The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-06-21
U. S, BEET SUGAR TO
COMPETE WITH WORLD

Wilson Is not only a stanch friend of
the beet sugar industry, but he is one
of those indefatigable officials who
never get discouraged, never permit an
obstacle, however formidable it may
appear, to prevent their working to
| 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 1t 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 a 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 serious one. In probably the ma
jority of cases it cannot be done eco
nomically. Many of the beets are
shipped in to the big factories from
far distant farms, some of them a hun
dred miles away, and it is obviously
| impracticable to ship the pulp back
for feed. But the Secretary's beet SUI
gar experts are looking into the feast
bility of establishing numerous small
plants at a cost of a comparatively
few thousand dollars in which the pre-
liminary 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 prac-
tice it will mean a wonderful advance
in both American sugar making and
cattle feeding.
For instance" said he, "if they could
have one big refining factory in the
middle of the State of Iowa, and then
a great number of small plants
throughout the State to reduce the
beets to crude sugar. 1t would enable
the farmers to utilize their pulp to
| great advantage and would tremen-
dously stimulate sugar beet growing.
Another thing-these great facto-
ries, as they are operated now, can
make sugar for only a few months
each year; then they must shut down
until the next crop during which pc
Rod a large investment of capital is
idle. If the little 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. Our
late bulletin on the subject tells you
all about the value of beet pulp. But
| tbiS oil 10 I'M
There is nothing to say about it,
am just starting some inquiries.
THE most We are doing now in
beets," he continued, lis in growing
beet seed. We must grow all our own
seed in this country. We will keep
home half a million dollars a year and
We will have better seed. We can grow
the best beet seed in the world, as we
grow the best beets."
I Better even than the German seed
of the long, unpronounceable name?"
"Oh, yes, far better. We can grow
better beets in America, richer in SUI
gar, and bigger tonnage to the acre;
American farmers have grown beets
with Is per cent saccharine and thir-
| ty-eight tons to the acre The ques-
ton now lies with the farmers. The
average yield is far too low-eight tons
| to the acre. Our people must grow
| more tonnage. If We can grow an av-
erage of fifteen tons to the acre we
VIII then not need any protective ia
| riff-hfteen tons an acre and is per
cent sugar. That will beat the world"
Even the Philippines, where they
can grow sugar for a cent a pound?"
Yes, we can even let the bars down
for the Philippines, and that is COM
ing 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 decrease with a constant planting
to single crop. our farmers will di-
versify their crops, and thus keep up
the fertility of their soil. Why, even
in Hawaii now they are needing to use
fertilizer largely. They have to send
| to Chill for nitrogen, to Florida for
phosphate and to Germany for potash,
and they have to take over coal from
British Columbia to pump water for
Irrigation, Then the question OF trans
| portatlon 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 Amer
lean farmer viii never make success
ful beet grower that he will not get
down on his hands and knees, or per-
nit his wife and children 10 do SO, 10
tend the beet plants the way the for
eign growers daf'
Nothing, our early growers made a
hlunder They tried 10 cultivate heets
with the hoe They imported nurn-
pfaRs and had their beet crops haed
ami Npeied rs hand The hoe dnaa
Rnt cultivate deep enough Afsf tbs
planting HHi lhe lNnHlns rYefyihlHs
thopli he dene Hllh he hnfsg eullNaf
inf
TIE EffllAl4 II fhamhrAslu6
/ pHn hsim "a ihF nlff y lhfamsiIm
/ f. lfM lMHHMfi aai4 II lNHlifl