Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-06-23
INDUSTRY
Michigan Produced no. 100000
Pounds Of Beet Sugar
100000 TONS OF BEETs.
Fifteen Factories Turned Out That
Amount Last Wear

Chas. b. Warren, who j. general
counsel for the companies owning the
large beet sugar factories in the state,
was asked, What is the industrial
importance and present condition of the
sugar interest in Michigan" He replied:
"The industry has become of great
importance TO the communities i'm which
its operations are conducted In the
state of Michigan there were in actual
operation last year fifteen factories,
which produced approximately 10, OO0.
600 pounds of refined granulated sugar.
To produce this sugar required 800 900
tons Of beets as from each ton there
was extracted 220 pounds of granulated
sugar To produce 800, 600 tons of beets
required something like 50, 900 acres of
land. For these beets the farmers
received in cash duriug the months Of
October November, December and Jan
uary - 500. 900. That is, the manufac-
turer paid the farmer as the first cost
of the raw material, an average price of
- 33 for every hundred pounds Of sugar,
orr l-3 cents pound The factories pay
for more sugar than they sell for the
reason that they assume all loss occa-
stoned 10y failure to extract all the sugar
contained in the root
$4,000 900 Invested
"The manufacture of the juices >of
the beets into marketable sugar requires
intricate machinery securely placed and
well housed The seventeen plants built
in Michigan represent an investment Of
something like Sl2, 600 900.
"The process Of extracting the sugar
requires much heat and power, and the
quantity OF coal consumed has created
an enlarged market for the coal Of the
Saginaw valley. The use Of limestone
for the purpose of purifying the juices
has created a new use for the small
stone quarried, and the stone quarries Of
Alpena and vicinity have found new
and lucrative market
"The exact chemical control of the
different stages in the rocess of manu-
facture demands the training and
employment of many chemists and both
the University of Michigan and the
Agricultural College have inaugurated
special courses for instruction in the
chemistry of sugar making, The young
men who started as chemists have, in
large measure, been able TO replace the
Germans who in the first years of the
business in this country were the only
ones scientifically equipped 70 occupy
the positions and were able TO obtain
large salaries as manufacturing superin-
tendents.
Tonnage Increasing
THE American farmer knows that
German and French farmers produce,
not seven or eight, but fifteen to eigh-
teen tons of beets to the acre, having
sugar content higher than the American
farmer has thus far been able TO obtain.
Knowing this, he believes that if the
industry is protected through the revenue
laws of the United States against COM
petition from continental countries and
our colonial possessions he can obtain,
after experience has taught him how to
prepare the soil and attend the beets
when growing, the same profitable crop.
"Since the growing of sugar beets
began in this country, the tonnage per
acre has nearly doubled, the sugar in
the beet greatly increased, and the
manufacturer has succeeded in extract
Ttl
and has enormously decreased the cost
of manufacturing. American methods
will still further decrease the cost Of
production, and the American farmer,
upon lands costing much less than land
made use of in Germany, will gradually
increase the yield per acre and the sugar
content
IF the industry is allowed time to
develop. America can produce her own
sugar for her own people When the
industry started in this country, seven-
teen years ago, but 900 tons of sugar
were produced the first year Last year
America produced $50, 600 tons, or 500
OO0 OOOpounds of sugar, worth s25 ,0O0,-
600. The number of factories has grown,
so that there are seventeen factories in
Michigan, ten in Colorado, seven in
California, five in Utah, three in Wis
cOnsin, two in Nebraska, two in Idaho,
one in Ohio, one in Oregon and one in
Washington.
Last year in excess Of 2,500,0O tons
of raw sugar was imported for the use
of the American people. The value of
this sugar, after being manufactured
into refined sugar, was $3.50, 900, 900.
IL the American people are permitted to
produce sugar for their home market,
this enormous sum of money will yearly
go to our farmers. laborers and manu-
factcrers and the cost of the sugar
eventually cheapened TO the consumer.