Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-02-18
BEET SUGAR RAISING.
4 GREAT OPPORTUNITY OFFERED
TO AMERICAN FARMERS.

$3O,OOO,O 900 Paid to Germany for Raw
Material That Could Have Been Raised
here-The Two Provisions That Are
Needed In Tariff Bill Relating to Sugar
The sugar question is deser vebly at
tracing much attention in this coun-
try. The consumption of sugar In the
United States is about 60 pounds per
capita. With the population of 1000,
600 this would make our totol annual
consumption fully 2,lO0,O 900 tons.
The production of sugar in this
country does not exceed 100000 tons,
and of this only about 10000 tons is
beet sugar. We import from foreign
countries only about 100000 tons
most Of it being brown or raw sugar.
whice is purchased by the American
Sugar Refining company, and by other
refiners, who refine and sell it, directly
or indirectly, to customers. Most OF
this vast quantity of imported sugar
comes from countries which either buy
very little from US or discriminate
against American products. In 1896
the eastern retiners bought 100000
tons of brown or raw German beet
sugar, for which, including freight
about $50, 900, 900 must have been paid.
1t is not yet deinately reported what
our total foreign sugar bill was in 1896,
but for the year ending June 80, 1894,
it was $l2O.OOO, 900. Generally it takes
nearly all our exports of breadstuffs to
pay for our imported sugar, all our ex-
ports of provisions, including meat
and dairy products, barely pay GUS
As we are now situated our financial
condition is constantly strained and
put in peril because OF the calls on US
from foreign countries for gold. If we
should make only one half of the sugar
we use, the relief, so far as our financial
situation is concerned, would be eqniva.
lent to doubling our gold production.
1t is probable that with only moder-
ate projection the beet sugar industry
will be rapidly developed, but with the
best we can hope for it is doubtful if
the production of sugar in the United
States can catch up with the consump-
ton in twenty years. By that time
our population will certainly be 1O0,-
O0O, 900, and our consumption of sugar
will be at least $500, 600 tons annually
Of which probably 5000, 600 tons will
be beet sugar. Our yearly sugar bill
will then probably amount to ut least
$3.50, coo, 900, What would the produc-
ton of 3.O0O,O0 tons of beet sugar
mean to our farmers? 1t would mean
that they must produce annually about
81, OOO, 600 tons of sugar beets, which
would give them at the lowest estimate
$l30. 900, 900. 1t would employ $780,
600 acres Of the best farming land and
not less than 100000 men in the
field. 1t would also employ an army Of
men in the factories. in transportation
and in other employments. 1t would
use 5000, 900 tons of coal, 5000, 900 tons
of limestone, and call for a vast guam
tity of chemicals, machinery, etc.
! Why ch0uld we not do all this our
selves, instead of allowing it to be done
by foreign countries which buy COM
paratively little from US, or which dis
criminate against our products? If
president Mckinley can be the founder
Of this ind lstry it will be one of the
chief glories Of his administration.
1t is doubtful If sugar beets can be
successfully raised in many Of the
southern states, where both the days
and nights are hot, the atmosphere
humid, and the autumn or ripening
reason, rainy. 1t is also doubtful if the
extreme northern states can success
fully prosecute this industry. The
seasons are too short, and severe
winter comes too early. But we have
large area OF country which is better
adopted to the business than any part
of Europe. More than one-half of the
weight OF the sugar in the beet comes
from the sunshine snd not from the
soil, and those countries which have a
mild climate, are the ones which will
produce sugar beets the richest in
sugar and with the highest degree Of
purity. This accounts for the fact that
California, Utah and New Mexico have
beaten the worlds record in raising
rich and pure sugar beets.
In France and Ger many the percent.
age of sugar in the beets varies from
10 to IA per cent, depending on the
season. A fair average taking one
season with another, is about II to l3
per cent, from which $50 to 200 pounds
y ton Of marketable sugar are extract
| ed.
The Importance Of having beets with
high percentage Of saccharine matter
compared with those of low percent
age, in the successful prosecution OF
| this industry cannot be overestimated.
| A factory able to work 100000 tons of
beets in q campaign of 100 days would
cost, with sufficient working capital,
about $45O.OOO. The difference in yield
f! OF sugar from l00, 900 tons of beets run
ming ii per cent, and from the same
quantity running II per cent, would be
5, 900 tons Of sugar. The factory ex-
penses would be but little more for
working the latter than the former,
but the increased gross income, with
sugar at 81 cents q pound, would be
500, 900. which sum, under the method
now ruling, would be nearly equally di.
vided between the farmers and the fac.
tory. The question of purity cuts an
almost equally important figure. 1t ia
we'll known that the higher the per.
centage Of sugar the higher the purity
that means that the juice contains less
OF those elements which prevent crys.
utilization, causing q loss of sugar. The
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