Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-08-21


commences near the city Of New York,
passes up the Hudson River to Al
pany and then turns to the LETT, iol-
lowing the southern shore line of Lake
Erie. 1t then swings up into Michi-
gan, passing to the south of Lansing;
and curving to the south through
Chicago, it passes through northeast
eru Illinois and southwestern Wis
consin into Minnesota. Here 1t turns
due west and runs into central South
Dakota, where it takes sudden turn
to the south, passing in a general
southernly direction through western
Nebraska and eastern Colorado and
New Mexico to near the southern
boundry OF that state. Here it curves
broadly to the west, passing through
Arizona to its western boundary, where
it runs north again in long and mar
row loop through Utah and Idaho, the
northern turn of which is near Boise
City, Idaho. 1t turns thence through
Utah and southeastern Nevada to
southern California, where it runs
north in another long loop whose
northern extremity is to the south OF
Mount Shasta, the line finally termi-
mating at the Mexican border Now,
while the sugar beet belt is theoreh-
cally supposed to extend for one hun
bred miles on either side of this line,
experimental work has shown that
sugar beets can be raised successfully
in many localities which lie we'll out
side of this limit. Mr.. Herbert My
rick, who should speak with author
| ity, draws thenorthern boundary ofthe
belt from Troy, N. Y, through Lake
Ontario, central Michigan, central
Wisconsin and Minnesota, northern
| North Dakota aud Montana, terminal
ing it at the western end of the Dor
der line between of the latter state
and Canada, thus including the whole
of Washington and Oregon. The
same authority draws the southern
boundary of the belt through Virgin
ia, Tennessee, western Kentucky,
southern Illinois, central Missouri,
southwestern Kansas, and western
Texas TO the Mexican line. If the
mean between the two hundred mile
strip and the border belt above in
Dictated be taken as representing the
area over which the sugar beet crop
can be successfully raised, it is evil
dent that the United States could not
only supply the $500, ooo, 900 worth OF
product which is now brought in from
abroad, but could take leading posi-
ton in supplying the markets of the
world.
A soil, loamy and not too stiff.
abundant sunshine, moderate
amount of moisture and favorable
weather during the period of ripening
and harvesting are the elements which
constitute a good sugar beet country,
and whenever these have been present
the experiments which have been
made in beet culture have met with
encouraging success. TO render the
cultivation of beets profitable, how
ever, it is necessary that the beet
farm should be in easy reach of beet
factory, for it is evident that the
amount of profit realized by the farm
er will vary, other things being equal,
as the distance which his crop has to
be hauled. In the present issue we
give detailed description of one of
the large and successful establish
ments which have served to demon
stIate that our soil, climate and meth
DDS are adapted to the production of
beet sugar on large scale. This fac
tory began operations in 1891, when
800 acres of beets were grown, which
yielded 20 tons of beets to the acre,
the farmers being paid s. 90 per ton
for the crop and the average return
per acre being S2S.37. In 1898, the
acreage under cultivation had increas-
ed to 7,528, and the yield had increas-
ed from 7'26 tons to II'o3 tons to the
acre, the farmers receiving on an aver.
age $4.35 per ton for their crop, the
average return being $47. 90 per acre.
During this period, moreover, the
average percentage of sugar in the
beets had increased from - to IS per
cent. The cost of raising the beets in
the Chino Valley is about $50 per
acre, most of this being due to labor,
which would leave profit in 1895 of
$I8 per acre to the planter. This
agrees fairly we'll with Prof. Wiley's
estimate of net profit of from So to
SIS per acre as an average, the Cali
/ L = - 1.