The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-12-25
THE SUGAR BEET QUESTION.

The sugar beet question is attract
ing more and more attention. and
well it may, for all reports show it to
be very profitable one to the farmers.
While it would not pay. of course,
for every farmer to rush into raising
this crop TO the exclusion of all
others, it is one. where factories can
be secured. that they can raise with
good profit, in connection with their
other crops. The FREE Pass would
like to see the matter agitated here,
for it believes there is money in it for
Blue Earth county From what we
have learned of the analysis of beets
from this county, and in many re-
spects the analysis has. not been a sat
isfact0ry one, we are convinced that
with thorough cultivation, us high
percentage OF sugar can be reached in
this county. as in any section of the
west or northwest. The following
Two items from the Red Wing i'd
rance Sun, give an idea of the benefits
thai the people of Norfolk, Neb.. are
reaping from this new industry:
+. t. Porter is home from Norfolk.
Nebraska, where he visited the i'm
mense beet sugar factory Of Nebraska.
and his enthusiasm over the p0ssibili-
ties which lie before US in the develop
nlent of this industry is more pro-,
nounced than ever The Norfolk
factory was operated forty DAYS.
twenty-four hours q day, this year,
and employment given 10 about 200
men. An early frost caused many
beets TO freeze in the ground or the
run would have been longer. And
this emphasizes in Mr.. Porter'S mind
the necessity Of providing some ma
chine for blowing up the beets when
they are ripe instead or digging them
by hand. Mr.. Porter found that the
entire product of the factory had been
sold in advance and his efforts 10 pur-
chase 800 pounds we've unavailing.
When he left Norfolk Il citizens
meeting was called to considera propo-
sition for the establishment Of another
Factory. All the projectors of the en-
terprise asked was that the farmers
SOW 1000 acres of beetS. Mr.. Porter
pronounced the sugar manufactured
as OF first quality and in ten years at
the most he feels confident we shall
produce nearly all our sugar in this
country.
II the farmers OF this county could
have seen what j. 4. Porter saw on
the occasion OF his recent visit to the
Norfolk, Nebraska, sugar factory,
he believes they would have little
hesitancy in doing all in their power
90 bring about the building of beet
sugar factory here. The prices paid
for beets there are about $3.50 ton
and the yield per acre runs all the
way from fifteen to thirty tons The
cost of cultivating the beets, every
item included, is more than covered
by twenty dollars an acre: so even
with the minimum yield the farmers
have profit of over forty dollars on
every acre OF land Sown with beetS,
while some of them derive nearly
twice that amount. Some farmers
there have cleared as high as So, 600 on
their crops this year. And when they
can do that in Nebraska what can
they not do here2 Mr.. Porter SAYS
the Goodhue county farmer has every
advantage over the farmer at Nor
folk. The soil produces more here,
the quality of the beets raised here is
better. the percentage of sugar con-
tanned in them larger, and there is
less liability TO crop failure. Then,
too, the cost of manufacture is less
here. the shipping facilities much
better; in short everything is in our
favor.
All that Dir. Porter says in relation
to the advantage Of Goofhue county
over Nebraska for the cultivation Of
sugar beets, viii apply to Blue Earth
county Our soil and climate cannot
be surpassed for that industry.