Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-12
FARM AND FIELD.
On Starting the Sugar Beet Industry.
A Matter Worthy the Study
of Texans.
Cresmeries Strongly RecOmmended-The lie
Conte Pear-A Cow for the Farmer-HOg
Talk-GoOd Word for Texas Horses.

Since was printed in these columns our
article suggesting that the sugar beet
might be made very important crop for
Texas, and also offering some informa-
ton concerning the great sugar-oeet
plant now being built at Grand Island,
Neb., we have received from MI. c. n.
Ashfort of Omaha letter detailing
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 locality by
wisely pulling together in a determined
effort.
Mr.. 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 the
result, and thereupOn the people Of
Grand Island put their heads together
for working up an extensive sugar Deet
Industry. OF course q suitable mill was
the first requisite. With view to get
ting this an eligible tract of land was
offered free of cost-and for number of
wears free of all local taX-to the compa-
nv 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
Der pound on all beet sugar made within
the commonwealth. These inducements,
with lots of good talking, finally led TO
the establishment of beet sugar mill
costing $500 900, 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.. Asnfort, must soon bring
that state INTO prominence as the most
important sugar producing center OF
North America.
A 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 be overcome by ma
cbinerv, and by the many natural advan-
tages presented by the sugar beet regions
of this country. 1t is maintained that
the soil OF our beet regions is far better
than that of either France, Germany or
Belgium, where most of the foreign beet
sugar is produced, and that we have a
special advantage in the climatic condi-
tions which make it vastly easier here
than there TO dry the sliced beets at the
harvest time and keep the material for
steady, Rll-the-y ear-suDply of the sugar
factories. Taking everything into con-
siderauon, 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
Outstanding of the beet in American soil,
we shall be able to produce sugar beet
here at a much less cost than that char
acterizing its production in Europe. In
a word that we shall have no competition
of Importance from any other quarter of
the globe.
Mr.. Ashfort also sends us copies of the
State Journal, Lincoln, Neb., and of
the Omaha (Neb.) Bee. The State
Journal says 5000 acres of land Will
promptly go to beet culture for the use
OF the great plant at Grand Island. The
concern will give constant employment
to 1000 people. All of which is looked
upon as most splendid thing for Grand
Island and vicinity. Other industries
must speedily follow. it is thought, thus
causing Grand Island to soon take posi-
ton as one of the leading manufacture
ing cities on the American continent.
The Journal appends a table showing the
transactions of Claus Spreckles beet
sugar factory in California for 1889. The
concern is carried on by what is known
as the Western beet sugar company.
Following is the exhibit made by ]. J.
Tobine, commissioner of labor statistics
for California:
WESTERN BEET SUGAR COMPANY.
Beets consumed, tons .....-.... 14,O77
Sugar production, tons........... ......,.. 1,64O
Men employed 5000. -.....-....... 80
Time run, days. Observation-Disclosures. 81
Acres planted in beets. 2,l2l
SUGAR SOLD.
1860 tons, cost TO make............ ....$14S, 24S
1860 tons sold 1887
Su,O69
$50 tons sold at jacksonville l8, 500
Profits .................................S2 "a. 56s
The profits to the farmer producing the beets
was from $40 TO S6J per acre.
The Omaha Bee says the Grand Island
plant will have a capacity of $50 tons of
beets per day, which will make in the
neighborhood of fifty tons of refined
sugar. All the machinery necessary for
manufacturing and refining will be put in
and made ready for working the beet
crop of this year. a full crop VIII not
be raised this season-about 5000 acres
will be worked to beets-but 1891 will
ind in all the acreage originally calcu
lated upon. A belt railroad is building
around the city through the beet lands to
enable producers TO lay their products
down at the mills promptly and at small
cost.
Now, If the sugar-beet can be made to
succeed as a crop for Texas-and study
of the regions and conditions where it
does succeed leaves little room for doubt
on this point-we might locate within
our boundaries half a dozen concerns like
the one in Nebraska, without any kind
of crowding whatever. Indeed, but for
the newspapers one would scarcely be
able TO find one of them if they were
we'll scattered over the state. But
they'd be well worth having all the
same, and once convince the people of
Texas that they are entirely feasible and
the first thing you know Texas will
get them. Huge enterprises are some
thing strictly in accord with Texas taste,
and it is pretty generally understood
that all needed to give Texas exactly
what she wants and can make good use
of is for some Dushiug leader TO set her