The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-30
WHY NOT A SUGAR REFINERY?
FACTS SHOWING COST or CuLTI-
WAITING CANE AND BEETs.

err Than From Beets-A Golden OPP
pOrtunity for savannah to Get n
Great Industry.
Quitman. Ga, June 2s.-Edltor Morning
News: 1t Is wel-known fact that the
expense of planting. cultivating and con-
verting beet crop into graduated sugar
is far in excess of that Of a cane crop.
The contingencies surrounding the grow
ing Of a beet crop are so very much
greater than that of cane. To illustrate:
A long drought after sowing the seed de-
lays their termination and from this cause
alone only a partial stand isAo5tained, re-
ducing the crop in like proportion. But
it is also true that under the most favor
able weather for planting ard a fun stand
secured, drought during the growing
season lessons the size OF the roots which
also reduces the output A warm. wet
spell viii ruin the crop. The worse fea-
ture in the beet production is that there
IS no farm work so laborious and none
SO expensive. About all the cultivation is
done by hand wedding and thinn ng and
the laborers have to go on their knees
IN pulling cut the weeds by hand. which
is an item of expense in one going over
that cost more per acre than the entire cul-
uVatlon of an acre of cane Again. heets
must De sown every spring and the ground
carefully prepared for the reception of the
seed, and each year the same old hack
aching process of hand wedding and thin
nlhg must be gone through with One or
Two crops is all that 1t Is safe to risk
on the richest lands, being SO exhausting
TO the land
me Great Mass of People Know But
Little of the Sugar Industry.
In former years the sugar consumed in
the United States was manufactured al
most entirely from til sugar cane grown
IN the tropics and semi-tropics, except the
small amount produced. from the maple
trees throughout the Northern states In
the year lSsO-S1 the United States produc-
ed s2,S02 English dong tons) tons Of sugar
from cane and 500 tons of beet sugar In
the years l896-97 the United States produc-
ed 243,22O long tons of cane sugar and
4oVO tons of beet sugar Since 10SO-Sl
70 Ie96-S7 there was manufactured in the
uhlteo states zSl6,O72 long tons of cane
sugar and 299 tons OF beet sugar max
ing total output of 2956, 4s4 long tons
OF sugar produced In the United States.
During this same period there was i'm
ported from foreign countries q ,499 $50 long
tons or sugar. During the same time the
consumption increased from A to So pounds
per capita and has now reached az nonpds
on general average per capita. Notwith-
standing all of this, there is enough land
Wen adapted to the growing of
sugar cane in South Georgia and South
Carolina to supply the wants
OF the entire world if one-third or one
fourth of them were used for growing
cane and converting it into syrup ready
Tor the refinery.
A 6saunrao
Between the Rect and Cane.
Beet culture under the most favorable
conditions Of soil. climate and seasons.
as SHOWN by statistics, cost an average of
1000 per acre; an average yield. accord
ing. to the same authority, Is. under fav-
orabie conditions, 5000 per acre to the
grower. Lands suitable for beets are VAL
ued at $4,000 per acre. From actual field
cultivation it is known that cane culture
does not exceed $50 on an average ner
acre. These figures show a profit (at
home) TO the beet grower of $1,000 ner
acre, and to the cane grower at 20 cents
per gallon for his syrup which is reckoned
at oOV gallons per acre-which is not a bit
unreasonable--wher the farmers are as
sured OF market for their surplus syr,lp
az 20 cents per gallon, of $12O.00 per acre.
A cane crop is as easily cultivated as a
corn crop, and the cultivation is less ex-
pensive, and can be done entirely by horse
power; no hard work being necessary.
The cane will stand any amount of neg
lect, drought and wind storms and is al
ways acceptable as an article of food
which is not the case with beets. The
beet sugar is unfit for food before Il Is
carefully refined. 1t is decidedly more prof
liable TO manufacture syrup into refined
sugar than it is to use the raw and crude
sugars made from cane. The manufacture
Ing OF sugar from syrup has passed the
experimental stage. II there was enough
made to justify 1t, it coui6 be sold at a
profit at prices which would bankrupt ali
of the crude or raw sugar factories. or
trusts In America. Hence, there is moth
ing to fear from all the sugar trusts com
bined. All sugar planters are proverbially
wealthy, and the same can be said of the
agriculturist in sugar-cane growing sec
ton where they have a market as is the
case in Texas. and getting to be the case
In Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. 1t
Is we'll for the country that the sugar
question is now being agitated Much is
being learned of the subject and there is
much more yet 20 learn. Once the capi-
talists and farmers combine their money
and labor, they will both profit thereby
and the result will be a saving of not less
than $7O.000000 per auuum to this coun-
try-the South receiving the profit in grow
ing the eane-and the capitalists in manu-
featuring the syrup into sugar
The question is, will Savannah Avail her
self of the best opportunity Of her exist
ence and put Ia motion a sugar factory on
a gigantic scale? The merchants, the
farmers, the women and children all de-
sire her to do so at once
fosenh Tiilrnan