Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-02-16

upon the advantage to farmers OF
northern and eastern Colorado OF sugar
beet culture:
Beets, sugar beets, Is a subject Of
vast importance to every small farmer
In ColOradO-yes, 1t goes farther, 1t ef-
fects the profits and interests OF every
citizen OF this great country. 1t Is at
once an agricultural, economic and sell
entific subject. and II you are thrifty
and get your just dues in this world,
and your share Of prosperity, you will
find upon examination that you IRE u
consumer of beet sugar three times
each day. One writer. a government
chemist, hhs said. that the consumption
OF sugar was sure index to cOun-
try's standard OF civilization. In other
words, the more a people become ell
lightened and refined. the greater sugar
consumers they become. Judging by
this index to civilization as measured
in figures, 1t will be seen that the Unit
ed States stands second In the list. Eng
land alone consumes IL greater amount
of sugar per capita than does this coun-
try.
Using round numbers from the gov
ernment data the world produced In
1897 about S,OOO,OOO tons of granulnt-
ed sugar, and OF this vast amount the
United States consumed one-thiri, Or
far more than any other nation. In
1895 the worlds production of cane
sugar was but 3. 125. 900 tons, while tue
same year the product from the sugar
beet was within small fraction of o.
100000 tons, to be exact, 4.9I5, 600 tons.
Again, while the United States In
1895 consumed 2,14S,OOO tons Of beet
sugar, we only raised out of this vast
amount $4,000 tons. For the balance
we sent our good money TO France,
Germany, Austria, hungary and Swift
zerland for their surplus sugar, when
within our own borders. instead OF only
producing fifteen per cent. of our de-
mands, we could produce all n II and
be exporters to the Islands of the sea
where we are now seeking to widen our
civilization.
Our home demand is increasing at
rate Of over 24j,O0O tons per year.
With this rapid advance In ''civllza-
ton the subject of home production
appeals keenly to every farmer, and cs
pecially to our northern Colorado farm
crs. as l shall attempt to show.
First. to make the subject attract
i've, you must become convinced that
In the culture OF sugar bects you can
not only extract sugar, but rich profit.
In answering satisfactorily this prob
lem. all objections which may arise In
the mind should be swept away,
pleasure in the labor attending such vo-
cation. All the literature relating TO
sugar beet raising from Binghanpton.
New York. west through Nebraska.
Utah and the several extensive plants
In California, nll. aud without single
exception, testify to the rich profit re.
verting to the farmers, who. by the cul-
tivation Of beets, contribute to this
great home Industry. This industry
vxAA 81
stage, and IL future of rapidly grow
ing proportions and importance. Our
production has increased from only A.
100000 pounds In 1850 to a round 10O.-
100000 in 1898. In Salinas. northern
California, Mr. Spreckles. the sugar
king, has Just completed the largest
beet sugar factory In the world. capable
Of treating 5000 tons Of beets per day.
For several years factories have been
In successful operation at Grand Island
and Norfolk, Nebraska, and 1t Is now
learned that a factory OF $50 tons ca
pacity is TO be built this season at
Grand Junction, at a cost of S5OOOOO.
and will be ready for ;:eatIng the beets
from $500 acres already contracted for
among the surrounding farmers.
A search into the statistics OF this in
dustry wherever In operation dlscloses
most tempting percentages of profit.
both to the farmers and to the inves-
tors of the capital in the sugar fac
tories. In California the average crop
seems to be about eleven tons to the
acre. running fifteen per cent sugar,
which the farmer gets $3.50 per ton
while their richest yield in sugar per-
centage stands to the credit OF Ven
turn county. where the average ran to
eighteen per cent sugar. for which the
farmer received $500 per ton for the
beets. These figures would bring the
growers from $40 to S75 per acre for
the land 80 used, and all authors agree
on the capacity of each man and team
sixty acres per year. with possibly
some boys help during the thinning
season.
In Utah the soil and climate appear
to favor this industry somewhat over
that found In California and the returns
to the farmer accordingly are some
what larger. Now. keep the smallest
ratio of profit In mInd-thnt Of from
$40 to $75 per acre, and then let us in
vestigate our own soil and climate
through the experience aS collected and
published by our Stntc Agricultural
College at Fort Collins. Any enquirer
for the truth will discover that north.
ern Colorado. In what Is known as the
Platte valley, Is found the soil. climnte
and irrigation facilities. probably not
equalled in any other district of equal
area in the United States. These tests
conducted by the experiment station
of this college during the past three
years, reveal world of possibilities
to the farm owners in the vicinity of
Fort Morgan, Sterling. Berthoud. Love.
land. Longmont, Hygiene, Altoona, Nj.
Wot, Valmont, Lafayette, Erie. Louis.
Vile and Broomfield. Some of the best
of these tests are credited to Boulder
county. l.. A. Dwight is credited with
raising beets In 1891. which yielded re.
spectively twenty-nine and thirty-one
tons to the acre. running thirteen and