The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-07-27
NEBRASKA SUGAR MAKING
GOVERNMENT REPORT COVERING
THE INDUSTRY.
STARTED AT GRAND ISLAND
The Next Factory Was Built in Nor.
folk-Governmen Expert Says II
Was Not Removed to Lamar Because
of Adverse Conditions.


Was Not Removed to Lamar Because
of Adverse Conditions.
The United States Department of
Agriculture has recently issued re-
port entitled Progress of the Beet
Sugar Industry in the United States"
in which is the following article COW
ering the sugar industry in Nebraska
and the attempt to operate a sugar
factory in Norfolk. The article was
written by Charles F. Saylor special
agent of the department. The report
was prepared before it was known
that the sugar industry as carried on
at Ames was also a failure. The ar
ticle appears below:
The state of Nebraska was the Sec
ond to produce sugar from beets. Six
teen years ago the first factory was
installed at Grand Island with a capac-
ity of $50 tons. This was followed by
one at Norfolk in 1891, with capac-
ity Of $50 tons, and in 1899 by still
another at Leavitt of 500 tons daily
capacity. These factories were all To-
Gated in the eastern half Of the state.
During the period of their operation a
part of the time has been marked by
excessive drought, another by exces-
sive rainfall, and still another by dis
eases affecting the beet crop. Under
normal conditions sugar production in
that section of the state has always
proven quite satisfactory
The factory at Norfolk was recently
removed OF Lamar, Colo, and there
enlarged and improved. The opinion
is quite generally current that the
plant was removed from Norfolk on
account of adverse conditions. An in
vestigation of the facts demonstrated
this to be an error. Taking the fac
tory's record from beginning to end,
it was quite satisfactory, both to the
management and to the farming dis
tricts generally. But the owners of
the plant possessed large tract of
land along the Arkansas river in Col
orado. They had planned to establish
series of factories in this Colorado
district to develop its resources. Un-
der their policy it was preferable to
remove the plant from Norfolk and
place it in commission at Lamar. No
doubt under the circumstances it is
serving the purpose of it's owners in
its present location much more salts
factorily than if it had remained at
Norfolk. The farmers around Norfolk
who formerly grew beets for that
plant continued to produce nearly as
much as before these beets being
shipped by rail to the factory at Leav-
lit.
1t does not appear, therefore, as if
conditions adverse to beet production
caused the plant to be removed
There has been considerable local dis
cussion around Norfolk regarding the
establishment of a new sugar factory
at that point. l look upon it as a real
opportunity. A large part of the work
of educating the farmers has been ac-
complished. With the removal of the
former plant a demonstration has been
made to the beet growers of their loss
A factory there now would receive
sympathy and support from the farm
ers and others.
One of the lessons taught by Ne
braska's experience in sugar produc-
tion is the value of the refuse pro-
ducts Of the factory for feeding pur.
poses. Around all these factories are
fed large flocks of sheep and herds of
cattle. The experience of these fac
tories will eventually be that of others
in the United States. During the first
few campaigns very little Of the pulp
was fed, but it grew gradually into
favor, and now it may be said that its
use is quite common and the pulp is
generally sought after.
The plant at Leavitt increased its
daily capacity for working beets from
500 to LOO tons. This Improvement
was equal to building another large
plant in the state this year. Nearly
all plants of ordinary capacity like the
one at Leavitt are constructed in such
way that doubling the capacity sim
ply means the introduction Of machin-
cry sufficient for that purpose. A
large increase in the production of
sugar from year to year in this coun-
try is brought about in this way. Such
growth is not so apparent to the public
but is effective in building up the beet
sugar industry.
Throughout the growing period con-
considerable difficulty was met in pro-
curing sufficient labor. The beet grow
ers of other states are aware of this
and are constantly calling upon Ne
braska beet growing districts for a
part of this labor supply. This tends
to absorb a large portion of 1t. Fur
ther extension of the sugar industry
seems more likely to occur in the west
ern part of the state, where irrigation
is more or less developed.
State Federation.
The twelfth annual meeting of the
Nebraska federation of women's clubs,