The Elbert County tribune., 1903-01-01
FARMING MATTERS.
Colorado sugar Beet Crop.


Illustrated in the prosperity found in
The districts where sugar factories are
located. The manufacture OF beet
sugar In this wonderful climate mani
Testify possesses n great many advant-
ages. The growing of beets is con-
Quoted on entirely different lines from
those governing the growing OF cane
for sugar. With the latter the rule is
10 raise the cane on large plantations.
the laborers all being wage earners
On the contrary. beet production is all
IN the hands OF independent farmers,
and many OF them make large profits.
Moreover. the making of sugar is not
The only profitable business depending
upon beet growing. The pulp. from
which the juice is extracted, is a fine
food for cattle and sheep. and such
feeding is carried on TO a large extent.
These allied industries are doing a
great deal to develop the resources of
some sections that before seemed hope
less OF ever supporting any consider
able population.
Thorough community OF interest ex-
lists between the farmers and the sugar
makers. The factory management must
see that the grower is satisfied or there
Will be no beets grown to keep the
plant running and the beet grower is
stimulated to careful work by the
sliding scale paid for beets. Not only
the tonnage yield, but the sugar con-
tent depends largely upon agricultural
conditions. A land boom has occurred
In all sections tributary TO factories
and the end is not yet In operating a.
big Colorado factory from $50 to 500
men are employed at wages ranging
from 81 to So per day. A run of fifty
flve days should average 500 tons daily.
turning out from / 500 to $500 bags
Of granulated sugar. Running at its
full capacity such a factory consumes
in one day 900 tons of beets. the pro-
duct Of sixty-fiye acres. With 500 op-
cratiyes, at an operating cost OF 81 900.
from 5000 worth Of beets. factory
produces SIS 900 worth OF sugar. The
beets average $i7 an acre gross and the
sugar made from an acre of beets sells
by the car at $3.50 After due allow
nnce for Inevitable shutdowns and ac-
cidents during the season. the net an
nual capacity of the factory Is about
900 worth of granulated sugar, In
making which II will disburse over
5000 900 for beets and S12O. 900 for OPP
Grating expenses.
The first factory built In the state
was located at Grand Junction, but eX-
igencies arose and the plant shut down
after three years operation. The bond
holders have now taken IL over and
the farmers have promised TO plant
sufficient acreage TO make good run
next season. It will be enlarged from
four hundred to eight hundred tons
capacity. The Rocky Ford plant, with
capacity OF I 900 tons. and the one at
Sugar City with 500 tons. have made
three successful campaigns. The popu-
lation has trebled and land values have
greatly increased. AT Rocky Ford in
1900. 1000 acres were in beets; in 1901 4,
9.200 acres were planted. and this year
the beet fields covered 10 900 acres. The
fourth factory was built in northern
Colorado at Loveland. Larimer county,
and ia now making its second SUCCESS
ful campaign. II receives the beets of
a wide adjacent area and Will this year
slice more than 10000 tons of beets.
averaging sixteen per cent in sugar
and eighty-four In purity. Two new
factories were put into operation this
year-Greeley on October 9th and Ea-
ton on October cath. Greeley will use
approximately $1,000 tons and Eaton
from 10000 to 10000.
The great success now known beyond
all peradventure has awakened capital
lists and farmers alike and nearly ey-
cry agricultural town in the state Is de-
sirous of getting into the procession
Several new contracts have been let
which call for completed plants to use
the crop of 1903. A 600-ton factory will
he located ct AlamosR in the San Luis
valley. and all fall steam plows have
been putting the soil in readiness for
next spring. Contracts have also been
signed for .200-ton establishment at
Fort Morgan in Morgan county and the
necessary acreage has been secured.
The farmers at Lamar In Prowers
county are justified In their energies In
this direction. lnasmuoh as the finest
OF beets have been grown for years and
commercially during the past three
seasons. the product going to the Rocky
Ford factory. Longmont and Wind
sor, Platteville. Brighton and Fort
Lupton near Denver, and Brush and
Sterling in the lower Platte valley,
have been holding mass meetings to
agitate the subject. and their desires
may In time be rewarded.
The question arises: II factories go
on multiplying as they promise to do in
Colorado the coming year. is there not
danger of overproduction? We believe
there Is none. The American people
use more sugar than any other nation
and to supply the United States with
sugar IL would take 600 more factories
like the one at Rocky Ford. II would
take $4,000 900 more tons of beets and
at 81 per ton. much less than the ay-
erage price In Colorado. would mean
s200,00O.000 to be paid out at home to
the farmers alone. 1t would require an
expenditure of $500.000.0O0 to build the
factories; to be paid to steel furnaces
and foundries, brickyards and la
borers in general. Once these fac
tories were In operation. II would
mean an expenditure of 800 for
each ton of sugar produced against
the expenditure In this country OF $40
a ton for the refining of foreign sugar
On fa1lr AtInu md Ra ni fi1. Lcu lala rI-