The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-21
THE FUTURE OF BEET SUGAR.

Consul Merritt at ChemnftZ. Germany,
in his report of the Investigations he has
made into the beet sugar industry In
that country, made to the state depart
ment at Washington. says fiat $1o,OOo,-
600 is the sum of money. IN round
figures, which the United States sent 10
Germany to pay for beet sugar bought
during the fiscal year ended june o.
1890.
Every pound of sugar thus paid Tor
was made from sugar beets grown IN
Prussia, in latitude exactly on line
with the frozen regions Of Labrador.
There are within the United States, be-
tween the hirty-eighth and forty-secono
parallels of latitude, many million acres
of land which are as thoroughly adapted
to the culture of the sugar beet as any
land on earth. That is the opinion oil
Consul Merritt. He concludes his report,
which is quite long one, with this
statement:
He expresses beliof that the climate
and soil of large portions of the states OF
Ohio. Indiana, Illinois. Missouri, Iowa,
Kansas. Nebraska. Wisconsin, Mime
sofa, California and many other districts
are perfectly adapted to the culture OF
sugar beets, and he suggests that a gov
eminent experiment station be estao-
| lished. Consul Merritt thinks 1t would
not be difficult to enter upon the IN
! dustry at once, and he submits me foi-
lowing plan in order, he says, that ali
interested might share in the undouoted
prosperity which would result:
"A stock company, with n capital
stock of $3.50. 900 in 2. 500 shares of 500
each, could be organized. Three-hfths
| of the shares could be made beet shares
and two-fifths cash shares. Ten or ~
per cent of the beet shares could De pald
in cash, and the balance might be grad
ually deducted from the money Que the
shareholders for the beets delivered
by them to their factory. The
cash shares could be paid for IN
such manner as determined upon.
The management of the concern
| is to be determined upon by the
| shareholders. This plan has been found
to work with unqualified success In Ger
many, where many factories are In oper-
alton on this basis The bounty to be
paid by the government insures at least
"a Der acre. Besides that small sum,
the agricultural element will receive
compensation for the beets raised, also a
share of the residue from the beets after
Ultima. and which is very good fodder,
and, what is of equal importance-ln
fact. the best of ala share of the divi-
dends."
In conclusion, Consul Merritt says the
sum maid to Germany each year by the
United States for sugar is nearly three
times as much as is paid for any other
article imported. Cotton comes next,
the amount being 100000.
1T does not seem proper nor consls-
tent" he SAYS, "that an agricultural
country like the United States should be
dependent for any article of purely
agricultural character on foreign
countries, especially when the
United States has fully one hundred
times as much land adapted to the pro
duction of that article as is available N
the country from whence the articii
comes.
at would be a matter of justice and
equity, as we'll as of patriotism and
profit, if the people of the United States
1who have always treated, through their
representatives, the people OF all foreign
nations with scrupulous fairness and
with no wrongful discrimination against
any, should convert some part of the
vast domain now used for growing corn
to fatten and nourish the splendid pork
of our western states into acres of sugar
beets. In European beet-sugar countries
American pork is forbidden entry"