The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-02-27
SUGAR BETS.

amental purposes, In order to direct
public attention more especially to
the sugar beet industry, we may be
pardoned for submitting some remarks
in general on sugar and some facts re-
speeding sugar beets and beet sugar in
particular.
The yearly consumption of sugar in
this country is fully two million one
hundred thousand tons, or about so
pounds 70 every man, woman and child
OF our 100000 Of people. But the
production OF sugar in this country is
only about four hundred thousand tons,
Of which about forty thousand tons is
beet sugar. Our animal importation
Of sugar therefore amounts to about
one million seven hundred thousand
tons, most Of which is raw or brown
sugar and afterwards refined in this
country. In 1895 We purchased from
Germany fiys hundred thousand tons of
beet sugar for which we must have
paid, freight included, S30,0OO.OOO. 1t
il not Jet known exactly what our total
foreign sugar bill in 1896 was, but for
tho year ending June 80, 1894, it was
$l20,o000O0, or about S172 TO every
man, woman and child. Speaking gem
orally, II takes nearly all the surplus or
export bFeadstuffs we can raise in this
country to pay for the sugar we buy
abroad, and all our surplus or export
provisions, including meat and dairy
products, barely pay our sugar bill. AS
The population of this country is In
creasiRg much more rapidly than the
population Of any other country, and as
eur exports are proportiOnately growing
less, the time is approaching when all
our exports win barely suffice to pay
for the one'item Of sugar, unless steps
be taken to promote the beet sugar in
dussry in this country. Even as sit.
uated at present this country is being
constantly strained because of the de
mands on us from foreign countries for
gold, II we produced but half of the
sugar now consumed, it would be equal
to doubling Of our gold production,
aud If we produced all the sugar we
use 1t would amount practically to the
same thing as increasing the gold pro-
duct four fold. But to look a little
further ahead. It is almost certain
that twenty years from now our pop
ulation will be 100000 and our con.
sumption of sugar not less than $780,
coo tons annually, of which 100000,
tons will probably be beet sugar. Our
yearly sugar bill will then be about
$280,000,O00. And with the best pos
sible progress we can not hope to see
our sugar product catch up with the
consumption in less than twenty years.
If, however, nothing be done to pro-
tect and promote the sugar industry, it
may be fairly assumed that in twenty
years hence it viii require all our ex
ports to Offset the import of sugar
alone. We may inquire what the pro-
dVetion OF 5000, 600 tons OF sugar means
from an agricultural or farmers point
OF view. 1t would mean that the
farmers would have to raise about
100000 tons of beets every year,
which at the lowest estimate would
bring them l35 to 100 millions of dol,
lars. II would employ from three and
4 half to four millions of acres of the
best farming land and not less than
half . million men in the fields. 1t
would also employ thousands Of men in
the factories, in transportation and in
other employments. 1t would use mil.
lions OF tons Of coal, millions Of tons of
limestone and call for vast quantities
OF machinery and chemicals. These
facts will serve to give some idea of the
magnitude and possibilities of the beet
sugar industry.
The question now that concerns us
locally Is whether or not sugar beets
can BE- successfully raised in this state.
The indications are altogether favor
able. More than one half of the
weight Of the sugar beet comes from
the sunshine and not from the soil.
Now there is no place in the world
where the sun shines more continuous.
ly and persistsntly than in south west.
ern Idaho, hence there is no trouble on
that score. The bane OF the sugar
beet Is q too moist atmosphere. We
are certainly not afflicted in that re-
speet. Sunshine, moderately long sea.
sons and dry air are the prime requis.
ties Tor the production of good sugar
beets, and those are the elements
which distinguish this climate above
al others. Thus far California, New
MEXICO and Utah have beaten the
worlds record in raising rich and pure
sugar beets, The localities giving the
best results are almost identical in
soil and climate with the great Boise
and Payette Valleys. In Germany and
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