The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-02
RAILROAD NEWS.
Mr-Seagraves Locates 200 Fam
lilies in Colorado.
Come From Northern Europe
to Raise Sugar Beets.
HERE ABOUT OCT. 90.
On That Date Advance Guard
of 90 Families Will Arrive.
General Information About the
Colorado Crops.
HERE ABOUT OCT. 20.


sugar beet district Of Colorado. and
completed arrangements to locate two
hundred families from northern Europe,
the first fifty families to locate near
Holly. about October 20. Mr.. Seagraves
said:
1.-THE leader of the colony is an ex-
pert agriculturist, and has visited and
carefully investigated all sections of
the United States, and pronounced the
Arkansas valley the most promising OF
any section visited, on account of the
superb elm ate, rich soil and the most
perfect irrigation system in the world
backed by a reservoir supply with sut-
ficent water to irrigate all the LANDS
for two years without a drop Of rain,
thus insuring the farmers against fail
ure of crops. After the first movement
the balance win follow as fast as
homes can be provided for them
Mr.. Seagraves advises that the farm
ers in the valley are very prosperous,
and as that section viii be densely pop
ulated and brought up TO high stan
dard of cultivation It VIII IN i've or
six years become the richest and most
prosperous community In the country.
He says.
The American Beet Sugar company
of Rocky Ford with their million dol
lar sugar factory have done a great
deal to make the farmers in that dis
trict prosperous and very materially
Sugar beets are a very profitable
crop for the farmer. and the only draw
back is the laborious work in the thin
ming season which lasts about two
weeks This feature, however, is being
overcome by labor brought into the
valley from New Mexico. who con-
tract to thin beetS at SO much per acre
In the vicinity of Rocky Ford, where
the land has been cultivated extensive
", it is possible under only fair cond1-
lions to raise twenty tons of beets TO
the acre. while thrifty and Industrious
farmers grow from twenty-five to thlr-
ty tons to the acre. and in some in
stances a. high as thirty-five tons.
1.-The price Of beets is determined &C
cOrdlng to their sugar content, the av-
erage being about $ per ton. The cost
of growing beets, including all labor,
seed, as well as harvesting the crop in
the fall is about S25 per acre, leaving the [
farmer $50 or more profit an acre for
his beet crop.
1.-THE sugar factory viii give the farm |
er a dve or ten year contract for his 1
beets, agreeing to pay 81 for beets con-
tanning Is per cent sugar. or less, and 33 /
and one third per cent for every 1 per !
cent of sugar content over 10 per cent. /
The beets last year averaged over II /
per cent, making the price almost s. per |
ton.
1.-THE safest crop a farmer can grow;
the one that has less enemies and can 4
withstand more hardships is the sugar
beet 1t is not Influenced by speculation, |
such as corn. wheat. oats. etc Tha /
farmer makes his contract in the fall as /
to the number Of acres he will plant so /
that he knows if by planting ten acres J
of beets and under only fair conditions |
he viii raise 20 tons to the acre. which /
win net him above all expenses about
$I5 per acre. Thus he knows months in
advance what his crop viii be worth /
the next year.
This is not true of any other crop, as
Tor instance, corn may be worth 70 cents
a bushel at planting time, and when
harvested may be worth only Is cents
This is likewise true of all small grain
as the prices are largely controlled by
the gamblers on the board of trade
The Arkansas valley of Colorado, IS
considered the ideal sugar beet country
as they grow more tons to the acre and
contain larger percentage Of sugar
than beets grown anywhere in the
world The Rocky Ford factory is now
rearranging some Of its machinery. the
beets being so rich they will not sub
init to the usual methods employed at
the other factories
"Cantaloupes are also a very profit
able crop, and many growers estimate
they viii pay 800 an acre net 1 saw
two and one-half acres near Rocky
Ford that yielded the grower one thou-
sand dollars. This was on rented land
Of which the owner received one-third
Of the crop This may be rather an ex-
tensive farming win do.
Alfalfa, as we'll as small grains. do
Well and are profitable crops to grow /
Vegetables of all kinds, poultry and
dairy products command good prices
and a ready market in Denver Colo !
RADIO Springs. Pueblo and the mining
camps
Beet culture will never he ovardo,,s
for the reason that we are now paving
out Sl25,000.O00 a year for foreign sugar
Wniie the consumption doubles about /
every ten years.
Germany with an area about equal
to the state Of California has already /
44S sugar factories. with market Ia
mand still in excess Of factory produc-
tion.
Lands in the vicinity Of Rocky Ford
before the erection Of the sugar factory
that sold for thirty-five forty and INV
dollars an acre. are worth today from
one hundred and fifty TO two hundred
and fifty dollars an acre The ol1esfior
IS what is land worth that will net over
and above all expenses from seventy
nNe 70 one hundred and twenty-five
dollars an acre2
The prosperous conditions that exist
al Rocky Ford viii be duplicated far
lher down the valley. or between
Lamar and Holly. This COMPANY has
completed arrangements for a second
factory TO cost one million dollars or
more the work to be commenced in the
early spring. while the third factory ii
not a far remote pr0ba bflity
Lands in the Holly district and the
very choicest in the valley and under
Z most perfect system of irriga ton, with
4 never railing supply of water a per
0etual water right going with the land /
s selling at thirty-hve dollars per acre
with ten Der cent down and the balance
Il seven years at six per cent The com
1any VIII also build houses. barns. etc
IN which they require fifty per cent
Town and the balance in seven years at
Xix per cent
The Dunkards and Mennonites are
low cOlOnizlng large tracts of lands
While other settlers are pouring into the
ALLEY from all over the country.
Immediately the second factory goes
neS operation the lands will more than