The herald., 1898-01-02
Sugar Beets

py niS SWORD.
When the importation of cane suga
was cut off from France by a blockade
Of the ports his mind 1t was that con
ceived the possible development of the
then insignificant sugar beet plant, useo
at that time for feeding cattle and con-
tanning only about three per cent OF
sugar. Under his direction chemists sci
to work to increase this percentage OF
sugar, and by careful selection of seeo
fertilizing and scientific agriculture was
produced a plant containing from SIX
to eight per cent of sugar. The produc-
ton of the beet was then on CONNER
cial basis.
From the original plant five varieties
have been produced in Austria and Ger
many. but are maintained only by the
highest cultivation of mother, or seed.
beets.
In Austria, Germany, Russia and
Italy the sugar production has been so
stimulated by the respective govern
ments that today it is one of the largest
agricultural enterprises in these coun-
tries employing and feeding millions
of people. The beet sugar pulp after the
sugar is extracted remains a valuable
, food for cattle, and the agricultural
party in these countries is so large that
it yields powerful influence in their
governments. In Germany one-fourth
of the sugar production is carried on in
cooperative factories, the farmers hold
ing a certain proportion of the shares.
In 1872 Germany exported 1920 tons of
sugar; in 1895 from this one country
alone 100000 tons were exported the
total production being 1,S5O,000 tons.
The development of the beet sugar
industry in this country has been along
different and, to date, much less success
full lines. Here, where the American
people are the sovereign rulers, for some
inexplainable reason legislation has, if
anything, tended to retard the develop
ment of the industry rather than en-
courage it. When the Beet Sugar So
ciety Of Philadelphia, in 1885, made the
first experiment no one dreamed that
this country would become so large that
100000 tons of sugar would be con-
sumed each year. And yet in 1896 twen-
ty-two foreign countries contributed to
the supply of the United States the
enormous total of 1896, 1898, 557 pounds of
sugar, and each year the demand upon
foreign sources of supply is increasing
as the population and per capita con-
sumption in the United States increases.
In 1885 the average price of sugar was
sos cents per pound, and the per capita
consumption SIS pounds, while in 1895.
the average price had decreased to
cents per pound, and the per capita con-
sumption had increased to 626 pounds.
Today is produced in this country
only about one-tenth of the sugar con-
sumed in the United States. At the low
estimate of ~ tons of beets per acre,
at least one ton of sugar is being pro-
duced; therefore, 2,000,000 acres would
require to be utilized to satisfy the home
demand which is increasing annually
Compare this with the wheat crop, of an
average of twenty bushels to the acre
this being above the average-which
does not yield the rancher in q good
year more than so cents per bushel, or
SIC per acre; when twelve tons of beets
at 81 per ton Zone factory in 1896 paid
as high as Sc for beets containing IS
to 20 per cent of saccharine matter) will
return $4S per acre to the grower.
This comparison with wheat Is worthy
of consideration by the Southern Cali
fornia grower, for by 1900 when Russia
has completed the ns-Siberian rail-
road, extending from st. Petersburg to
Vladivostock, it will be possible for the
wheat grower on the immense Siberian
plains to place wheat in San Francisco
or San Pedro at less cost than the Cal
ifornia grower can raise it.
So far California has been fortunate
in the development of the beet sugar
industry. For many years in the east
its production was a synonym for fail
ure, and 1t remained for California to
prove that it could be made not only
success, but success of the most pro-
nounced kind. The extreme depression
in agriculture and the low prices ruling
for farm products compelled the farmers
here to consider the claims of the new
industry, with the result that today cap
ital is flowing in this new direction, the
capacity of existing plants is being en-
larged, and new factories are under
contemplation. The proof of California's
superiority in the production of the
sugar beet has given such an impetus
to that production that the output OF
1898 will more than double that of the
year just ended.
Claus Spreckels. the president of the
American Sugar Refinery in writing in
the Call, estimates the output of the four
factories now in operation for the cur
rent season at about 81, 900 tons of sugar,
as follows:
Tons
Chino Valley Beet Sugar Co. (Chino) II. $50
Alamitos Sugar Co. Anaheim) ....... $500
Western Beet Sugar Co. CWatsonville)14,0 900
Alameda Sugar Co. (Alvarado) ....... 800
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 900
The same authority estimates the out
NIT for 1898 & follows.
Tons
Spreckels SCAR Co. (Salinas). 80. 900
Western neel Sugar Co. CWatsonville)150 900
Chino Valley Beet Sugar Co (Chino) - 900
Ventura Sugar Co. CHuereme). eco
Alamitos Sugar Co. (Anaheim) ... 600
Alameda Sugar Co. (Alvarado). go
The addition of the Salinas and Ven
tura plants represent an investment of
S., 900, and will more than double the
output of the state. The first has a ca
pacity of 6O,000 and the latter 80 900 tons.
In order to produce this amount of.
in round numbers 10000 tons of sugar
100000 tons of beets must be raised, end
10000 acres devoted to the purpose.
Nearly 100000 will go to the farmers
raising the crop, and about $1,000, Geo to
the wage earners in the sevral factories
during the five months working ,eascr.
Simply as an illustration OF what
profit may accrue to the farmer by
raising sugar beets it may be stated th.t
contracts have been made by one act