Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-06-26

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ponds and reservoirs where the
spring foods from the mountains
are impounded and used later on to
great advantage in the production
of hay. small grain, fruits and sugar
beets.
Before making this trip | had
read about the beet sugar factories
of Colorado and Western Kansas,
and how the industry had made
wonderful advances during the last
two or three years, but until came
here 1 had no idea of its mammoth
proportions. ] inquired about the
capacity and business methods of
upwards of a dozen of the sugar
beet factories and found that the
smallest of them manufactured into
sugar 500 tons of beets per day, and
the larger ones as high as 5000 tons
per day.
The farmers make their contracts
in advance, and receive uniform
price of SIS per ton. The work is
all performed under the direction OF
the factorv's superintendent. Some
lands produce as high as 30 tons OF
beets per acre, but 20 tons is con-
sidered an average crop, and no one
with whom talked placed the cost
for labor necessary to produce an
acre Of sugar beets at more than
$50. One man told me that he
hired all the labor on his beet farm,
and that it did not cost him but a
few cents over $36 per acre. But
at either figure the farmer receives
a generous sum for the use of his
land.
At first / could not understand
why land, from which net yearly
profit of $50 per acre could be made,
did not sell for more than $500 per
acre. But there usually is a good
reason for everything, and in this
case there seems to be a good rea-
son. This Colorado land will not
produce more than three consecu-
tive sugar beet crops. 1t is claimed
that after it has grown other crops
for a few seasons, it will grow sugar
beets again, but some are skeptical
on this subject. / talked with one
r man who had contracted to sell Ills
!, beet sugar lands for $3.50 per acre
> after they had produced three crops
; of sugar beets. These lands had
r water privileges, and would produce
3 good crops of almost anything grown
q in Iowa, except corn.
9 I was assured that Colorado sugar
g beets, when literally topped, would
t run more than Is per cent sugar
but that Is per cent was fair av
; erage yield for beets fresh from tn
}. ground. From this it will be seel
; that ton Of beets will make 30'
9 lbs. Of sugar, and that 20 tons, tn
8 average yield! Of an acre, will max
: 5000 lbs, or 3 tons of sugar.
s DIR. F. j. Hasty, Of Lamar, Color
IS ado, told me that there were at leas
g d, 900 acres of beets in his count
b this year. The Doctor is intereste
q in the sugar beet business, an
# spoke from personal knowledge. H
i spent several hours explaining
i me how sugar beets are grown an
Is manufactured in Colorado. TIL
n acreage claimed by the sDocto
y seemed quite conservative. If tn
n county in which Lamar is situate
If is as large as Delaware county,
le would mean that less than on,
in eighth Of the land Of the count
rstwas used for beet crop purposes.
Or 1t was easy to believe that Prov
X ers county, Colorado, would produe
: 900 acres Of beets this seasol
al but the total sugar crop of IL
st county ran up into figures for whic
ye | was not prepared.
n. Here are some figures for TIL
ne single county which will give Il
Ill reader some idea of the extent of Il
ay sugar business in Colorado: Ii Il
q beets from a single acre will NAL
3 tons of sugar. the beets from At
to 600 acres will make $4,000 to-
es of sugar. Sugar enough to loa
of $500 freight cars, and put 80 To-
ST. of sugar in each car. 1900 freig
rs, cars would make train of ca
lis more than 30 miles long.
ice Incredible as these figures M
d. seem, I think they are approximat
ch ly correct. Three tons Of sugar
In A cents per pound would only
re worth $240. OF this sum the far,
ar er receives 500, and that on
is leaves $40 with which to pay
of the cost of changing the raw mater
,se into marketable sugar.
n / was told that number of ia
all anese were employed in the cultiy
ton Of sugar beets in Colorad
ir- The little Jap seems to excel
We any work which requires only hal
ne labor. One employer said that Fl
M Japanese would weed as many bee
,se in day as ten ordinary workme
he and as the work is paid for by Il
all acre they earn double wages. Thu
lse tents were pointed out, and | W
te. told that each tent was the home
all five workmen. Their diet consis
he Of rice, molasses and small rati
ng Of whiskey, or alcoholic liquor
he some kind. About an hour befo
be noon one Of the five goes to the tie
and prepares the rice for the mi
lie day meal. With that excepti
lid they all work from IL to IA hou
Try per day, and it is said they do tn,
as work we'll.
ng When traveller notices an U
is usual number Of new roofs in
1t town or city in this part of
op country, it is hardly necessary
lr- inquire for the cause. In every