Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-07-09
KANS4S SUGAR INDUSTRY.


favorable and encouraging; and reports have |
been ci culated telling of anticipated great re-
suits, which have failed to be as fully realized
as expected. although the industry in this |
state has been constantly advancing for the |
past few years. Last year, as late as the first |
of August, the public were led to believe that |
ten large sugar plants would be in successful
operation, turning out millions of pounds of |
sugar during the season. AT the close of the |
season there were only four plants which had
turned out an amount of sugar worthy of men,
ton. A considerable degree of caution. there
fore, should be exercised in arriving at any
definite determination regarding the future
prospects of the business for the coming sea-
son.
In order to determine the present condition
of the industry. blanks were sent cut about
the middle of May to all sugar companies in
the state; also to points where the erection of
new plants was contemplated. Replies were
promptly received from nearly all points ad-
dressed. During the winter there were num-
Der of townships where new sugar plants were
contemplated, and in some instances bonds
were voted under the sugar act passed by the
legislature of 1889, entitled IAN act to encour-
age the erection of mills etc.; but owing TO
various causes the projects have all been
abandoned for the present, and there will be
no new sugar factories built tor operation i'll
the state during the coming season. except the
rebuilding of the Topeka plant. There are at
the present time eight companies in the state
preparing to manufacture sugar this year, as
follows:
The Parkinson Sugar Co., of Fit. Scott; The
Topeka Sugar Co., OF Topeka; The Medicine
Lodge Sugar Works and Refining Co.. of Med
nj Tnjn 'ha CrIO IN of
Ness City; The Kansas State Sugar Co., of At
tied; The Southwestern Sugar Co., of Liberal;
The Southwestern Sugar Co., Of Arkalon; The
Conway Springs Sugar and Syrup Co., of Con-
way Springs.
The Parkinson Sugar Company will make
very few improvements in their plant, it being
well adapted to their business. They have
planted l, 100 acres of cane and 10 acres of
beets. The beets are planted in small patches
in different localities within reasonable dis
lance of the factory. This is done simply as
an experiment, as sugar beets have never
been raised in this section of the state. The
company Will be ready to begin work by the
18th of August, when it is expected that the
cane will be in suitable condition. They will
probably turn out 5000 pounds of sugar per
day, same as last year; and arranging
that the molasses can be reboiled for seconds.
The Topeka Sugar Company are now re-
building the sugar house which was des-
troyed by fire last August. They are increas-
ing the capacity somewhat, and are making
necessary arrangements for re-boiling mo-
lasses for seconds during the sugar season,
which will be quite saving in time and ex-
pense 1t is expected that the plant will be
completed by the LIST of August. 1t will have
a capacity of 200 tons of field cane per day.
The cost of rebuilding will be 100000. The
Kilby Manufacturing Company. of Cleveland,
Ohio, are furnishing the machinery here, and
also at Medicine Lodge. The sugar company
have contracted for 200 acres of cane and 10
| acres of beets.
The Medicine Lodge Sugar Works and Re-
filming Company are making extensive improve
ments in their plant, charging it and increas-
ing the capacity. They are expanding $4,000,
a large part of which is upon the necessary
machinery for successfully manufacturing
beet sugar. This company will also re-boil for
seconds during the regular season, and are
putting in facilities for refining their own pro
duct. They expect to turn out very fine
grade of sugar. They have planted 100 acres
of sugar beets, and are planting 2.400 acres of
cane. The sugar season will open here about
| the LIST of August.
The Ness County Sugar Company are ex-
pending about S. 600 in improvements, and ex-
pect to be ready to receive cane by August LIST.
They have planted upon their own ground sou
acres of cane, have contracted for 1,200 acres.
and the farmers are planting about 800 acres
additional, not under contract, making 2,SOO
acres, which will give the factory all the work
it can do under favorale circumstances, al
though its capacity of 800 tons of field cane per
day is the largest of any in the state The
company have also planted ID acres of beets
The Kansas State Sugar Company, under re-
ceiver, are expecting to make $1,000 improve
ments, and have in about 200 acres of cane.
There will be only two factories operated in
the southwest this season.
The Southwestern Sugar Company have
planted 500 acres of cane and acres of beets
at Liberal, and 700 acres at Arkalon. They ex-
pect to operate the plants at each of these
points, and find it unnecessary to make any
extensive improvements The plant owned by
this company at Meade will not be operated
this season.
Conway Springs Sugar and Syrup Company is
a new company, organized this spring with
private capital. They have leased the plant
| of the Southern Kansas Sugar Company, and
will expend 5000 in improvements and
| changes. They will not use either the diffu
| sion battery or vacuum pan, but will put in
| fve-roller mill and John F. Porter evapora-
| tor and finisher. The company are planting
| 300 acres of cane doing the work themselves.
The farmers are planting 100 acres additional,
which the company will work up on the shares.
The capacity of the mill is 80 tons of cane per
day They expect to make some sugar and
fine grade of syrup.
Until the 18th day of May the weather was
! too cool and dry for either sorghum or beets.
The lale frosts were quite severe at some
| points in the state, but these crops have sus-
tanned no injury. During the last of Nay fire.
ouent and abundant rains have started germ
| ination and growth nicely. The crop in the
| eastern part of the state is in much better
/ condition every way than at the same time
| last year.
The acreage of sorghum is much larger than
that of 1889, the amount reported being 1O,7OO
| acres against $500 acres last year. At the
present time nearly the entire crop has been
planted and a third of it has came up, showing
| good stand in most fields.
The attention of the people OF the United
| States is being directed to the cultivation of
the sugar beet more extensively than ever
Moore than 1900 applications have been made
| to the agricultural department at Washington
for seeds of the beet, of which the department
has imported several tong
At Grand Island. Feh.. there rs q large plant
being established, exclusively for the manu-
facture and refining of beet sugar. The seed
and most of the machinery was imported by
the company, also number of expert opera
tives. The company are proceeding very
carefully wiz. all Of the details, ard have a
sufficiently large capital invested to thorough
| ly test the process of cultivation of the beets
/ and their manufacture into sugar
! The Kansas sugar-men are advancing slow
| H. but We think surely In this branch of the
| industry. In 1SSA there we're less than acres
of beets raised in the state and converted into
Il sugar; this year there have been 200 acres
! planted, principally by the company at Medi-
cine Lodge. tney having contracted for i6o
acres Tire i'afa n1a y =; 5ea IN sinai lots by
four of the other companies as an experiment
at these points The creation of new indus