Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-12-24
BEET SUGAR PRODUCTION
Is Increasing in This Country.

.
ieal of interest is felt here In the an
nouncement from Nebraska that a
party of capitalists have decided to !
make large developments in the beet :
sugar industry in the United States. ;
Central Nebraska has attracted special
attention as the favored spot for the 4;
beet sugar production in the United ..
States. II is a curious fact, too, show :
ing as it does the great change that the
past twenty years has made in the !
matter of development of the portions
of the West, then supposed to be val
ueless. Twenty years ago this central
Nebraska section produced only buff
falo-grass and coyotes and was suppos-
ed to be quite valueless as an agricult-
ural region. To-day, according to the
best judgment of the best beet sugar
expert in America 1t is capable of pro-
ducimg sugar for every citizen of the
United States, and thus supply an
rticle for which we now send hum
dred million dollars abroad annually.
''Some day." said a gentleman fami-
liar with the history of beet sugar pro-
duction in this country and abroad,
"the people of this country will erect
a statue or monument in honor of Mr..
Oxnard, formerly of Brooklyn, but
now of Nebraska and California. He
is the man who has done most to fos-
ter beet sugar production in the United |
States.n
"How was this done?' was asked.
"By careful, persistent, intelligent
study of the entire subject. Mr.. Oxnard
is the son of a wealthy Brooklyn sugar
"a. hinaoaIf ha tardalxy
puts it, raised in sugar house.. That
is to say, he was thoroughly educated
and trained in his hoyhood and early
manhood in every detail ofsugar refin-
ing, and incidentally sugar production,
A few years ags he conceived the idea
that the United STATES might produce
beet sugar. He knew that the Euro
pean countries were producing, it in
great>quantities, and very successfully,
with sUils and climates similar to our
own, and found on investigation that
its success came from thorough, intel
lgent and scientific handling of the
business in every detail. He determin-
ed to make q thorough investigation Of
the subject, with the purpose of de-
4 termining whether oeet sugar could be
successfully and profitably produced in
the United States"
"How did he make this investiga-
tion?"
"That is what am about to tell you.
He went abroad himself and gave spe-
cial study to the subject. He visited
France, Germany, Austria and other
countries where the best sugar industry
is success. He studied the chemistry
of the soil, the fertilizers used, the
climate,
THE KINDS OF BEETs PRODUCED.
and those which proved most valuable
i'm each kind of soil, the machinery
required for planting, cultivating,
harvesting and manufacturing the
beet into sugar, the great sugar houses
where the product Is turned out in
immense quantities, in fact, every de-
tail was made careful, intelligent and
I thorough study in the light of accumu-
lating information and experience, of
all beet-producing communities and
. countries. Then he came home and
, careful and intelligent study of his
own country with reference to this
industry. Soils and climates were alike
studied, analysis made of soils in vari-
, GUS states and sections of states and
climate Of the states, quantity Of mois-
ture In the atmosphere and soil, and
the characteristics of the people in
each section as to industry and enter
4 prise, were all taken into considera-
: tion. The result was that he decided
, upon Central Nebraska as the most
: valuable spot in the United States for
q the production of beet sugar. Not
a only did he reach this conclusion, but
a he showed his faith in the practicable
ity of the enterprise by putting halt
million dollars into the establishment
= OF
BEET SUGAR FARM
i, and factory. 1t was necessary of course
!. to import costly machinery and skilled
! labor to inaugurate the enterprise
= The seeds Of various kinds of beets
most likely to be the most successful
were brought from aboard, the farmers
n In the vicinity were interested in theil
: production by offers OF purchase Of
3 their product, large areas upon his
!, own farm were planted and beet sugar
Z factories established"
: "And what was the result?"
1.-THE result was success from the
. first. OF course, he had much to con
tend with. The process of educating
q the people into the proper method oi
. 3 raising and cultivating the beets was 8
: slow one, for 1t was an entirely new
q thing to them. The first year he had
: to contend with an unusually dry sea.
# son, which reduced the crop material
: ly, yet the first seasons work showed
!. that the enterprise could be relied up.
y on to give q financial success. He
g found, to his surprise and qualification
a that the beets produced in this coun-
y try were much richer in sugar than
: the average of those produced in
!, Europe. The first years experiments
7 were 30 successful that he established
! a second factory in Nebraska, and
) another one in California"
) "How many beet sugar factories are
2 there in this country in operation
q now?"
"Six; two in Nebraska, one in Utah
. and three In California. The result il
. the production of something like 20,
100000 pounds of beet-sugar in thu
United States in the past year, which
= fully warrants the conclusion tina
u every pound of sugar required by tn
|, people of this country can be produce'
>. here from sugar beets. / do not meal