Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-02-25

! Island, Neb., and that one would De
built in Norfolk. Neb., and one also in
Chino, Cal. l visited the factory in
| Alvarado, Cal, again, saw that they
had new building and improved ma
chinery, and was told that they work
ed with profit. To-day we have in the
United States seven sugar beet fac
tories in operation, and one will soon
% In operation in Wisconsin.
That there is MOI e. in making sugar
out Of sugar beets, even if a ton OF
beets cost $3.50, provided there enough
beets to run factory for 100-120 days
and nights, with capacity OF $50 tons
of beets day. every one who KNOWS
anything of the manufacturing OF sugar
out of beets knows. and the factories
in California are proof of 1t. The
greatest trouble of the factories is that
they cannot get beets enough. Would
1t not therefore be surer to help the
factories to get the beets and give a
small bounty to the farmer who mas 10
furnish the raw material and therefore
runs all the risk Of the weather con-
ditions which are cut of his power :
If a bounty is Considered necessary,
give it not to one man, to one concern,
but to the people; to the farmers, Then
it will remain in the state.
According TO a statement the presi-
dent of the Wisconsin Beet Sugar COM
pany will ask for a bounty of l cent a
pound of sugar made in Wisconsin,
with 90 per cent, polariscope test.
According to letter the same gentle
man wrote some time ago to the North
western Agrlculturst, he expects 20
manufacture 100000 pounds of sugar
this year. That will bring him, If 4
bounty is given, which we hope 1t never
will, $4,000. AS the whole factory IN
Menomonee Falls equipped ready FOR
operation will not cost more than $780,
900. according to the statement OF the
manager, the interest on the capital IN
vested will be 81 per cent. Besides,
there is the profit OF the factory.
would like 10 ask the people if any
man has right to expect that his in
vested capital will bring so high an in
terest? Mr.. Gates and his companions
must have very low opinion of our
representatives in the legislature II
they expect that they will vote for such
bounty. Such a bounty would not
induce our farmers to raise more beets,
but would only assist the factory
people in treating the farmers as they
please.
If our legislature wants to help the
beet sugar industry, the way to do it
would be to induce the farmers to raise
the beets by giving 2E cents for each
ton that averages 19 per cent sugar.
An acre will bring an average of
twelve tons of beetS that would there
fore be SO per acre, and as the factory
would need the product Of 1000 acres,
that would only be an outlay of $6, 900,
besides the cost of analyZing the beets
at the Experimental station.
But I want to state that l am against
any bounty for a product that is con-
sumed by all people. Those who
keep posted on the progress OF
this industry, which has brought
wealth to the farmers and communi-
ties in every country in which 1t gain
ed a foothold l think 1T strange
that the Americans who are known as
ar energetic and pushing nation are so
slow in developing this industry. Every
one acquainted with the sugar beet in
dustry in Germany and Austria knows
what a revolution it has brought in
| co. only 4, n n
a crop for which they had a ready mar
ket at a fixed price, price they knew
before harvesting, but to secure good
crop they were obliged to till their
fields we'll and provide them with the
necessary amount o. nourshment
This had a great influence on the
following crop-that is they raised
more of it and OF better quality. The
pulp that the farmers brought back
from the factory makes good feed for
cattle. AS this pulp is cheap the far
mer could keep more cattle, make
money by fattening it and gaining
more fertilizer for his soil. Not only
the farmers. but also the manufacturers
of agricultural machinery profited by
this industry. AS the beet is a deer
rooter, sub soil plows are more neces
sary; to cultivate the crop, cultivators
were necessary, for harvesting, har
vesting machines. These points indi
cate the wealth this industry brings to
country. The land where beets could
be grown would increase in value in {
few years.
Now, what is the hindrance to The
development OF this industry in this
country? say, the high price the far
mer got for the crops which did no
cost 80 much labor; the high price,
hand labor: failure to understand thu
cultivating of crop and the sugar
trust The experiment stations o
most Of the states furnish through
their bulletins to the farmer so mucf
valuable advice concerning the cult
walton OF the sugar beet and the adap
liability OF the soil for the crop, tha
any farmer who wants to inform him
self finds enough material that cost
him nothing. But the sugar trust II