The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-13
CLUBS OF BEET GROWERS
A NEW PROPAGANDA TO BE CARRIED
ON IN THIS VICINITY.
Meeting of Commercial Committees
Last Night-Agreements to BE
Signed by Farmers.

An important meeting of the joint COM
mittee representing the Commercial Club,
the Board of Trade and the State Board of
Commerce, having in hand the subject of
building up a sugar beet industry in the
State, was held in the parlors of the Deni-
son last night. About twenty-five gentle
men We're present, and the speeches made
reflected the great interest being taken in
the beet all over the State.
E. B. Martindale was called to the chair.
and +. A. Maus was chosen as secretary.
After talks by Prof H. A Huston of Pur-
others who have made deep study of
sugar production, the following resolutions
we're introduced and adopted:
whereas, All efforts to establish a beet
sugar factory at or near the city of Indian
apOliS must, in the opinion OF this commit
tee; to be successful, be preceded by tu II
and complete experiment by the farmers of
Marion and adjoining counties, and salts
factory demonstration that the sugar beet
culture will be profitable to our farmers,
and that they will grow the beets required
to maintain a factory with a capacity of
five hundred tons of beets per day; there
fore,
''Resolved That for the purpose of pro-
noting the establishment of a beet-sugar
factory at or near the city of Indianapolis,
this committee favors the establishment OF
a district composed of the counties of Ma
rion, Johnson, Shelby Hancock, Hamilton,
Boone, Hendricks and Morgan counties, ana
that tho committee organize beet-growers
clubs at all the railroad stations within SAID
counties; that this committee will under
take to furnish all farmers who will become
members of such clubs, free OF cost, eX-
cept express charges from indianapolis, a
sufficient amount of imported sugar beet
seeds to plant plat of beets not exceed
ing one acre, and will furnish to all the
members of such clubs full and explicit
printed instructions as to the latest ana
most successful methods of sugar-beet Gull
ture.
s'Resolved, That each farmer, on becoming
a member of such club, shall sign an agree
ment to adopt the methods of cultivation
contained in said instructions and that he
will select and ship to Purdue University
one dozen, being fair sample, of the beets
produced by him; that he will carefully
measure and give the amount Of ground by
him cultivated in beets and will weigh the
beets produced and give the number and
fractions of tons of beetS produced by him
per acre; that he will keep an accurate ac-
count of the cost of cultivation, and any
deviation he may make from the instruc-
tons furnished and will report the facts,
with the analysis furnished by Purdue Uni
versity, TO this committee"
1t was further resolved to appoint an ex-
ecutive committee of seven to take entire
charge of the work sought to be accom-
plished in line with the above resolutions
and further committee of five to act as d
finance board to receive contributions and
make the necessary expenditures. Mr.. Mar
tindale was instructed to appoint these COM
mittees, choosing men who would perform
the duties expected of them.
Mr.. Martindale and others, in discussing
the beet, said that it was the most i'm
portant product that the farmers could
raise, that they would find that it would
pay them far greater than other farm
products. w. r. Christian, speaking from
experience said that one acre of beets was
as profitable as ten acres of corn. One fact
of great Importance brought out was that
the beet need not be used for sugar produc-
ton to be profitable to the farmer. as there
is nothing that equals 1t as food for stock.
Professor Quick, who spent several years
in Germany. said that sugar mills as
numerous in Germany flour mills in In
diana He said that the present owners of
the mills stood ready to place capital in
American factories. they felt that they
must soon lose their trade with this coun-
try. One firm he told about has offered TO
send any quantity of beet seed free of cost
to anyone that would agree to plant it.