Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1897-03-05
srg-r Beets.
EDITOR COURIER,

EDITOR COURIER,
Cooperstown. N. ID.
AT the last election the American
people decided, among other things.
in favor OF ''such protection as will
lead to the production on American
soil OF all the sugar which the Ameri-
can people use and for which they pay
other countries more than 300. 600. 900
annually
We are pledged by the language of
the platform. approved at the polls.
not only to adopt q policy calculated
to produce the result named. but to do
it with protection not with bounty.
1t will take great and sustained
effort politically and agriculturally
to reach the goal aimed at. believe
the both congress and the incoming
administration will make an honest
effort to do their part. Will the
farmers and manufacturers do theirs?
Laws alone will not raise beets or
manufacture sugar. Up to 1890 sugar
was classed with coffee. tea and spices
on the theory that it was mainly pro-
duced from cane. semi-tropical
plant.
Since that time the sugar business
has been revolutionized. Sugar is
now mainly produced from beets,
grown in northern latitudes. This
change has been mainly caused by al
Improvement in the sugar beet plant.
Sugar cane is no sweeter than it was
a thousand years ago. Sugar bects
are from four to six percent sweetel
than they We're sixteen years ago.
an improvement due mainly to a care
full selection of the sweetest beets for
seed. This change, is still going on
and in my judgment is destined to
continue until the present cane fields
of Cuba and Hawaii revert to wild
tropical jungles and we become ex-
porters of sugar.
In Germany they now produce three
times as much sugar as they need for
their own use. We have a better soil
and climate for sugar beets than they
have in Germany. We have now
seven factories making beet sugar in
this country. 1t will take from 400 to
700 such factories to make what sugar
we use.
The first thing for the farmer to do
is to learn how to raise the beets.
This will take time. No community
will raise a good crop economically
the first year. 1t must be learned by
experience. A factory will cost at
least 100000. Neither farmers nor
manufacturers will make money out
of the first crop. Mistakes and
blunders and wasteful methods will at
first prevent profits. Nothing but ex.
perience will teach the lesson. North
Dakota is right in the belt of a coun.
try best suited for this business. A
new and profitable industry is about
to be created in this country. Nature
has done everything for us. Are our
people equal to the task of sharing OF
leading in taking this tide of oppor.
tunity at its food? A year or two
can be saved if the farmers will begin
this spring experimenting with sugar
beet culture.
The seed is not raised in this coun.
try and the government has never
bought any sugar beet seed for free
distribution. All the sugar beet seed
distributed by the department of agri-
culture has been donated to the gov
ernment by Mr.. Henry I. Oxnard, OF
Norfolk, Neb. This year Mr.. Oxnard
has promised me that he will send a
package of the seed to every farmer
in North Dakota who will write to
him and ask for it. He also promised
me that he would visit North Dakota
this summer during the growing
season. to see how the crop is doing
and help with advice and counsel.
| The communities that succeed best in
raising the crop are likely to be the
first to attract capital for factories.
Until factories are built the crop
cannot be made into sugar. but need
not go to waste. These beets are
superior to any other root crops for
stock food. especially for hogs.
| will send ali illustrated pamphlet
on sugar beet culture to any farmer
in North Dakota who will write for il.
NJ. n. JOHNSON.