The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-25
ALLHAIL THE SUGAR BEET.
Confined from Page 81

N0O--~---~> = = - -
thirty hours for a beet to make the trip
through the plant. The pay roll of the
factory at Rocky Ford amounts to
shifts of 450 men each. The plant is
estimated to be worth one million dol
lars. It is in charge of Manager Fred
erick Wietzer, Superintendent Washing
ton Conneley and Head Agriculturist
WHITEWATER. In addition to all these
in the early part of the development of
the industry, the American Beet Sugar
company had on its roll thirty-two ex-
pertS in the cultivation of sugar beets,
to each of whom q horse, buggy, saddle
and bride were furnished These men
were assigned to districts in the sugar
growing section, and they Travelled from
one farm to another giving instruction
to the farmers concerning the proper
methods of planting, cultivating and
harvesting the beets., At stipulated
periods of time these experts came to-
and made their reports to superiors. 1t
was in this way partially that the great
industry was brought to it's present
state.
FEEDING OF CATTLE.
One of the valuable adjuncts to the
beet sugar industry proper is that of
producing beef as conducted by the
Lockhart Live Stock company in con-
nection with the Rocky Ford factory.
Adjoining the grounds of the plant the
LOckhart people have a large area of
land for their occupancy in cattle feed
ing. That part sof the best pulp, which
the farmers of the district do not take
away is loaded in cars and pushed out
to two immense slices for storage. These
are nothing more than large excavations
in the face of the earth in which the
pulpy product is dumped and left to fer
ment until it can be used. The cattle
men say that it does not reach its full
value until several months have elapsed,
during which it has fermented and then
IL 1axvn I've
it was noticed that while the steers did
not seem to relish it greatly, they were
busy all the time nibbling at it in the
feed troughs. The way in which it is
fed is by mixing with about an equal
ration of bright alfalfa hay, chopped
fairly fine and shoveled out into the
troughs which skirt each of the lots.
The cattle-cows, steers, weaned calves
and all are given nothing else than this
for large part of the time while they
are being fatted. The stock men say
that they put on flesh rapidly, and the
meat is of fine. quality.
But il is noticed that they lose rapidly
when taken off 1t. So great is this loss
that it is very perceptible when shipments
are made to market And so, in order to
prevent this, as well to give the flesh
additional firmness a further ration is
dealt out for about the last thirty days of
the fattening PERIOD consisting of ground
corn, and the mo4asses from the factory
which is useless for other purposes. The
molasses is poured along in the troughs
after the alfalfa, corn meal and beet pulp
are put down and the mixture is a most
appetizing to the cattle. The Lock-
hart people have the business well in hand.
From adjoining fields the alfalfa necessary
to feed their stuff is harvested For han
ding the feed they have a tram sys-
tenn running over in all about miles of
track winding here and there through the
feed lots, and drawn when loaded by mules
driven tandem style.
During the summer the cattle are pas
tured up in the foothills of the mountains
where the climate is agreeable. and in the
winter they are driven down to Rocky
Ford to be finished for market. All the
cattle fed by this company are raised by
It. the cows being kept for this purpose
alone. and as fast as they grow older the
herd is culled and the older ones are put
on the fattening ration and sent to mar
ket while the younger ones take their
places The day before the Kansas party
calves had been weaned and were just be-
ginning to feel the pangs of loneliness
| from their mothers side, enough to make
the whole number of them send up a wall
ing chorus of bawls. Last winter the
Lockhart people topped the Kansas City
beef market with a shipment of their cat
tie.
They turn off every year between 5000
and 5000 head of stuff that has been fat
tened largely from the by-products of the
sugar factory.
QUESTION OF LABOR
To this beet sugar proposition there
might be urged one objection: in the mat
ter of labor The Rocky Ford people have
among them at times during the year
lot of Meximans who are brought in to do
the work in the fields. None are employ
ed in the factory. every man there being
American; and large per cent of the en-
nloves are classified as skilled laborers.
In the fields the wage is $50 a day In
asmuch as the factory is running only
about months of the year, it is necessary
to lay off the majority of the hands. Those
retained are put to work in cleaning up
the machinery and looking after the plant