The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-04-22
SUGAR BETS.
Senator Kellar Addresses
Large Meeting.
He Enthusiastically Presents to the
Farmers the Advantage Of Raising
Sugar Beets.

hall last Thursday to hear Senator
Kellar talk of sugar beet raising was
we'll attended, about a hundred
farmers being present.
w. n. Plymat called the meeting to
order at 2:l5 p. M, and introduced
Senator Kellar.
Senator Kellar said that nothing
pleased him as we'll as to meet and
speak to farmers. Farmers know
nothing but business, but when other
people get along faster than they do,
they become dissatisfied. Farmers
should diversity their crops, and not
raise wheat alone. Sugar. beet rails
ing in Germany is profitable. We
should not have the big head, but
learn wherever we can. Vast amounts
of sugar are being imported from Ger
many, sending large amounts of money
there.
1t takes between $500, 900 and $780,
900 to build beet sugar factory. 1t
does not pay to build a factory which
will use not less than $50 tons of beets
every twenty-four hours. A eetsugar
factory is nc creamery. l have asso-
ciated three other men with me, and
got enough capital to build one fac
tory. One man, German, has now
built ten sugar factories, three being
in California, of 1000 tons a day
each. We will soon have one at
st. Louis Park, and want to
increase it's capacity next year to $50
tons and the next year to 1000 tons.
We want to establish five or six facto-
ries in the state. 1 know Minnesota
can make it's own sugar. We will run
out between $4,000 and $4,000 pounds
of sugar day. 1t is complete fac
tory. You put in beets at one end
and it comes out sugar at
the other end. 1t takes eighty
carloads of machinery to start
factory-more than any other kind of
factory.
The climate here is not much diff
ferent from that of Nebraska, where
there is big factory at Norfolk. The
farmers there are we'll satisfied with
the returns.
My friend, Mr.. Staede, whom I
have known for years, wanted me to
come here. 1 was here many years
ago, and your city has grown wonder
fully. You have the right soil here.
You cleared the black oak up, and
any man who does it can raise sugar
beets, as it is as easy to raise them as
anything else. You take or 10 acres
pillow it eight inches thick and about
the middle of May drag it and make
it smooth. The beet wants subsoil
to 60 into.
Mr.. Kellar had eight beets raised
at Belle PLANE, where $500 acres was
raised. He illustrated his remarks
with them.
We got a large amount of seed from
Germany, guaranteed absolutely, and
this we give out to the farmers at Is
cents a pound. With our seed, you
get from 16 to Is per cent of sugar on
your soil. Tests that have been made
Of beets raised in this state are very
favorable. You have limestone here
and are nearer the Iowa coal fields
than we are. You ought easily to
raise 5000 acres of beets here. Beets
keep better than apples in cellar.
These beets here will make as much
sugar as they ever would. You are
centrally located here, and If you
show willingness, 1 will bring my
partners, Messrs. Fink and Wintzell
of New York, and will show them the
farms and talk business. You must
not think that every city man robs
you, and every politician is boodler.
When your business men do so we'll in
building up their city, they deserve
credit. If they advise you to raise
beets, they do lit because they think
it will be profitable for you, land would
not advise you to do so unless they
thought so.
You can sit on the beet seeder and
drive two horses as easy as you sit on
q sulky pillow. You must put in 20
POUNDS of seed to the acre, land no less.
Mr.. Kellar gave minute description
of beet raising. The more work you
do the more sugar you get In your
beets.
If you mean business and raise
beets, in the fall, our agriculturist
will take your contract, inspect the
beets, have samples. analysed, and if
the result is favorable you,are instruct
ed to ship them. You can raise 20 to
rs tons to the acre. We bind our
selves to give 81 and upwards a ton
delivered at the factory. Suppose
you get SO a ton net, and SIS or $40 an
acre for raising and bringing them in,
and you have $40 an acre. What
else can you make so much
in? In the old coun
try where the people raise beets
they are all wealthy. We want to