The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-06
SUGAR BEET INQUIRIES
COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS COM
MITTEE RECEIVING THEM.
Farmers Must First Experiment in
Raising the Vegetabies-CapitaI
for "a Refinery.


4. B. Martindale, chairman of the Board
6 Trade committee of thirteen appointed to
cooperate with similar committee from
the Commercial Club and State Board of
Commerce in the matter Of interesting cap
ita1 in the establishment of a beet sugar
refinery. is receiving many inquiries and
some valuable information
'grh1e most important thing to be done"
sad Mr.. Martindale. lis to get farmers in
terested in tie culture of beets. Until that
is done there can be no field for refinery.
As soon as there is enough production by
the farmers it will be no trouble TO get the
capital for u refinery. Farmers ought to be-
gin IN a small way experimenting. If they
will take the trouble to plant an acre or
two. learn how to cultivate the beets to
produce the best results, then have them
tested to find what per cent. of sugar they
contain they will be so surprised at the re-
suits that they will see a profitable new
fed. The experiments viii cost them moth
ing Purdue University will furnish full in
structions for planting and cultivating the
beets, as We'll as make the tests, after they
are grown free OF charge. When the beets
are produced the farmer will find them the
cheapest and most desirable feed that can
be grown. / know very successful dairy
man near this city who feeds nothing but
beets, as he has learned this is cheaper and
richer food than corn or oats"
Two years ago Mr.. Martindale was APP
pointed on the committee that was or
gained toyinvestigate this question by the
Farmers Congress. Since then he has re-
ceiyed a coed deal of interesting informa-
tion Last year he received a large con-
signment of beet seed from France for free
diSfriDufiOn- fO0 lat IN Iaa 1afa Tod
last year, but will be distributed to farmers
who wish to experiment this year. Beet
culture is a difficult matter, that is, to OBJ
tain the best results, and has to be studied.
After it is once mastered 1t is said TO be
very profitable. New York authority re-
Gently said that factory was built in Utah
in 1891, and that it was so successful that
it recently paid dividends of 81 per cent.
Early failures, the same authority states,
We're due to poor culture and machinery
that would not extract more than or per
cent. OF the sugar, as well the failure
of farmers to produce and deliver the guam
tity of beets they had contracted for. 1t all
gets back to Mr.. Martindale's first PROPOSE
ton, that until the farmers demonstrate
they really can and will raise the beets
there is no use expanding enormous sums in
refneries
There is no profit in a refinery of less
capacity thar three hundred tons a day.
said Mr.. Martindale. ITO erect such plant
would cost at least 100000 But with the
Profit there is in the business it will be an
easy matter to get the capital interested
when the beets are ready. In this State
farmers can produce from ten to fifteen tons
an acre. The price paid by the factories is
about $3.50 a ton, a yield of SIS to $3.50 an
acre.
What is the cost of production
1T is about half, largely for labor
There is no fear of overproduction"
said he. 1.-THE annual consumption of sugar
in this country is something over sixty
pounds for every man, woman and child.
You can see that it would be a long time
before enough could be manufactured for
home consumption. With the interest the
government Is taking in the subject of de-
veloping the beet-Sugar industry, the faciI-
tiles it is offering farmers for experimental
culsdre, the farmers ought to be more in
terested. 1 find there is a growing interest
In the subject Many inquiries are made of
a character that Indicate the farmers would
80 into the business if they knew they
would be. successful. 1t is only by expert
menting in small wy at first that they
can ever learn what they can do"
FROM A NEW YORK AUTHORITY.
In a recent letter in the New York Post
Wallace p. Willett, an authority on the SUBJ
ject. said:
There are thousands of farmers lin New
York; now who have been educating them
selves in the highest kind of intensive Gull
ture for the production of green peas. beans,
sweet cora, small fruits, etc, for the many
canneries of the State. 1t would be absurd
To say that they will not give proper care
and attention to beet culture and produce
as rich beets in sugar contents as are grown
III California or Europe, and they know also
what Il contract means to supply 4 certain
number of acres to factory a factory
located in a district of farmers of this kind
would be sure of a sufficient supply of beets
1t would be absurd to say that from beets
of u per cent. to 20 per cent; sugar contents
psr cent, TO 4 per cent only can be drawn
III these days. Any good machinery manu-
facturen viii guarantee to take 10 per cent
10 II per cent. at least cut of the beetS
Many such enterprises are in contempla-
ton in this and other States and il the
preliminary experiments of beet culture are
carefully conducted, the railroad facilities
su1c1ent, the supplies of water, lime. coal
aud labor abundant and economical, the
factory properly located and constructed,
the agricultural end thoroughly looked after
the season through. and, in fact, the whole
business as carefully managed as is one of
our great sugar retineries, there is no doubt
whatever that the enterprise will pay very
handsomely III dividends TO the stockholders
from the very iirst seasons operations,
dustry IS afforded by the present sugar
tariff, and IT is not too much to say that
and the improved methods that will be
found by this inventive nation for saving of
expenses from the SOWllS OF the seed TO
the marketing of the sugar the industry will
20 an thriving and increasing without any
tariff protection whatever"
Tho requisites mentioned by Mr.. Willett
sufficient railroad facilities and supplies of
water, coal, lime and labor abundant and
economical. are all provided in Indiana
Tests made at Purdue University, in this
state. under federal inspection and control
have already established that beets richer
in sugar can be produced here than in most
other States. in many cases superior to
those Of France and Germany.