Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-04-29
The Sugar Beet.

facts regarding the sugar beet, its cult
ure and Importance.
When we take into consideration the
fact that in the year 1886, the total
amount of sugar manufactured in the
world was seven million, seven hun
dred and seven thousand, five hundred
tons, of which four million, nine hun
dred and sixty thousand tons was pro-
duced from the sugar beet, it will he
at once apparent that this plant is one
of the most important which can be
cultivated in The United States.
Careful experience in this country
has developed the fact that the sugar
beet will produce the best results in
latitude where the average isothermal
line of 20 degrees Fahrenheit, averages
for the months Of June, July and Aug
ust; this line does not follow Iatitudinal
lines but varies in accordance with
other conditions.
In this country it covers the south
half of New York, Michigan. Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota; the north half of
| Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa; almost the whole of South Da-
kota, north and west portions of Ne
braska, slightly touching Kansas; turn
ing south covers the entire alluvial
lands of Colorado, including most of
| New Mexico, Arizona, California, Utah.
Idaho, the north half Of Oregon. and
the south half of Washington; making
all area large enough to furnish sugar
for the entire world. Regarding some
of the districts named where 1t never
rains in summer, irrigation will have to
be resorted to; but it may be said of
this plant, that it stands drOuth splen-
didly, and in an irrigated district the
percentage of sugar is greater In the
beet, than where there is a natural
rainfall.
The trouble with American farmers
has been, and is now, that those who
live north of the cotton belt are brought
into direct competition with the low
price of wages in India and Russia, as
we'll as China and Japan, and there has
been an over-production in the food
products, which has caused prices to be
lower than can be proitably maintained
by the United States.
The people of the United States are
expending over $4,000 900 a year for
imported sugar, the larger part of it
being bought of Germany. The output
of the product from the sugar beet in
Germany during the year 1896, amount
ed to one million eight hundred thou
sand tons. Land can be made profit
able to raise this crop when worth SIS
to 500 per acre, whereas the same
lands as now farmed, in northern Ne
braska for instance, are farmed at q
loss at valuation Of $50 per acre. For
example, take an acre of French cult
ure of this plant, we find that they pay
S40.S5 alone for fertilizing, which in
most of the regions Of the United States
named, does not have to be used; the
total cost of farming a French acre of
clans is $70.61, the crop when harvested
amounting to twenty-five tons Of beets,
which sold at the factory at $500 per
ton, making $125.00; if we then deduct
the cost of culture, it will be seen that
the profit from an acre in France is
$3.50. Experiments in the United
States show that the beet may be raised
in this country at a maximum cost Of
$34 80 per acre, but if we allow laborers
one dollar per day, with the rental
value of land at $500 per acre, it will
cost $49.50 per acre. The price received
here for beets at the factory is some
thing less than in France, amounting on
the average to $3.50 per ton; but the
product in this country can be made
equally as great as that of France or
any other country on earth; and the
percentage of sugar in the beet is as
great in the United States as in any
other country.
In our interview with the secretary of
agriculture, published last week, he in
forms us that there will be no difficulty
in obtaining abundance of capital for
the erection Of sugar beet factories in
this country, as soon as a disposition is
shown by the farmers to raise this pro-
duct.
! The facts are, that at this time there
are quite number of manufactures in
the United States, and they are all do
ing a good business; three being IN
California; two in Nebraska, one in
New Mexico. and one in Utah; and
those at the present time building are,
one at Rome, n. Y, one in Wisconsin,
and three in California. The great
sugar king, Claus Spreckels, is building
a factory at Salinas City, California.
There are in Germany now in operation
397 factories; in France, 355; Austria
Hungary, 2l6; and in Russia, 277.
The enormous investments in this i'll
dustry in the old world and the avidity
with which capital is reaching out to it,
assures the American farmer that there
will be a ready sale for his product to
manufactures which will be built in his
vicinity as soon as the farmers are
ready to furnish sufficient amount of
beets to guarantee the establishment Of
factory.
The sugar beet industry is in fact no
longer an experiment but great sue