The National tribune., 1890-03-13
KANSAS SUCAR.

KANSAS SUGAR.
We have received from comrades Mt Medi-
cine Lodge, Kan, sample of the sugar man.
uflctured from beet roots at the factory
there. The chemists Of the Agricultural De-
partment pronounce it equal in all respects
to the best sugar made anywhere in the
world. The sample in question is fine-grain-
ed, quite white, and contains over 90 per
cent of pure sugar. The production of this
is great event, not only for Kansas farm
ers, but for those of the entire country. 1t
is a hopeful promise Of the solution of the
great sugar problem, which is the most mo-
mentous in our industrial situation. A let
ter accompanying the sample says: 1--WE
planted "A acres of beets. from which we got
about GO tons. This made 10000 pounds of
sugar and several barrels of sirup"
The successful and profitable production
of beet root sugar will aid enormously in
bringing about the raising of all our own
sweets, and the keeping at home and dis
tributing among the farmers illinois,
Kansas Nebraska, Arkansas and other
States of the 800, 100000 n year which we
now send to Cuba to fatten ring of corrupt
grandees about the Court at Madrid.
The Western farmers have heretofore been
deferred from attempting the raising OF
sugar beets by the fear of the cost of the
enormous amount of hand-labor which is
! given to the culture in France, Germany
andelsewhere. Butactual experiment in Kan
sas has proved that labor saving machinery
can be as successfully applied to its culture
as to other crops. There is still another adj
vantage which our farmers will have over
! those OF Europe 1t can be worked in con-
nectiOn with sorghum, so rs to extend the
season two or three months, and so increase
! the profit on sugar making machinery
! The great difficulty with sorghum, as
well as sugar-cane in this country, is
! that an expensive establishment has to
/ be provided and kept in order the
year round for very short season of actual
work. The first heavy frost stops work on
sorghum within few days. On the other
/ hand, bcets can he stored under ground and
kept in good order for two or three months
/ They can, too, probably be taken n longer
distance to the factory than sorghum, which
will increase the area from which factory
can draw.
This makes rs hopeful that We are at last
about to see the happy solution of the vexe(
problem of home production of our sweets
1t has long been q scandal to our intelligence
and our boosted commercial enterprise that
with all our wide area of fertile territory
with such diversity of climate, we are uu
able TO do what France and Germany will
their small territory have been able e
accomplish. We arc to-day the only civil
lied Nation except England that does no
raise its sugar under its own flag Othe
countries not only keep at home for thei
own people the enormous sums expcnde'
for sweets, but they make the sugar pay
large proportion Of the expenses Of the Gov
eminent France and Germany each draw
about So, 100000 year from taxes on sugar
We are the greatest sugar-eaters in tn
world, and the money We pay out for on
sweet tooth does not come back to us in an
shape, since the Cuban sugar growers bu
very little from us. There are onl
100000 Of them, mostly negroes, who's
wants and necessities are few
If We can manage somehow TO distribui
the $l0o,0O0OO0 year that we pay thel
among the farmers of Kansas Kentuck.
Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, Arkansas Co
orado and elsewhere, it will make that regio
vastly more prosperous than it now is. Tn
is the greatest industrial question no
, before our people