Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-05

| gets s. per ton for the same value that o
man at distance OF 100 miles gets 81 for;
and those between get less in proportion
| to their distance. The corollary OF this is
that farmers can raise and sell beets to a
| factory within wagon haul for 81, which
! believe to be true under average condl-
| tions for growing beets. At Ames the cost
| Of beets delivered on board cars for 1893
was $500 per ton, the cost per acre being
s5i and the yield fifteen tons In 1894 the
| beets cost $3.50 on board cars the cost per
acre being $3S and the yield 10.1 tons. In
| 1888 we grew miscellaneous lot OF beets,
| none OF which, were sold, the average yield
| being 265 tons an acre and the cost was
Sl.5O ton delivered to cattle. II is a
| little too early to get actual figures for 1896,
but using figures up to date with estimates
for the balance, the cost OF sugar beets
is estimated at 81 so a ton on board cars, the
cost per acre being $50 and the yield twenty
tons. This figure of Sl.50 per ton on board
cars is as / say, an estimated figure, but
we believe II to be a correct figure: and
the yield would have to be reduced to fifteen
tons per acre to raise the price to So a ton.
We do not believe that our yield will be
, less than twenty tons an acre, the quality
| being very satisfactory.
Now, this figure of $50 for the cost per
aero of putting beets on board cars from
my experience of the last two years, | think
to be very reasonable. l think it IS one
that can be easily reached by good man
agement with land in good condition and
employing all the labor involved. l have
heard of the figures of cost of other people
that confirm this. With the yield at ten tons
per acre, the cost Is $3.50. delivered-not
simply twice as much as S1.50, because the
cost OF harvest and delivery is less with the
smaller crop.
EXPERIENCE OF EUROPE
We must always bear in mind that Ger
man farmers start with cost of about SIS
per acre for rent, and SIS for fertilizers, and
1T may be presumed that the cost to the
average European farmer Is about the same.
Our great advantage lies in the fact that
our farmers are commonly proprietors, not
paying cash rent and our land for while,
If properly cultivated, will not need much eX-
pense in the way of fertilization. My in
formation as to the price obtained by Euro
pean beet growers is not as complete as 1t
should be, but I have given some attention
to 1t for several years, and | think that the
following is substantially correct:
Up till about 1894 | think European beet
growers were paid from 81 to $3.50 per ton
for their beots, according to grade, and after
the great crop of 1894 the decline in the price
of sugar forced manufacturers to depress the
price of beCts in 1895 to an average OF S3.i5.
In 1895 ii became certain that the Cuban
crop would be very small, as compared TO
previous years which was verified by de-
crease from over 100000 tons in 1894 to
235 900 tons for the crop of 1895 only re-
Gently cleaned up and verified, and conse-
quently the price to beet growers in france
and Germany rose to about $3.50 for 1896,
showing the wonderful interdependence OF
tho different nations at the present day.
Those who have given slight attention to the
matter of sugar statistics understand now
different it Is to compile these hgures from
French German and English papers, Wheh
one ig under the necessity of continually cor
rectng weights and measures to our own llS-
ures and as | have not had time to give
IN ,,,Iy tn things
fully for a long time, | will state that the
figures are used largely from memory, al
though l think them quite correct enough
for the purposes of this argument.
1t appears, therefore, that the european
farmer hardly gets as much for beets as
growers of this country, notwiths landing the
fact that certain charges attached to the
land apart from labor, are very heaVy ana
must inevitably be borne. After the de-
preston in price to farmers IN 1870 lhe
European parers were full OF lnVestlSa>
tions as to the cost of beets and eXamlna-
tions into the least possible figure at which
beets can be grown. The decline IN price
of sugar was so serious that IL appeared
absolutely necessary. IN order 10 protect thc
entire fabric of the industry in any one
country like France that beets should be
provided at the lowest price that the grower
could stand They found 1t necessary 10
examine into every detail that entered into
the final cost of sugar per pound In order
TO prevent being swamped by the competition
Of Germany which country, as is well known,
has reached the very highest perfection
in the production of beets and manufacture
of sugar, and also protects her industry
by careful legislation The German law,
paving n constantly decreasing bounty on
export sugar, was to have expired in 1897
by natural limitation, but last winter they
decided to arrest the operation OF the law
and to continue their export bounty at It's
present figure.
The beet grower of Nebraska today, there
fore, quite clearly has a great advantage
over his French and German brother, and
although | think the tendency OF this superb
ority will be in the direction of very grad
ual decrease. it will in all probability hold
good for many years and is interesting as
Indicating the strength of our domestic pro-
duction when calls are made upon it,
COST OF BEETS
The cost of beets to Nebraska growers,
from my own personal experience, In which
all figures have been recorded In books
of account indicates that beets can be grown
and put on cars, without including any
charge for rent, all the way from $3.50 up.
The richest land, in 4 favorable season and
under the best tillage, with favorable cir
cumstances appears to make 1t possible TO
deliver the beets for $l.50 ton. This is
quite too small a figure to represent the
average cost to farmers and must represent
tho minimum cost. The average yield must
be regarded as in the neighborhood OF ten
tons an acre but this is so frequently and
largely exceeded in favorable localities that
it Is quite justifable in estimating the cost
of beets to consider larger yield than ten
tons as probable and to take 1t into account
in figuring the cost. Eventually l expect to
see In this state the yield of beets protected
in many places by irrigation, and by this
mean outside of localities lying alongside
of irrigating canals. 1t will be healthy
sign to see beets produced on comparatively
small farms and on a rather small scale on
such farms. A few acres can easily be irri-
gated by a wind mill and the entire actual
support of a family can be made from a
few acres Of beets.
AS many of the delegates have probably
suspected. am approaching the subject of
the state bounty, which would like to dis
cuss with frankness, Notwithstanding the
delicate nature and scmi-politcal character
of the question and the presence OF our ex-
ecutive, who out of 217. 900 voters of Ne
braska has 217000 friends and who is the
governor of us ALL beet growers, sugar man
ufacturers and all others, unclassihed. be-
lieve there Is propriety in some discussion
by the convention of the proposed repeal OF
the bounty law, as 1t will probably have an
effect on the growth of the industry in this
oh affa Onn n n n