The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-06-17

American Ralsers WI Soon Be- Able
to Compete with the World.

friend of the beet sugar industry, but he
is one of those indefatigable officials
who never get discouraged, never per-
nit an obstacle, however formidable it
may appear, to prevent their working
to a given end, provided that end be de-
sirable, and who, without ostentation,
circumvent and override drawbacks
which would completely dishearten the
average individual.
when congress deems it unwise to
give us more tariff on any agricultural
product, we must seek to produce that
product more cheaply," is the Secre-
tary's motto. The ordinary beet sugar
factory is enormously expensive, cost
ing from half million dollars up, and
the question of getting the beet pulp,
after the sugar is extracted, back to the
farm to be utilized as stock feed is a
serious one. In probably the majority
of cases it cannot be done economically.
Many of the beets are shipped in to the
| big factories from far distant farms,
some of them hundred miles away,
and it is obviously impracticable to ship
the pulp back for feed. But the Secre-
tarys beet sugar experts are looking in
to the feasibility of establishing numer-
GUS small plants at cost of compare
lively few thousand dollars in which the
preliminary process of sugar extraction
can be accomplished; in other words,
where crude beet sugar can be made. If
his idea can be worked out in practice it
will mean wonderful advance in both
American sugar making and cattle
feeding.
"For instance, said he, eff they could
have one big refining factory in the
middle of the state Of Iowa. and then a
great number of small plants through
out the state to reduce the beets to
crude sugar, it would enable the farm
ers to utilize their pulp to great advant-
age and would tremendously stimulate
sugar beet growing.
Another thing-these great factories.
as they are operated now, can make
sugar for only few months each year;
then they must shut down until the
next crop, during which period large
investment of capital is idle. If the lit
tie factories can do the work of raw
manufacturing, the big refinery can be
run the year around, as the capacity of
the refinery will be regulated according
to the output of the small plants. With
the small plants well distributed the
beet pulp could all be utilized for stock
feed; it can be kept in silos as well as can
corn fodder or other green feed. Onr
late bulletin on the subject tells you all
about the value of beet pulp. But this
other matter is just an idea. There is
nothing to say about it. / am just
starting some inquiries.
1.-The most we are doing now in beets,"
he continued, lis in growing beet seed.
We must grow al our own seed in this
country. We will keep home half
million dollars year and we will have
better seed. We can grow the best beet
seed in the world, as we grow the best
beets."
Better even than the German seed of
the long, unpronounceable name?"
"Oh, yes, far better. We can grow
better beets in America, richer in sugar,
and bigger tonnage to the acre; Ameri-
can farmers have grown beets with 20
per cent saccharine and thirty eight
tons to the acre. The question now lies
with the farmers. The acreage yield is
far too low-eight tons to the acre. Our
people must grow more tonnage. If we
can grow an average of fifteen tons to
the acre we will not need any protective
tariff-ifteen tons an acre and IS per
cent sugar. That will beat the world.
Even the Philippines, where they
can grow sugar for cent pound2"
Eyes, we can even let the bars down
for the Philippines, and that is coming
some time. The advantage which the
farmers of our temperate zone will have
over the Philippines or Cuba or Hawaii
is that, while their soil fertility will de-
crease with constant planting to a
single crop, our farmers will diversity
their crops, and thus keep up the fertil-
ity of their soil. Why, even in Hawaii
now they are needing to use fertilizer
largely. They haye to send to Chill for
nitrogen, to Florida for phosphate and
to Germany for potash, and they have
to take oy err coal from British Columbia
to pump wa ter for irrigation. Then the |
question of transportation from these |
countries is an item"
How much of fact is there in the |
statement made by the opponents of the |
beet sugar industry that the American |
farmer will never make successful beet |
grower, that he will not get down on
his hands and knees, or permit his wife |
and children to do so, to tend the beet |
plants the way the foreign growers dol" |
Nothing. Only early growers made |
a blunder. They tried TO cultivate beets
with the hoe. They imported Europ-
cans and had their beet crops hoed and |
weeded nv hand The hoe does NOT cuI-