The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-09


and Africa. It is well known that tho West
Indies are the chief purveyors Of the Amer
| lean market, and that the bulk OF their
product cannot be sold elsewhere. the beet
sugar having supplanted It among Euro
poan consumers. OF the sugar imported
into the United States In 1890. some - per
cont. came from Cuba and Porto Rico. IS
| from tho British West indies, from Brazil
and other countries on the American CONT
nent, Ii from Hawaii, and II from the East
Indies: the remaining 1s per cent. is refer
able to importations OF beet sugar from
Europe. Tho cane industry Is. 1t seems,
declining everywhere outside Of the West
Indies under tho pressure OF low prices: and
even tho West Indian planters have been
forced to reduce greatly the cost OF manu-
facture, to Introduce improved mechanical
processes, and to abandon estates 80 dis
tant from ports Of shipment as to involve
high rates Of transportation.
The United States consumed In 1901
1886, 1894 tons ofsugar. or 363. 263 more thnn
In the previous year. OF this amount only
some 25O,OO0 tons were Of domestic growth.
tho bounties offered by the Government
not having as yet very largely stimulated
the growth Of sugar In the United States.
Mr.. CHARLES Z. AUCKLAND. however, the
author OF one OF the articles In question.
has no doubt that material increase
In tho domestic output will soon be
observed. The area in the Southern States
adapted to the cultivation OF the sugar cane
Is, no says, more extensive than is COM
monty supposed. Especially Is this true OF
Florida. where there are large tracts Of
land as we'll suited to the cane a. the
Hawaiian plantations. There Is. moreover.
a vast section OF tho United States where
sugar bects Of exceptional richness can be
grown. Some experiments recently made
in Nebraska show an average yield Of
over twenty tons Of beets per acre. with a
saccharine contents OF about 1876 per
cent Tho sugar-beet area is mainly con-
fined TO tho northern part Of the country.
the elevated plateaus OF Utah and Colorado.
tho coast valleys OF California. and the
States of Oregon and Washington. It is
true. nevertheless, that beets OF exceptional
richness have been grown further south.
especially in the Shenandoah Valley. The
reasons for expecting at an early day sig
nal expansion OF the domestic sugar indus
try arc that under the stimulus Of the
bounty system practical measures have
been taken to encourage the growth OF the
sugar beet. Thus three large beet-sugar
factories are in operation in California:
there are two in Nebraska and one in Utah.
and companies have been organized In sew
eral other Western States.
According to the writer's Of whom we are
speaking there Is no moro lucrative crop
than the sugar beet. We are told that an
average yield per acre is from fifteen
to thirty tons OF beets. which the
farmer can sell at five dollars per ton.
At the minimum rate Of yield just men
toned his returns would be $75 per acre:
and the cost OF raising the crop. including
the seed and delivery at the factory. does
not, we are assured. exceed $40. II this
estimate is trustworthy. 1t would certainly
be difficult for the farmer to use his land
to better advantage than in raising sugar
beets. This crop. moreover. does not i'm
poverish the soil. provided it be raised only
in alternate years. wheat being sown In tho
interval. 1t should be noted that the sugar
beet, to DO merchantable. should not weigh
more than one to one and q half pounds.
Large beets are worthless to the manufac-
turer. because they contain q superabun-
dance of water and but little sugar. An obvi-
GUS gain from growing beets in the vicinity
OF sugar factory Is that the farmer is sure
Of his money within week Of delivery. and
that his returns are subject to no deduc-
lions for freight and commissions. That,
influenced by such considerations. farmers
even in the Eastern States are beginning to
look with some favor on the cultivation of
the sugar beet. Is indicated by the efforts to
establish the industry in Onondaga county.
New York