The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-31
RECLAIM VA LEY
HELENA CITIZENS TO PRESENT A
MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS.
WANT SOME SURVEYING DONE
business Mems Association Are Col
Letting Data Upon the Culture OF the
Sugar Beet in Montana-Some
Interesting Facts.
Especial to Inter Mountain.)


Helena, Dec S1.-Montana's representa-
tives in congress will be asked to aid in
the movement started by the Helena
Business Mems association to secure the
survey of the Prickly Pear valley. with
view to the construction by the govern
ment of a reservoir to store waters with
which to irrigate the valley during the
dry season.
Ex-senator Thomas Fl. Carter is chair
man. of the committee appointed to take
the matter up with the Washington Off
Gals. A memorial will be addressed to
Montana's representatives at the state
house asking for the survey and also the
construction of reservoir by the govern
ment as soon as the matter of irrigation
is taken up and considered by congress.
Several Plans Projected.
At various intervals during the last
10 years the subject of irrigating the
Prickly Pear valley has been taken up.
but the magnitude OF the proposition
and the great cost has prevented any
person from undertaking the project. In
the survey Of the valley, the preliminary
steps will be taken towards the con-
struction of a reservoir to make fertile
nearly 10O, 900 acres of land in the Prickly
Pear valley. All told there are $4,000
acres that could be irrigated. and it is
quite likely that the entire 100000 acres
of land in the valley bordering on Hell
ena suburbs could be made to produce
large crops and support a large num-
Der of farmers.
The Helena Business Mems association
is collecting data upon sugar beet Gull
ture. Utah parties have written stating
that they are interested in starting
factory at some point in Montana. They
have not decided upon location. but
from their letters. it is certain that they
regard the Prickly Pear valley with ia
vOr.
Data About Sugar Beet.
Secretary Macrum is gathering infor
nation on the subject and will send
them the results of experiments conduct
ed in the valley number of years ago.
by parties who contemplated starting
a factory here just before the panic.
Those interested in the beet sugar in
dustry point to the figures of the annual
importations of sugar to the United
States as proving the desirability of the
home manufacture Of sugar
Nine years ago the importations Of
sugar to this country amounted in value
to $126.S71 $3.50 and since then the i'm
portal ions have decreased to about $780,
100000. Nine years ago the New York
price of sugar was 1894 and today it is
fully one-third less. The decline in price.
and the decrease in importa tons is said
to be due principally to the manufacture
of beet sugar despite the organization
of the trusts on cane sugar.
There are in the neighborhood of so
beet sugar factories in the United States,
with daily capacity of from $4,000 to
10000 tons. During the last three years
10 new factories have been built at
cost Of about $5,000,00 1t requires an
outlay of nearly $500, 900 to build and fully
equip a beet sugar plant.
Consumption Is Large.
The average per capita consumption
of beet sugar for the United States is
62 pounds On this basis Montana would
consume 100000 pounds of beet sugar
annually inst, ad of the cane sugar, a
large part of which is imported
The sugar industry in Utah is yet in
KS infancy. There are three factories
in the state that produce more than 20,
OGa,O0O pounds annually. or almost as
much as is consumed in the state
The Helena Business Mems association
reg ards the location of a beet sugar fac
tory near Helena as a very desirable in
the product Of the lands in the valley
that would be exceedingly fertile if ir-
rigated.
It has been found that under very or
diary conditions the net profit from
sugar beets is from $50 to $40 per ton
The Montana sugar beet is the most pro.
life of all beets and stands a much
higher test than the German beet. II
carries a much greater value in sugar
and is an easy and sure crop.
Yield Is Very Large.
Tie returns received by the farmers
OF Utah for sugar beets averages about
$3.50 per ton, and the average yield pei
acre is about 16 tons. From the tests
that have been made in Montana it is