CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-04-14
SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY.
Efforts Being Made to Have Sugar
Beets One of the Chief Products
of Fremont County.

coming industries in the agriculture
of Colorado, and we are glad to note
an awakening interest on this subject
the farmers of Fremont county.
We have the soil, climate and other
natural conditions, and all that is now
necessary is proper understanding
of the subject of growing the beets.
The first step to be taken is obtain
ing the seed, and if any citizen of this
county desirous of experimenting on
the subject will leave his name and
address at this office he will receive
direct from the State Agricultural
college at Fort Collins two pounds of
seed. Full instructions in regard to
planting and cultivating the same
together with blanks for keeping q
record of the success. obtained ac-
companying each package. The OBJ
iect of this free distribution of seed
is to awaken sufficient interest in the
subject to induce the farmers to give
the matter a practical trial. This
amount of seed will plant one-eighth
of an acre, which is quite sufficient
unless some previous knowledge on
the subject is possessed, for like all
other branches of agriculture practi-
cal experience in preparing the ground
planting the seed and cultivating the
plants is necessary for success in the
production of sugar beets.
No particular soil is necessary for
the production of sugar beets, hence
none of our farmer friends need have
any misgivings on that point, intense
cultivation and the proper 3pplication
of moisture being the chief factors in
their production.
The question of sugar beets at once
suggests factory for manufacturing
them into sugar, but little investiga-
ton of the subject will soon dissipate
this belief. Beets grown for sugar
must be of certain size and not fall
below certain per cent of saccharine
matter, and this art must be learned
by the grower before his beets would
be saleable at factory, but they are
always saleable as feed for stock
hogs, cattle and sheep and it is
authoratively stated that sugar beets
fed to stock will yield profit of $4
per ton, while current factory prices
per ton are only half that amount.
Far be it from us to say one word to
discourage the securing of sugar
beet factory. What we are attempt
ing to make clear is that there is
money in sugar beets without fac
tory. The average yield per Hre"n
this state is about twenty TONS of
beets and six to ten tons of tops; the
latter is considered one of the best
foods for cattle that can be secured
and can be counted as clear profit to
the grower.
There are several hundred acres of
land surrounding Canon City now be-
ing brought under cultivation which
we believe could be proftably devoted
b Of haatc In,
couple of years the industry would
be sufficiently advanced to warrant
us in negotiating for the establish
ment of a sugar beet factory, which,
together with the increasing demand
for stock feed, would insure perma-
nent market at good prices. In view
of these possibilities awaiting us the
Chamber of Commerce has secured an
appropriation of $3.50 from the Board
of County Commissioners to be given
as comparative premiums to the grow
ers of sugar beets. The competition
is open to any citizen of the county as
is also the offer to obtain the free
distribution of seed. However, it is
necessary that your name be furnished
this office at once as the seed should
be planted between the lst and 2Sth
of May.
If you are interested in the sugar
beet culture it will pay you to read
what the RECORD will have to say on
this subject during the next few
months.
The money for cash prizes to be
given for the best product from one
eighth of an acre will be divided as
follows:
One prize of $25.
Two prizes of SIS each.
Two prizes of $40 each.
Fifteen prizes of So each.
'rbirt .tye. Ieors mako a uaupratio ion