The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-20
Rect sugar in the South.

A beet sugar factory has been establish
ed at Richmond, Va. 1t is the first of its
kind in the south; the pioneer, it is to be
hoped, of what will become a great indus
try. For a long time it was not believed
that sugar beets could be proftably grown
in the south, but experiments have dem
onstrated that the soil of the southern Sec
ton will produce beets as rich I'm sacchar-
inc matter as those of any other section.
Indeed. some southern beets have shown
a higher percentage of saccharine matter
than is given by beets grown in any other
part Of the country, and much higher than
those grown in Germany.
The opening of the south to sugar beet
culture viii assist in upsetting one of the
principal arguments of those who have
cOntended that the United States could
not profitably produce their own sugar, if
indeed that argument was a reasonable
one in the first place 1t was asserted
that in order to produce the 100000 tons
of sugar used annually it would be nee
essary to plant in beets the western lands
now devoted 10 wheat and other cereals.
and that as a result we should not be able
to grow wheat for the foreign markets,
which We now supply; that failing to sup
ply the food product wanted by Europe.
we would, of course, not receive the great
amount of money Europe now pays Us
for bread Evidently the persons adj
vancing this line of argument lacked in
formation with regard to or appreciation
of the resources of the country, and failed
tol-o sr,ty, al
biIities of the south. There are millions
of acres of land in the south which will
grow not only sugar beets but wheat as
well Upon the authority of a well known
statistician and economist, I'VE can not
only produce all of the sugar we require
for home consumption, but we can also
produce simultaneously many times the
amount of wheat and other cereals now
produced"
The United States now pay annually
approximately 100000 for foreign sugar
If they can produce all of the sugar they
need, profitably, then there as no good
reason for sending this vast sum of money
out of the country. 1t would be better TO
keep it in the pockets Of their own people
ana utNiSt HuAllG OtlltL AlCiiS Vi making
up the revenues which the government
would lose through stoppage Of sugar i'm
portations. And 1t is to the interest Of
the southern states to see to il that con-
siderable proportion of the money for do
nestle beet sugar is left in the south The
beginning of the beet sugar industry in
Virginia should be followed up by the es-
tablishment of other factories in this Sec
ton. The industry in the north and west
is growing apace. There are now num-
Der of beet sugar factories in the west
The business is geing rapidly developed on
the Pacific coast 1t is reported that
Claus Spreckels only the other day bought
1900 acres Of land in California for 1915 900
which he will devote to sugar beet cul-
ture He is now building a great factory
plant near this monster farm. At North
Judson. Ind, sugar plant is to be erected
at once, and 1000 farmers in ,contigu-
Gus territory viii next year plant a part
Of their farms in sugar beets The beet
sugar factory at Rome, n. y, is now wind
ing up years business, which has been
attended with most satisfactory results. it
| is stated. The south should not lag be
hind the other sections in this important
matter.