The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-06-15
WEEKLY DIGEST
Of Experiment Station Bulletins.
No. 70.
SUGAR BEETs.

The destruction of the sugar indus
try Of Cuba and the certainty of in
creased protection to American sugar
under the new tariff bill are causing a
widespread interest In sugar beet pro-
duction. Bulletins % and 33 Of the u.
3. Department of Agriculture, bulletin
Is OF Ohio Station, 55 of Wisconsin
Station, Sc of Colorado Station and %
OF Arizona Station are devoted to this
subject. These bulletins have been
issued in response to a food of irquir-
les from farmers, which have been
pouring in by every mail since the first
of the year.
This article will be confined to a
summary of the salient points set forth
IN the above named bulletins.
It will take years after the war ends
to restore the sugar plantations of
Cuba. The United States now con
sumes eight times as much sugar as it
produces. The value of the sugar i'm
ported into this country each year
almost equals the value of the wheat
and flour exported; yet sugar beets are
more profitable crop than wheat.
Why should we produce cheap wheat
with which to buy dear sugarG There
are now eight sugar beet factories in
this country, and it will require 500
factories of the same average capacity
TO supply our own markets. The fac
tories thus far started have made great
progress and are now very profitable.
During the season of 1894-95 the
world produced 2, 300, 900 tons of sugar,
OF which 4 800, 900 tons were beet sugar
and 8, 900, 600 tons were cane sugar.
Beet sugar is in all respects equal to
cane sugar. Germany leads all other
countries in producing beet sugar, hav-
ing 4O5 factories. The German Govern
msnt gives bounty of third of q
cent apound on all sugar ex2cr elfrcm
that country and puts tax of cents
per pound on all sugar produced there
and consume d there, and tariff tax of
At cents per pound on all sugar i'm
ported from other countries, which is
prohibitive. The bounty paid by the
government to sugar producers is
nearly six million dollars a year in
Germany, ten millions N France, five
millions in Belgium, two millions in
Austria, and three millions in Russia,
Denmark and Sweden. In this coun
try sugar has been protected by tariff
duty ranging from cent pound in
1879 to cents in 1874, till the McKin.
ley bill put it on the free list and gave
sugar growers a bounty instead of q
protective duty.
England consumes Sc pounds of sugar
per each inhabitant, the United States
63 pounds, Denmark Al, France 81,
Holland 81, Germany 81, Belgium %,
Austria 90, Spain IA, Russia 10.
In Germany, each factory pays a
license tax of $500 to 81, 500 per year,
owing to capacity.
The following facts show what pro.
gress has been made by the beet sugar
factories in this country: The one at
Lehi, Utah, has been running years,
and in that time the acres of beets
grown by surrounding farmers has in
creased from 1900 acres to $500; the
tons of beets produced has increased
from $3.50 to 38. 1O8; the average yield
per acre has increased from tons to
III; the pounds of sugar per acre has
increased from ], 1852 to 2, $50; the mum
Der of days in operation each year has
increased from So to 11S.
In the last five years, the factory at
Chino, California, has made still greater
progress. In 1891, the farmers realized
but $28 81 per acre from their beets,
but in 1895 they averaged $47.O .O8 The
factory at Norfalk, Neb., worked up
s, 1873 tons of beets in 81, and %, ,2O4 tons
in '95. 1t got 161 pounds sugar from
each ton of beets in 81, and 1884 pounds
per ton in '95.
These statistics all go to show that
the farmers now get much larger
yield per acre and better price per
ton for their beets, than years ago,
and the factories get more sugar per
ton of beets than at first. This is graft
flying progress all around.
Analysis show that the average rich
ness in sugar and purity of juice is
somewhat higher in the beet growing
regions of this country than in Ger
many.
The beet sugar industry is only about
100 years old, and since in that time it
has far outstripped the cane sugar in
dustry, it offers an inviting field of
competition for the future.