Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-08-03
The Growing
of Sugar Beets.
An Agricultural Problem.

The success or failure of beet sugar
production IN this country. In fact,
resolves Itself into q purely agricultural
problem While we possibly pay high
or wages IN the factory itself. the eff
feet OF this win be- relatively small; and
besides th,s disadvantage is lHrgcly
compensated for by the superior abl-
ity OF the Workmen IN the American
sugar factory. The problem chat most
deeply concerns Ms Is the supply and
quality " the beets, a problem which
affects both the farmer and factory
The factory ls interested In securing u
sufficient amount OF bcefg 10 maintain
It's operation for a hundred days or
more. II not only requires a sufficient
supply. but 6. requires beats OF sufficient
quality. Cheapness Of sugar produce
ton depends largely upon a high per-
centage Of sugar IN the beets combined
with a minimum Of Impurities, In or
der that the farmer can AFFORD 10 grow
the beets he mast secure sufficient tom
mage per acre to accept what the face
tory can afford TO pay for them lie is
also interested IN the higher sugar
content and purity, as IN many cases
the price he receives from the factory
rs not only based on tonnage. but also
on tho quality Of the heetS II Is clear,
prices, or even continuing at present
prices, the future Of the Industry is an
agricultural problem and Is dependent
upon the amount and quality ~ the
beets produced, Toward the solution
Of this problem we should direct our
agricultural educational efforts. That
we shall eventually produce a higher
tonnage and a better quality Of beets
i7 apparent from the progress already
made IN communities where the indus
try Is most firmly established.
In many OF the communities sur
rounding the older factories the aver
age tonnage has been increased or
8 tons per acre. At s. per ton, the
prevalent price OF beets In this country.
this means an increase NJ SEQ 20 S2j In
the earning power Of an acre Of land
growing sugar beets The average tom
mage in Germany Is about ~ tons per
acre. Tho average tonnage IN this
country runs from 3 TO Q tons per acre.
! think q Is only fair to assume that
when our farmers have been educated
TO use the same care IN cultivation, fer
tllizaNOn, etc. we may expect from
our lands a tonnage at least equal to
that Of Germany.
have talked with many German
beet growers visiting this country who
have grown the crop extensively for
years in the old country. In every
Instance they have expressed surprise
at two things % our apparent
slackness IN sugar-beet culture; and
90 the comparatively large yields we
secure with such methods, They also
predicted that when the farmers of
this country shall use IN beet-growing,
methods as effective as those used In
Germany We shall certainly produce a
higher tonnage than that produced in
the old country, / am thoroughly con-
WINGED that this country will eventual
~ be able 10 grow an average OF IS
tons Of sugar beets per acre IN the
districts growing sugar beets by the
aid OF rainfall This result win he
secured when beet growing has de-
Veloped to such an extent that our
factory agricultural superintendents
will be able TO select for beet-growlng
the choicest lands and, what is OF
equal Importance, the best farmers 30
grow the beets: and when these farm
ers shall apply the best known lnten-
sive methods Of cultivation and fer
tillzatlon, In the irrigated districts
by the same methods we will have an
average OF Il tons Of beets per acre.
At the prevalent price OF $3.50 per ton
this would produce IN gross earnings
from an acre Of land in the rain dis
tricts about SIS, and In the irrigated
districts about SIS, It costs on an
average about $50 an acre TO produce
sugar beets under rain conditions and
about $40 per acre TO produce beets
under irrigation. This would bring
the farmer IN either case average net
earnings OF about S45 per acre. When
we shall have realized this condition
Of things, without doubt every sugar
factory Will have its bins filled to their
utmost capacity Dessert Farmer.