Smyrna times., 1908-01-22
SMYRNA GRANGE DISCUSSES
GROWING OF SUGAR BEETS
MRS JENNIE E. BELL FORMERLY OF TAY-
lOR'S BRIDGE GIVES MUCH INFORMATION
Shows 10 Members Of Smyrna Grange That 1t
Can Be Made a Most Profitable Delaware
Crop and Create Manufacturing Industries


formerly of near Taylors Bridge, who
is visiting friends in this vicinity,
brought before the Smyr ma Grange at
ITS meeting Saturday some important
data regarding the raising of sugar
beet in Delaware. Mrs. Bell recently
returned from Milwaukee, Wis, where
she looked into the industry with
much curious interest and believing it
could be made profitable Delaware |
crop she corresponded with the Wis
consin Sugar Company at Milwaukee |
with the result that she got consider
able information which she handed |
over to Smyrna Grange. The atten-
ton of the Master of the State Grange
will be called to the matter with the
hope that other oranges throughout
the state will take up and discuss the
question with the object of having it
introduced to a large extent in Della
ware.
No Reason Why 1t Should Not Pay Here.
Replying to Mrs. Bells inquiry, r.
G. Wagner, president of the Wiscon-
sin Sugar Company says: 81 know of
no reason why beet sugar factory IN
the State of Delaware should not be a
profitable undertaking. Ofcourse, the
chief requisite for the success of a beet
sugar factory is a sufficient supply of
good beets. The average sized factory
will consume beets from 5000 acres of
land. In the state of Colorado, there
were built, during thepast seven years
sixteen sugar factories, and lands n
the vicinity of the sugar factories that
we're formerly worth less than sixty
dollars an acre are now held at over
tages of beet culture are: First, beets
are an almost sure crop, rain or shine,
if the farmer does his work properly.
Second, the farmer has positive mar
het, inasmuch as he has had chance
to sell his beets at fixed price before
he plants. With proper care, the
farmer can easily produce 10 tons from
one acre, and the usual price is $500
per ton, or $75 90 an acre. The cost OF
growing, allowing a fair days pay for
labor and teams, including seed, should
not exceed $35. 90. In addition to this
beets are easy on the land, and the tops
and crowns, which are cut off and re-
tanned by the farmer, provide consld
erable feed as a side product. The
principal difficulty in growing beets
IN this western country is lack of suti
cient labor. 1t would seem to me that
this problem could be more easily
solved in the East, because the popula
ton there is denser. Our farmers herr
try to secure families, largely emigrant
from Europe, most of whom hav
knowledge of beet culture, to live OF
their farms during the summer, for tn
purpose of doing the hand work O.
beets. They pay them $4,000 per acre
and give them free shelter; otherwis
the family takes care of itself.
Ample Market For All Sugar Made.
with a sufficient supply of beets d
livered to the factory, at a cost OF n'
to exceed $3.50 per ton (this include
freight charges the manufacture
sugar from beets is profitable bnsi
ness. There is an ample market for a
the sugar that can be manufactured
as will be seen from the fact that W
are now manufacturing in this COUNT
less than one fourth of the entll
amount of sugar consumed here, viii
we are importing the balance from TO
eign countries, for which we sen
abroad about 800, ,OO0, 100000 annual
Most Europeans countries produce be
sugar largely in excess of their hon
consumption, and export the ba Ian
to foreign countries. OF all the sug
produced in the world, about 90 p
cent is beet sngar while only 40
cent. is cane sugar. Beet sugar
identical in quality with cane sugi
When the two sugars are proper
made, there is no physical or chemlC
difference, and our Eastern rehners Il
quently import raw beet sugar ire
foreign countries. For years the p
pie of this country have been consu
ing beet sugar, most of them wlth'
knowing the difference. The state
Wisconsin alone consumes about 81
10000 worth of sugar daily. This
give you an idea of what the dens
populated Eastern States VIII ne
Sugar is the only agricultural prod
In which this country has made
little progress. There is room IN
country for several hundred additio
factories, and there is no reason
the American farmer should not 81
all the sugar consumed in this cou
cONTMttFn ON FIFTH PAGE.