The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-06
THE SUGAR BEET.

The beet sugar industry in the United
States has been practically developed
| In the last six years, or since the enact
ment Of the Mckinley tariff law. I'm
til the last SIX months four-fffths of all
the capital in the industry was invested
in 1890 and 1891. One Of the brightest
and most hopeful spots in American
agriculture at the present time Is the
prospect that this industry will be en-
couraged.
Robert ]. Porter. in the New York
Mail and Express. coliates some valua-
BILE and interesting information touch
ing the crop of sugar beet of this year.
which will be the largest ever known
in the United States. Few people who
have not watched the movement look
ing to the home supply of the large
quantity of sugar that has now to be
imported have any conception OF the
large acreage Of sugar beet which has
been planted not only in the west but
in the middle west In the western
states alone, since the fall OF 1890, the
beet sugar industry has grown from an
invested capital Of $35O,O00 to over
s6.50O,000. In the same time the area
of land planted to sugar beets has in
creased from 200 acres to $4,000 acres
Seven years ago the only beet sugar
factory in the United States was lit
tie. discouraged affair at Alvarado, in
central California. Some $50 families
earned their living in growing beets
factory Today there are over 5000
families in the west that get their liv-
ing by growing beets, by working in
sugar factories, by quarying lime rock
for the manufacture Of beet sugar and
by making machinery and supplies for
the running of the sugar factories. In
1890 the single American beet sugar
factory at Alvarado produced about
100000 pounds Of sugar annually.
Last year Nebraska, California and
New Mexico produced nearly 10000
OtD DOuuuS OIL Dett SuSaT.
Mr.. Porter, in concluding says that
talking the other day to gentleman
from Iowa interested in agriculture, he
told me that something akin to craze
had broken out in that state in favor Of
beet sugar and that farmers were fully
alive to this new Investigation of
crops. Seven state governments have
taken up this new and valuable agri
cultural industry and appropriated
money for the distribution of seed and
the cultivation of the sugar beet The
Los Angeles Times estimates that some
100000 will be invested in sugar fac
tories in California in the next year,
while several millions of dollars more
go into sugar beet plants in Colorado
and the territories. The people of
Phoenix, Arizona, and the settlers in
the ella valley are discussing the feast |
bility of bonding that region for
500, 900 sugar factory and refinery that |
will utilize the product Of beets from |
The Mormons have had such success
with their factory at Lehi, Utah, that |
they have contracted for the machinery |
for a new sugar beet factory of 1000 |
tons capacity to be built in the neigh |
borhood of Provo. A company of |
of whom Lazard Freres, |
the Partisan bankers, are members, has |
decided TO invest some $1,6OO00O in |
four beet sugar factories in California, |
New Mexico and Texas in the next two
years. Then syndicate of San Fran
cisco, st. Louis and Chicago capitalists
have decided to build three of the larg-
est beet sugar factories in the world |
factories each having daily capacity |
Of 100000 tons of beets) in the Arkan-
saS valley in Colorado.