Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-15
no GROW SUGAR BETS
Colony From Northern Europe
Will Locate in the Upper
Arkansas Valley.
Special Attention Will Be Given
to the Growing Of Sugar
Beets.
Present War Of Trust Not Stop.
ping the Work OF Sugar
Factories.

Las Animas, Col, Oct. 18th first
of the colonies to come from northern
Europe to settle on the lands that are
used for sugar beets in the upper Ar
kansas valley Is expected to arrive next
week. About fifty families will be in
the party and there will be 200 families
in all. The leader came here some
months ago and looked over the ground.
selecting place for the settlement. He
visited several portions Of the United
States and decided on this section be-
cause OF the prospects for certain pro-
duction of beets and other crops thru
irrigation. The work of developing the
valley has been pushed during the past
two years by the beet sugar manufac-
turers, who have built the factories at
Rocky Ford and Sugar City at a cost Of
million dollars.
The beets are easily produced and
there is an abundance of water for irri-
cation from the Arkansas and the large
reservoirs that have been damned for
the purpose. The great problem has
been to secure the workers. Beet cul-
tAre requires much hand labor in weed
ing the ground and tending the crop
turnout Ito growth. The New Mexican
imborers have been brought in largely to
thin beets at fixed price per acre, but
they are not SO satisfactory as the home
help, For this reason there has been an
effort to secure colonies of Germans and
Swedes. Agents have travelled in Eu-
rope and Pennsylvania and many have
been induced to come here.
In the vicinity of Rocky Ford. where
the land has been cultivated extensively,
it is possible under only fairiconditions
to raise twenty to twenty-eight tons OF
beets to the acre. while thrifty farmers
raise as much as thirty-five tons. The
price of beets is determined according to
the sugar contents, the average being
about So q ton. The cost of growing
beets is, including all labor and harvest
ing, s25 to $50 an acre. leaving the
farmer large profit. One farmer can
not, however, tend a large acreage OF
the beets. owing to the constant and
personal watchfulness that is necessary.
The sugar factories give the farmers
five to ten-year contracts, agreeing TO
nav 81 for. beets containing 10 per cent
sugar or less and SO 1-3 per cent for
every i per cent of sugar content con-
tanned above the Is per cent. Last year
most Of the beets averaged Il per cent.
N. king the price over So a ton. The
farmer has. under this system, very HIT
tie risk. He knows in the,ifall what
he will get for his crop and sarranges TO
plant as many acres as he can tend,
signing a contract for that amount of
land. This is far more certain than any
other crop produced in the west. The
richness of the beets raised in the val
lev has caused the Rocky Ford factory
Ia rearrange come of It's machinery, the
methods used elsewhere not being suitu-
BILE to beets with SO large sugar con-
tent. 100 -
Cantaloupes are also very profitable
en- these lands, "a profit of 500 net not
being exceptional.
The present sugar war is not stopping
the work OF the factories. The Rocky
Ford and Sugar City factories started
Last week and are consuming 1000 tons
of beets daily. w. L. Hartman. the at
torney for the company. says that the
mills will run steadily, but the product
will not be sold at 3is cents pound.
Instead, they Will store it II necessary,
confident that they will not have to hold
It long.
The lands In the reach of the factories
that were worth $50 to $50 an acre are
row held at $3.50 to 5000 per acre. The
lands in the Holly district are selling at
sS5 per acre, ~ per cent down and the
remainder on long time. This is the
method OF securing settlers and the
company will in addition build houses
and barns, also on time. The Dunkards
and Mennonites are now colonizing
tracts of this land. There is to be an
other factory between Lamar and Holly
and this Will bring more returns for the
farmers. The beets in that section hav.
been shipped freight free to the Rocky
Ford factory for the farmers. thus put
ting them on an equal with those OF the
immediate vicinity of the factory.
The sugar production OF this state Is
estimated by the secretary of agricul-
ture at 10000 tons. This is more than
eny other state outside the southern
states except Michigan and California.
The further development of the reser-
yoir system to the lands adjacent to the
river and the utilization OF all the water
in the river, now almost accomplished,
will give this section a far greater ca
pacty for sugar production. Much is
expected from the immigration Of the
European colonists and IL tho first COM
ers are satisfied with the outlook they
will have many followers.
NEW MONEY IN DEMAND.
Bills Called for Before the Ink is Fairly