The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-10
BELIEVES IN SUGAR BEET
/. L. Diesem Tells Why 1t Is
Adapted to Kansas.

]. L. Diesem, who is one of the direct
ors of the state board of agriculture, is
a firm believer in the future of the
sugar beet project in western Kansas
Mr. Diesem's home is at Garden City,
and he himself experimental in raising
beets the past summer. He believes that
If the right kind Of people can be
brought into that section, who will take
hold of the business and work it in the
right way, it will become the richest
and most prosperous portion of the
state.
What we need out there for the beet
business" said Mr.. Diesem, lis a class
of people to come in who will put in
from ten to forty acres of beets and
work them in the right way. We old
timers out there have our money IN
vested in the cattle business; we know
all about 1t, and we are making money.
We don't like to pull our money out OF
the cattle business now and go into the
beet business. which we would nave 10
learn 1 raised some beets this last
year, though, and I will probably raise
twice as many the coming year, but L
don't want to make that my chief bust
ness as long as can do well In the
cattle business
Land can now be bought around
Garden City at from SO to $50 an acre
Just a common windmill is sufficient TO
irrigate from five to ten acres, and $2OO
would be generous estimate to put IN
a windmill, pump and reservoir Tor a
ten-acre field. In order to be liberal
we might estimate that it would cost
$50 an acre to buy the land, put 1t IN
shape, and put in the frrlgat1ng plant
although this estimate is very nigh.
Up around Rocky Ford since sugar
beetS have proved so successful land
has advanced until it is worth all the
way from 800 to $500 acre, and it is
not nearly as good soil that further
east in Kansas, for the reason that it is
a white ash soil, while ours is rich and
sandy.
Il have assurances from Chicago cap
itaIists that If we could assure them
that 1000 acres of beets would be put in
IN our locality this coming spring, they
would put up a big sugar factory at
Garden City this summer. 1 am afraid
though, we cannot get that large an
acreage until we get more people in
there That is the reason 1 would like
to see people come In who would ralSe
sugar beets. 1t requires good, hard
work, but there is money in it. Some of
the people around US who knew nothing
about sugar beets made profit of $50
and $S2 an acre this year There We're
others, of course, who did not make
very-much, but it was because they
didn't try. There were lawyers and
other professional men who signed con-
tracts to put in beets simply to swell
the acreage and help the matter out,
who did not get much more than their
expenses, but they simply put in the
beets and then left them alone.
THE beetS can be raised on the up
lands as well as on the bottoms. II
you can get the water for irrigating.
that Is all that Is necessary, and it can
be raised in most places. The largest
tonnage raised by any of those who ex-
perimented the past year was on the
uplands north of Lakin- have not the
slightest doubt but what if we can in
duce the right kind of people to come in
there and raise sugar beets. there won't
be a region in Kansas as prosperous as
our section of the state -