Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-02-18
CULTURE OF SUGAR-BEETS
Number Of Factories Now In
Operation.
HISTORY OF THE INDUSTRY
,.cts Re seS dng Beet Sugar Furnished
by al rt Gerberding Before tn,
Cbit-okiat Club, of San Francisco

Chit-V'at |iuo' Vi e"h francisco
Mr.. Albert Gerberding delivered az
address before the Chit-Chat Club, o.
San Francisco, which contained briei
history of the beet-sugar industry H.
tbis country. As the subject of start
inc the industry in the Northwest is
being agitated, it is thought information
from its perusal may be obtained. The
historical sketch of the industry is as
follows:
Europe has 8, 900, 900 acres of fields.
uroducing say, 4, 5000 tons of sugar
annually, and of this amount is selling
to the United States sugar to the value
Of s2O,OO0,000 year. Although the
industry has been established in Euro
pan countries for years, it has been
slow 10 gain hold ia America. Its
history on this side of the Atlantic is
short, although the same climatic con-
ditions prevail.
"Our first commercial experiment in
making sugar from beets was near
Philadelphia, in 1880, contemporaries
Ously with the final establishment of
the industry in France, but with wide
ly different results. Intelligent pursuit
in that country brought success; ignor-
snce in our own, disastrous failure.
The experiment. was tried again in 1888
by man in Massachusetts. His sugar
product cost him IL cents pound. He
was the victim of the theory that beets
must be dried before processing. He
had his experience, and those who came
after him protited by his failure.
For twenty-five years thereafter
America made no attempt to manufac-
ture beet sugar. In 1868 factory was
established in Illinois. The land was
unfsvorable to beet culture, and, after
six years of unintelligent endeavor, the
factory was moved to another part af
the state, not more favorable, and fail
are was again the result. Again the
machinery was moved, to Wisconsin
this time, where both the soil and eli
mate were unsuitable, and since 1871
nothing has been heard of the establish
ment A factory was afterward started
in Fond du Lac, Wis, and attracted
much attention.
In 1869 the owners, two German
chemists, came to California to superin-
tend new enterprise of the same sort
at Alvarado, started by Mr.. Dyer, who
Rentitled to the credit of inaugurating
the beet sugar industry in this state.
he still resides in close proximity to the
AlVarado factory, and we are pleased to
note that he is yet stockholder in
what is now dividend-paying enter
PRISE, the ultimate result of his long
years OF persistent effort. After years
Oi indifferent success the company was
'eOrganized in 1889, the plant enlarg-
ed, and since then the business has
been success.
Sacramento started factory in
iobS, with machinery costing $780,
UUV In 1875 it was sold for S45, 900,
and used to re-equip the Alvarado fac
tory, which from that time until 1889
was the only beet-sugar factory in
America.
In lSS9-90 the Western Beet-Sugar
company erected its factory at Watson
'!lle' Cal. Chino, Cal, was the scene
vi me next factory, started about 1891,
ana about the same time factories were
Sallt at Lehi, Utah; Grand Island,
Neo,, and Norfolk, Neb. New Mexico
ana virginia also claim factory each
"A new factory is now being con-
',Fucted at Alamantis, in the vicinity
VI Anaheim, Cal, and one has been
"mmenced at Salinas. Thus we have
~ ~ present eight factories in the entire
Onl'ed States, three of which with two
uOfe IN process of construction are To-
a'eu IN California. In this vast state
" unlimited acreage, favorable climate
~ sOu oso soii' there are perhaps today about
sV'VVV acres, or one-twentieth of | per
,ol CIV" vi SdlllOTIlld, ueNOltu
" Ucet culture, and yet we are paying
sunually $6,000,0O0 to our friends
'tVSs raU the water for what we could as
WI and better produce ourselves.
inis sugar beet has been bred, and
oa, ,,eu lor desirable points, such as shape,
NV, Vi' Size, soilage and saccharine con-
On mu.s' until, by careful selection, these
a,La'.'ies s,a have become fixed. The seed
han'ed in California has been imported
n" Uni france and Germany, but, under
S;s, Se influence of the climate and soil,
sHer b@s percentage of saccharine matter
ns ,na oeen developed than in any other
,,".i O"n place. Beets are known to
INV Z In this state on about 22, 900 ares
,hor .Oar u counties, and, while we know
tb,s Hourish in the neighborhood OF
sc,v m,e factories, it is interesting to de-
jDn 'oe the method of testing and bring
bsss " public notice new territory. 1t
to,; M Oeen the experience of all the fac
p,a". ,Vo mat for the first few years the