The Monte Vista journal., 1897-11-27
GROW SUGAR BEETs
Is THE ADVICE TO FARMERS.


Report to tbs Dsavsr Chanber Of Cor.
Dsrcs Gives Figures That Mako Clsar
tAsGrsas opSert.sisy.
Ths following is the report on the su.
Rnr beet industry submitted to the
Board OF Directors of the Chamber OF
Commerce, by Earl b. Coe Of the spe-
cial committee:
Denver, Colorado. Nov. II, 1897.
To the Board of Directors Of the Dem
vcr Chamber Of Commerce.:
Gentlemen-In compliance with the
request OF Hon. Il. MOnnsh, your pres.
ident. submit you herewith some data
and suggestions upon sugar beet cul-
ture In Colorado, limiting my suRges-
tions more particularly to the phase Of
the question that would particularly
come within the scope OF nm organixa-
tion such us the Denver Chamber Of
Commerce.
The importance OF the sugar beet
culture and Of interesting the Colo
RADIO farmer In the growth Of the sugar
beet cannot be over estimated by the
Denver Chamber Of Commerce. With
climate peculiarly adapted to the
growth Of the sugar beet, Colorado
should and can produce and furnish to
the. United States at least One-fourth
OF the sugar that IL imported from
European countries. The United
States now pays annually TO Europe.
and principally to Germany, $1OO,OOO.-
600. One-fOurth OF this amount would
he $25.OOO,OOO. The principal part OF
the sugar imported by the United
States comes from Germany. The Ger
man beet averages only IL per cent.
Saccharine matter,
For the past three years sugar beets
nave been growing In Colorado and
careful tests and analyses have been
made. These tests and analyses dem
onstrate that the average per centnge
OF saccharine matter In the Colorado
grown sugar beet IN 10 per cent: or In
other words, Colorado grows n beet
containing % per cent. more sugar
thnn the German sugar beet. Further
more. the Colorado sugar beet grower
would not run the same risk OF losing
his crop or part OF the value of his
crop that the German farmer would.
Al the time of the year when the sugar
beet natures. Colorado Ia quite free
from rains. a rain starts the beet to
growing again ana sends the sacchar-
Inc matter into the top OF the beet.
This. OF course. whenever 1t happens,
detracts from the value.
Colorado farmers could within two
years supply at least forty factories at
different points In the state This
would involve the building OF large
GENITAL refinery at Denver.
Forty factories would require 1900
acres TO the factory. or l2O.OOO acres of
land Each factory would have ca
paclty of 300 tons per day for 100 days
In the year. II In true that there IL II
muca less acreage than this In Colo
radc that could Ike devoted to sugar
beer culture, but II is practicable for
the Denver Chamber Of Commerce to
no organize the farmers OF the state
as TO enable at least forty separate
communities OF farmers within the
state To have these factories erected.
To supply the United States II would
require 2.UO.0O0 tons OF sugar nnnu-
ally: whereas the production OF both
cane and beet sugar In the United
States was only nl,Out Nj. 10 tons in
the year lS.Ai. or about seven pounds
per capita for our present population.
We consume sixty-three pounds per
capita.
To build 100 factories having q "a.
pacity Of 30 tons Of heets per day
would require an Investment Of near
~ &2O.O00.U0. and would give en-
ployment TO 10000 men In the fac
tories.
II would need 100 factories Of like
capacity to support the demands Of
the United States with sugar that Is
not imported. NJ that II lx not prerump-
tious to say that Colorado. with all
her vast sugar beet growing territory
should nt lcast furnish forty Of these
factories. because many portions Of the
agricultural sections Of the United
Stntcs nrc not adapted to the sugar
hpt culture. There l2O.O0O acres OF
land would mean l.iIOOD tons Of
hets. or twelve tons to the acre. At
$3.50 lNr ton this would mean ~ SAO.
ono to the farmers Of the state annu.
ally. This does not include the amount
of money required to operate the fac
tories, nor the amount Of money for
fuel. nor the amount OF money paid to
railroads for transportation. nor for
the transportation Of fuel tO operate
the factories. A. least &:.5O.OOO " ouid
be received outside Of the money NJ
ceived by the farmers. or a total Of
over &IO.UO.00O annually would be re-
ceiveti by Colorado wage enrn~rs aud
farmers that is not nOw received.
II would mean alsO the taking Of
11D.WO acres Of lnnd now engage Il Ia
the culture Of Improbable crops aud
growing \ crop that wouh I,ay the
farmer about So per acre annually.
and. what is mOrr probable. Il would
eventually stimulate the erection Of
irrigation enterprises NJ that IN. 500
acres Of land not now subject 10 irri.
cation would ,~ brought under colt.
walton.
To supply the present demand for
sugar would require the cultivation II
l.21N.NO acres Of land. No land IN the
United States or la amy country Of
the world grows q higher grads ~
sugar tsct than the Colorado irrigated
sartIons. This has lss.u absolutely
demonstrated By careful tests made by
the agricultural department at Wash.
inxt0a and our own Agricultural Col.
trEr NJ Fort C01lins. n II would NJ.
guirc l.2iO.mD acres Of land 70 s1ow
enough sugar ts-ets "a supply the DE-.
mand of our own country. Il II not an
over estimate tn nay that 4 m,,ch
lnrgrr acreage than i3D.OD ncrr oe
Colorado farm lands should b.. en-.
ployesi In the growing of sugar iss.ss.
Thousands of men and women c,tj.i
ls given employment and millions of
dollars brought Into The state. " the