The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-21
WHY NOT BEET SUGAR {?


| CAROLINA FOR A NEW AND PROF
TABLE CROP.
Columbia State.
We have ret emily asked the atten-
ton Of our farmers to the cultivation
of the sugar beet. The experiments
United States department of agricul-
turc show that bects grown III tho
South yield Il larger percentage OF SUI
gar than those produced elscwhcrc--
Is per cent. against l. aud II per
cent. in Europe and in the North. 1t
this shall prove to be the case through.
out the South. the Southern farmer
should be able to get from 80 10 80
per cent. more for ms beet crop than
his competitors III other chimes.
Sugar hrrtS can be grown all over
| the Union. There are as yet only
about II factories IN operation in this
country. and they range in location
from Nircina to California, fl ON New
York to Nebraska. None is farther
south than Virginia. These factories
have all been successful, and their
product this year is estimated ut about
10000 tons of sugar. Various new
ones are now being erected, and the
increase from this time forward will
be very rapid, because of the great
consumption OF sugar in the United
Slalcs--50 per cent. larger per capita
than in any other country Of the world
and the high taill placed on impor-
tations. LII addition to our beet sugar
production which rs yet is only 2 per
cent. of the American dcmand-and
the cane sugar production of Louisi-
ana, the United States consumes sugar
to the value of 500 600 600 q year.
The opportunity fol an expansion of
! the beet sugar industry is Therefore
vast.
\ beet sugar factory will cost as
much * Il cotton mill--irom 5000 900
upward. One factory will coIsumc
the beet product ot Il half dozen coun-
ties. The hrrlS are nouyht delivered
at the factory at prices graded to the
percentage OF sugar they contain.
Thrv constitute therefore Il cash crop,
>IIahlr as soon rs made
For hcrts averaging II per cent. SUI
gar from - to Stl.jO Il ton is paid. In
a Northern State 10000 acres have
been planted to suppl, one factory.
the yield being 100000 tons, or ten
tons I" the acre. AT 81 ton this
means $40 per acre, which is dcc,dcdly
"rmunrlativc 70 obtain the best re.
suits much care is taken in the cultiva-
ton. The intensive plan is the best
Il lew acres well handled being better
than many which arc seeded and then
neglected. That the cron is a prolita-
hlc one is proved by the fact that
larms near the factory of which we
have spoken have increased in value
from $50 to 500 an acre. That fac
tory will produce this year l0, 900 900
pounds Of standard yranulatcd sugar.
We think that there is a great op-
p"rtunity in South Carolina 10, beet
sugar production, but for the present
We only ask our farmers to make mex
pcnsivc experiments. Let them file
early applications with the United
States department of agriculture fol
sugar beet seed, so as to be certain Of
getting them. Next spring let them
raise a few bccts after careful fcrtiliZa-
tlrn and cultivation, and send samples
to the department for analysis. When
the returns come they will show the
suitability of the soil AMI climate for
the crop. That proved, it will be in
order to raise the capital for Il factory,
on the pledge of ncighboring farmers
10 plant Il certain area in bccts, the
factory in turn guaranteeing certain
price per ION. The experiment cannot
be completed until year after next, but
if it shall su, cccd--as there is no
reason tu hOuhi---wn can have a dozen
or two in South Carolina the next
year.
Bear IN mind that The State urges
nothing which is costly in advance of
evidence 10 prove thai II will be rcmu
ncralivc; and that it does not urge amy
fIrmcI, even after he shall have OBJ
tanned the proof, TO go wholesale into
thc production of the sugar beet. \
few acres for each will yield Il hand
some return if all goes well, and will
involve no serious loss if il does not.
The time has passed for the one crop
system. Il" diversity his products and
thus insure himself against general
failure is the first duty Of the farmer.
None can deny that we need another,
ana still another, money crop in this
state. Let us experiment until Tc
ilnd the proper supplements to cotton.
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