The Butte inter mountain., 1901-11-15
SUGAR BETS
GRATIFYING EXPERIMENTS CON-
QUOTED IN BITTER ROOT.
w. D. THORNTON GIVES RESULTS
Higher Percentage Of Sugar and
Purity Than in Most Other
Localities-Factory May
Be Built.
w.D. THORNTON GIVES RESULTS

W. D. Thornton, who has been super |
vising a series Of sugar beet experiments |
in the Bitter Root valley this season, has |
some interesting facts concerning the
possibilities of beet culture in Montana. |
Mr.. Thornton Is @ stockholder in the |
American Beet Sugar company, and 1t
was Thomas Loynd. a representative of
that company, who directly conducted
the experiments.
The results of the experiments are
gratifying to Mr.. Thornton and have
been submitted to the officials of the
American Beet Sugar company. The
story of the manner in which the expert
ments were conducted and the results OBJ
tanned can be best understood in Mr..
Thornton's own language. He told it in
this way:
1.-THE series Of experiments in raising
sugar beets in the Bitter Root valley
show the results of 13 patches which
were planted on the Bitter Root stock
farm owned by the Daily estate, and of
80 other patches throughout the valley.
Testing Of the Soil. "
"Thomas Loynd was sent out as an ag-
riculturist by the American Beet Sugar
company and conducted the experiments
in such a manner as to thoroughly test
the different characters of soil in the VAL
ley ana III SuCu d way tndI lAS ACSNA'S
might afford an accurate understanding
of what might be expected from raising
beets on a large scale, with the idea Of
arriving at the results to the farmer and
quality from the factory standpoint.
"These results are now all in and are
highly satisfactory from every stand
point and are about as follows:
1.-THE beets We're all planted between
the middle and last of April and har-
vested from the middle to the last of
October. The results show that the
beets, taken as whole, averaged above
IS per cent sugar in the beet and o6 per
cent purity and yielded II tons per acre.
1.-THE significance of these results IS
best understood in comparison with other
localities. The great beet raising dis
tricts Of Europe average under IA per
cent sugar and under 80 in purity.
Conditions in Utah.
'In Utah, where like conditions pre-
vail as those in Montana as to irrigation,
ETC., the average Is about 14.5 per cent
as to sugar and about 80 as to purity, the
yield per acre being between 13 and IA
tons.
"At Oxnard, CAL, where finer quail
ity of beet is grown than anywhere
else in the world, the average for last
year was 17.6 per cent and 81 purity with
a yield per acre of 1875 tons. In Colorado
at Rocky Ford, there is shown an aver
age of II per cent and 50 purity.
.'The results as indicated to the farmer
will best be understood by comparing
the values of lands in beet districts be-
fore and after the establishment of the
sugar factories.
!: In Rocky Ford land that was worth $50
: per acre, is now worth $500 per acre; IN
hot
$50 to 500 per acre, now sell for from $500
to $780, There is every reason to believe
that similar increases would obtain in
the Bitter Root valley.
Talk Of Factory.
"Plans are under way at the present
time looking towards the establishment
Of factory in the valley: Ine matter
will be further considered by the officers
OF the American Beet Sugar company in
New York this winter.
I'm case the factory is built 1t will
probably be located at or near Hamil-
ton. OF course, the Bitter Root farm
will be an important element in consid-
ering the beet industry in the valley I
don't think it is the intention of the
company to try to purchase the farm,
however,
What effect if any, will the reduction
OF the price of sugar in the Deet sugar
territories and forcing the present sale
at loss have OH the beet sugar industry
and the establishment of new factories?"
THAT remains to be seen. There
seems to be a fight in sight between the
American Sugar and Refining company
and the American Beet Sugar company.
l shall hazard no prediction as to just
what will be the result.
Different Methods Pursued.
.I will say this, however: 1t has been
the practice of the beet sugar people to
sell their product as fast as they man
ufactured it. The other people have
started in to cut the price of their pro-
duct during the campaigning season Of
the beet sugar people, that is, while they
arc getting out their product.
THE beet sugar people are not selling,
however, under the present conditions,
but are storing their product. That is
part of their plan.
1t is said the other people will try and
have the duty reduced on raw sugar and
have it kept up on refined sugars. In
that way, as the story goes, they hope