La Junta tribune., 1900-11-10
PROFITS IN SUGAR BEETs |
Bspors es Special Ceonltsss - Isvssts-
gate tie ssgas Beet Indss ~ n ReeAy
Yord DistRfes Nov. I aad .. lo0o.

A committee from northern Colo
rado recently interviewed = large num-
Der OF the beet growers Of the Arkan-
sas valley to ind out whether II would
be advisable to urge the farmers Of
their own section TO go into this indus
try. 1t Will be noticed that almost
without exception those seen were en-
thusiastic over the results Of their nrst
years efforts.
Your committee respectfully submit the
| following report OF their investiEation OF
the sugar beet industry In the Rocky
| Ford district. being statements Of actual
| experience during the year
Mr.. Gibson. a merchant In Rocky Ford.
| on his contract put tenant upon his
land TO grow the amount of beets that he
had contracted with the sugar bees COM
pany. He took a contract for sixteen 90
acres. The yield was from seven % TO
fifteen n5) tons per acre. making ay-
| ernge Of eleven tons.
The test was eighteen and three tenths
| Qs.3) to nineteen and seven-tentha Qs.D
sugar: the purity eiKhty-two ts2) to eigh-
| ty-scven 80: the cost per acre for grow-
! Ing harvesting and delivering to the fac
| tory was thirty-nve dollars (sS5l. ] think
/ EehsoH tof low 1stfakc wan VS.
! account Of the tenant spending too much
| Of his time between the farm and town.
!, Beets netted me sz3s per acre
Warren Blnn says sugar beet Industry
Is a grand success. cleared 80 per acre
| for my beets over and above all expenses.
| yield OF beets twenty-five to twenty-five
tons per acre: test seventeen per cent.
and better. sugar; purity. eiEhty-hve;
planted twenty pounds OF seed to the
acre; consider twelve pounds Of seed
sufficient. / would advise early planting.
J say from the 10th OF April to the middle
OF May. Did not water my crop after
4 July 18th: let beets suffer for little wa
ter before irrigating. but not enough TO
| hurt them: my best beets had but two
| irrigations. We cultivate three rows at
a time. plant rows eighteen inches apart
\ thin 10 i've or six inches In row: cost
i about SIS per acre to raise and deliver
| cultivators. with all attachments. cost
! ~; subsoil piow cost SO. We also use
1 this plow for blowing out the beets. six
hours long enough TO run the water: DO
not recommend rolling ground after
/ planting; outside property has increased
| forty per cent. In value on account OF the
sugar factory being located at Rocky
; Ford. / recommend sub-irrfgation- Run
/ water about twenty rods for trrtgatins.
| One tract of lard, eighty acres, a year
| ago was offered me AT SO per acre. was
| trying to make arrangements to buy the
| same, but a Mr.. BurrelI bought Il at 1ag
! per acre. and l will give him $50 for II
Z to-day. think the soil In northern COL
I orado Is fully as well. II not better.
adapted to growing sugar beets. as the
4, soil around Rocky Ford. and Is a strong
cr soil. / would advise your people By
! all means TO do all in their power To get
( beet sugar factory.
/, Mr.. L. c. Allen: Five acres In beets;
yield iifteen tons to the acre: seventeen
! per cent sugar: best crop q party can
raise: cost to grow and deliver. Per acre,
| SO: haul three tons, with three horses.
TO the factory: wagon bed cost FL rope
sting costs from 1I2 TO So. depending on
+ size. The beet industry brings In . good
4 class OF people: real estate values have
increased about forty per cent. own
| my own land.
| C. w. Fenlason: Have small acreage.
| Was formerly county superintendent OF
schools. Put in two acres: average yield.
I 2en, tons to the acre: eighteen per cent.
sugar. bes, thing we ever had strike this
| valley; has Increased value of lands very
much. The two acres l planted yielded
| me 3ii2 per acre. Cost Of crop delivered
! nt factory, $40 per acre for a crop OF
| twenty-five tons This gives me . net
profit of s72 per acre. Ny son. who y Ia
| the real estate business In Rocky Ford.
wanted me to sell my land a year ago.
| but now advises me to put price on IT,
| Mr.. J. ID. Card: Planted hve acres;
twelve tons per acre: test. eighteen per
| cent. sugar. Ny land has Increased In
| value nj per cent Sugar beets = good
| crop TO raise. Shall plant more acres
| next year. Factory company treats US
| white. Last spring 1 put my crop IN
| without any faith next year can do
| much better, knowing the profit there y
| In II.
| Joseph Beiier: Three miles from facto-
| ry: twelve acres in: fifteen to twenty
| tons per acre: nineteen to twenty per
| cent. sugar: total cost per acre for grow
| ing beets $40: cost to rnise crop up to
time of digging 81: cost me for wedding
| and thinning. 3s.lo per acre; cost of dig
/, ging and hauling SIZE per ton; marketed
| three cars which yielded twenty tons per
acre. advance in property. would say for
| ty per cent: would advise every effort to
get a factory located in your section.
! The land 1 planted was in alfalfa three
| years ago. and in corn and cantaioupes
the last two years: paid one-fourth Of
the crop for rent Of land.
| A. Oxbun: rent land and give ene-
| fourth of the crop. 1 think renter
should have hve-sixths OF the crop II he
| furnishes his own house. Cost of digging
and hauling to factory or switch. as
| per ton. Cost Of raising beets to time Of
| digging. $o per acre.
| d. v. Burrell: ! paid $50 per acre for
| my eighty acres OF land one year ago;
| would not take 800 per acre now. Ny
| early beets paid net so per acre: beets
should be planted LIST to 18th OF April:
have sixty acres in beets: cost me rs psr
| acre to raise. up to time OF harvesting.
| and Il per ton for harvesting and deliver
ing. First ten acres. delivered. averagsd
1sh tons per acre: next three acres mads
/ thirty tons per acre: test, nineteen to