The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-01-24

Sugar from BeetS.
The most encouraging information
in regard to the future of the beet su-
gar industry, and information which
has an important bearing on the Gu
ban treaty now before the Senate,
comes from Secretary Wilson.
Adispatch from Washington, dated
Jan. LIST, says Secretary Wilson has
directed the ttentiOn of the scientists
in his department to the cheapening
of sugar production, and he said he
believed that within five years the
United States would be in a position
to supply it's own enormous demand
for sugar, estimated for the last year
at 5000, 900, 900 pounds, or seventy
pounds per capita, at a price not ex-
ceeding 2 cents pound. This state
ment analysed means that even if a
20 per cent concession is granted to
Cuba on her sugar product, the time
is close at hand when by improved
methods the American manufacturers
will be able to undersell Cuba and all
other competitors. Secretary VIII
son says:
"There is no more profitable branch
of farming than the growing of sugar
beets," and he produces figures to
prove his statement.
By means of the soil survey new
lands on which the cultivation of this
crop can be engaged in with thegreat-
est profits are constantly being dis
covered. Within the last year the
survey has discovered extensive areas
of such land. notably in the vicinity
of Lyons, N. Y, in the Salinas Valley
of California, in the Arkansas Valley,
the Cerro Gordo and Story Counties
in Iowa and other sections. The Ma
tional Government is promoting irri-
CATION on a most extensive scale, and
the movement promises to develop
large areas capable of immense yields
of sugar beets, where heretofore the
land has been absolutely unavailable
because of lack of water. With irri-
CATION properly applied the profit
of sugar beet raising is largely increas-
ed, the sugar contents of the crop be-
ing ma terially augmented. While to-
day the average beet grower produces
approximately twelve tons of beets to
the acre, which yield him a net profit
of $1S to $24 an acre, under irriga-
ton the returns are Immediately in
creased to thirteen tons of beets, rich
er in sugar, and the net profit is in
creased to from $18 to $1S so an
acre. But much greater increases are
predicted by Secretary Wilson as a
result of the application of improved
methods and scientific principles, and
he says that many farmers already
receive from SIS to 500 an acre
without increased cost of production,
and the time is not distant when all
up-to-date farmers will secure equally
so tisfactory yields.
Another important factor in cheap
ening the cost of production in this
country will he the growing of the
beet seed, most of which ia now i'm
ported. A partly less important fac
tor in the decrease o. the cost of pro-
ducing beet sugar promises to be the
increased consumption of the beet
pulp or residue after the sugar is ex-
tracted. This constitutes a valuable
cattle food, but one that is only be-
ginning to be appreciated by stock
growers. The gradual failure of the
Western range is resulting in an in
creased demand for substitutes for
grass, and the beet pulp once known
will be used extensively for this pur-
pose. 1t is also believed that the per-
centage of sugar yielded by a ton of
beets can be still further increased.
In the past this increase, as a result
of selection and breeding, has BEEN
going on at the rate of from one
eighth 20 one-hali Of per cent a year,
and there is no reason to believe that
the limit in this direction has been
reached.
Cesar Conquered Britain