The Yale expositor., 1901-10-18
MICHIGAN'S SUGAR BEETS.
Millions Invested in Beet Sugar
Plants.
VERY INTERESTING FIGURES
The state VIII Soon Lead In the Manufac-
ture with Nineteen Plants-Sixty five
Thousand Acres of Beets and Eighty
four Thousand Tons of Coal Required.

The beet sugar industry has and is
growing TO vast proportions in Michl-
gan as shown by the State Labor Com
missioner's report given out FRIDAY.
There are three factories at Bay City,
one at Caro-, one at Rochester, one at
Alma. one at Kalamazoo one at Ben
ton Harbor one at Holland and one
at Marine City. The plants which will
be in operation for the first time this
season are located at Lansing, Saginaw
and Salzburg. The plants that will go
into operation next season are at Har-
bor Beach, Sebewaing, Mt Clemens,
Carrollton, Lapeer and Croswell Com
panies have also been organized to
build four new plants, two of which
will be in Wayne county. one at Case
vile and the other ut Mt. Clemens.
The thirteen plants which Will oper-
ate in Michigan the present season
have capitalized stock of S4.4O0,OOO,
an average OF $33S.46 each. The cost
of construction and equipping these
factories will aggregate $5,52o,OOO, an
average of S425000 each. The SIX
plants which will be completed for
next seasons work will have an ag-
gregate capital stock of $2,l50,OOO, an
average of S35S, ,333 each. The cost or
their construction Is estimated at an
average of $3.50. 600 each, an aggregate
of $3,300,0O0 1t is n conservative esti-
mate that over $0,000,000 will have
been invested in sugar plants in Mlchl-
gan the coming season.
The thirteen factories which will he
operated during the coming season Will
have an average daily capacity of 6.GoO
tons OF bects. The six factories which
will start next year will have Il capac-
ity of 5000 tons daily. which will bring
the aggregate capacity of Michigan
factories to 10.SJ0 tons of beets daily.
1t is estimated that the thirteen fac
tories to be operated this season will
average ninety days each and together
will require 59S.50O tons of beets. The
sugar obtained from Michigan beets
last season averaged above II per cent,
and on this basis the output OF sugar
for the season will be 167. $780, ,00O
pounds, or S3,190 tons. Experienced
manufacturers estimate that there will
be over 2000O0,000 pounds of sugar
made in the state this year.
Attention is called to the fact that
q large portion of the machinery used
in the factories is now of American
manufacture, and that the industry
opens up other avenues for the employ
ment Of American capital and labor. 4
large amount of limestone is used In
the purifying process, the average be
ing about 2,100 tons for each factory
during the season. a large portion OF
this stone is procured from the quar-
ries near Alpena. About $1,000 tons OF
bituminous coal from Michigan mine,
will also be used
A total of $1,000 acres of beets viii
he used this year, and farmers will
receive an average Of So per ton fol
the product of their farms The Oper
ating force in the factories this sea
son will aggregate about 2,400 persons
who are paid high wages. The amoun
of labor employed in wedding, thinning
and pulling the beets is very large
The future outlook for the industry il
considered very bright. Farmers ant
beet growers are realizing handsomel!
on their crops.