Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-03-27
BEET SUGAR.
Kansas, the Future Home of the Beet
Sugar Industry in the United States.

Kansas, the Future Home of the Beet
Sugar Industry in the United States.
Written for the DEMOCRAT.
Looking over Secretary NJ. Mohler's
last reports of the Kansas State Board
of Agriculture, and comparing the
results of the diverse sorghum sugar
factories. in reference to their yield,
one feels sadly DISAPPOINTED on &C
count of the poor showing this petted
industry makes.
With one exception only 1.-THE factory
in Medicine Lodge) all the other
factories have run with a decided
deficit, in spite of state bounty of two
cents for every pound of manufactured
sugar.
The management of the Medicine
Lodge factory has happily found an
experienced man, in the person of a
German gentleman. NJ. Hinze, as sugar
boiler and superintendent and on his
suggestion the enterprising manager,
Col. Eldred, undertook the experiment
of raising sugar beets and making them
into sugar; this experiment was brought
to successful issue.
On page SO of Mohler's report can be
read: "There were Al acres sown,
which produced 6O.23 tons of cleaned
beets from which were manufactured
Z 1853 pounds of frsts and $500 pounds
of seconds-or total of 10, l5S pounds
Of sugar polarizing 99.06 per cent.
pure crystallized sugar. There were
also $50 gallons of syrup obtained"
During the last three years, 1 have
raised sugar beets also, and l found
out that they do splendidly in our
soil and climate, doing much better
in drier seasons, concerning the sugar
substance, and venture the assertion
that the sugar beet will be the coming
chief product of the middle and west
ern part of our state.
To further investigation by compar-
ing the average yield of sorghum and
sugar beets 1 com nenced little
figuring having the exact figures in Mr..
Mohler's valuable reports as basis.
of cleaned beets gave 1O,15S pounds OF
sugar and 1866 tons of sorghum cane
gave 40O, ,238 pounds of sugar Tue
fact is, that one ton of beetS gave 167
pounds, and one ton of sorghum gave
541 pounds of sugar. Further, one
acre produced 1913 tons of beets and
one acre produced 81 tons of sorghum
certainly great difference in favor of
beet culture.
By the successful experiment in
Medicine Lodge it is now proven, that
the yield from sugar beets is larger and
better, than that from sorghum. Would
it not be more wise to discontinue the
manufacturing of sugar out of sorghum.
and go right away to the more success
full manufacturing of sugar out of beets?
The beet sugar industries of Germany
and France have made the parts of
these countries where the cultivation
of the beets were feasible. the garden
spots and the richest provinces of these
empires, and wherever the beet
culture has taken hold, the best titled
lands the finest buildings and the most
prosperous class of farmers can be
found.
Germany and France export millions
of pounds of raw sugar yearly to Eng
land, Spain, Italy, and to the United
States, where these productions are
refined and consumed by their popu-
latiOns.
AS it requires great deal of money
to successfully start new industry,
our capitalists should come forward
and help our poor, mortgage ridden
farmers to establish such enterprises,
which would not only help to fill the
Golfers of our monied men, but would
help the most deserving class of our
population. the farmers, also, as they
would get their labor and produce
(beets) well paid for and the value of
their farms and all other real estate
would increase in proportion.
Be it here said also, that, many
small concerns at different points will
never pay well. two counties at least
should unite to build large factory:
beets can be shipped by rail from great
distances, without any loss.
If wisely and thoroughly under
taken the Inauguration of the beet
sugar culture and industry into Kansas
will signify the beginning of new era
of great prosperity to our state and it's
citizers.
CARL VOIGT.
J. r. BURTON says, sThe Farmers