF the foreign beet
sugar Is. produced, and that we have a
special advantage in The climatic condi-
lions which make il vastly easier here
than there to dry the sliced beets at the
harvest time aud keep the material for
staRCy ali-the-y eer-supply of the sugar
factories. Taking everything into con-
liberation, one finds much to build up
the belief that when capital has fairly
established itself in this new industry
and experience has led Us into full I'M
isrstauding OF the beet in American soil,
we shall be able 10 produce sugar beet
here at q much less cost than that eha.'-
acIerizing its production in Europe. In
] word, that we shall have no competition
u Importance from any other quarter of
he globe.
Mr. Ashfort also sends US copies OF the
State Journal Lincoln. Neb.. and of