The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-17
Practical Suggestions for Testing
20 &
the Capabilities Of Montana
Soil.
Ranohmen Of the State SHOULD
Decide the Question in q
Practical Way.
IL We Can Grow the Ieets Succesxfully 1t
Will DO Easy Enough to Mannfnc-
tute the Sugar.

-A "~SAs ~Ns1Ns y NSS'
II. Mills, United States internal revenue
collector. The Lemhi beet sugar factory
in Utah, is under his jurisdiction, and last
year before it started up he went down to
arrange for the testing and weighing Of the
product. in accordance with the law passed
by congress- for the payment of a bounty
on all beet sugar produced in the United
States. While in Utah the captain had the
opportunity TO learn not only a great deal
about the manufacture of the sugar, but
also in regard to the cultivation of sugar
beets. The latter ia by far the most i'm
portant part Of the business. The Lemhi
company before tho factory was started
calculated it's output would be from 6,O0O,O 600
to 100000 pounds; when the last beet had
beon turned into sugar and they figured up
the product. it was found the output had
been only 100000 pounds. The sugar
produced tested nearly 100, being almost
pure. The result Of the seasons work proved
that the machinery was all right and that
the manufacture Of sugar from the beet
could be successfully carried on; it also
proved that the profit in the business de-
pended almost entirely on the cultivation
Of the beet. The Lemhl company only had
q small acreage in last year. depending
largely for its supplies upon those who we're
growing tho beet for sale to the company.
The farmers were not SO careful Of their
crop as the company, and the result was
that when a cold storm came on the latter
part Of the season the beets were affected
and lost a large part OF their saccharine
matter, thus reducing greatly the output Of
the factory. This season the company will
put in a much larger acreage than last year,
and expect in consequence to greatly in
crease the sugar output. *
Capt. Mills, talking the other day of
sugar beets in Montana. said in his opinion
the proper thing for the farmers to do was
to plant a small acreage with different va
rieties Of sugar beets. carefully cultivate
them, and then have the product tested. If
this plan is followed all over Montana this
season by the ranchmen who have an idea
who desire to build manufactures will
know in just what section of the state the
cultivation of the sugar beet can be sue
cessfully attempted. Getting this infor-
nation in a practical way this season, the
captain believes. is the only method of de-
Gliding whether the cultivation of the sugar
beet in Montana would be a paying invest
ment. There is, as said before, no question
about the manufacture of the sugar If the
beet is all right. In this connection it may
DO said that beets containing the largest
per cent. OF snccharine matter weigh only
from three to four pounds and are almost
free from roots. The beets sent to the
board Of trade last year to be sent to Lemhi
to be tested were almost all OF very large
size and covered with roots.
Prof. Wylie, of the United States agricul-
tural department.. has made an analysis of
sugar beets from various localities and
those from the rich irrigated lands Of the
northwest are richest in sugar. For in
stance, beets grown in Missouri tested
1898 per centage. while those grown in the
state Of Washington show 14.65 per c~entage,
and Montana and Dakota are not far bs-
hind. A ton Of beets testing 1l.56 per cent
will yield 1856 pounds of m~erchantable gu
gar. Beets grown on irrigated Rnds
exceed this product, while the richness of
those grown on the Pacific slope exceed all
expectations.
/ An acre of rich valley lands, cultivated
in beets, will yield from twenty-five to forty
tons. If we call thirty tons an average
crop it will be seen that from 1000 to 5000
pounds Of sugar per acre will be produced.
while 1000 per acre il nm average crop from
common crop. "a per ton is about the usual
price paid at the factory. 1t is n reasonable
estimate to say the farmer will get for this
crop from 1915 to $3.50 per acre.
A large factory will consume $50 tons of
beeta every twenty-four hours which means
uno i9p auaLdoA anohR WIG FARMERS or the
vicinity 81, 400 per day. Should the factory
run 100 days a year,, the amount would
roach $4,000. But this is not all. Count
Ing l36 pounds Of sugar per ton a product of
100000 pounds of sugar would result,
which at five cents per pound is 1926, 900
annually saved to the community and
country, which otherwise would be sent
ont of the country to pay for sugar, and the
of the country depleted to that
extent.
Tho results in Nebraska show that beets
can be grown and harvested at a cost of
to the factory. If the yield ia twelve tons
per acre, the total cost is $25.7 Il. If these
beets yield II per cent of sugar, the farmer
$40 for his twelve tons. a pro IL Of
$16.25 per acre.
If the yield reaches fifteen tons, the net
are $23.75 per acre. One Nebraska
on an acre and a half raised a crop
which Melted him $84.34 or 1929 per acre.
At Anheina, CAL, u cooperative beet
sugar refinery has been organized. The
farmers who took part in it contracted to
furnish beets from 1850 acres. with a pros
peot of increasing this amount soon to
900 acres. Beet pulp after the sugar is
extracted, is excellent feed for cattle. The
beef is as juicy and tender az any stall fed
and is in demand at San Diego, Cal. At
Watsonville, thousands of tons of pulp
have been bought by one firm, who ship it
to Gilroy, where they fatten their cattle.
They consider it the best feed they can get.
A carload of Churcb's improved Alabns-
tine just received by II. nj. Parchen 81 Co.
Miss Mary Il. gives priyate
lessons In shorthand. Room 48, Bailey
CAli at Office for terms.