The Washington herald., 1909-07-18
MAKING BEET SUGAR
Factories Increase from Six
to Sixty-tOur.
BECOMES A BIG INDUSTRY
Acreage and Value OF the Crop En-
large with Multiplication OF Mills
TO Utilize PrOdact-EasiIy Possible
to Produce All the Sugar Needed
in This Country.

From the L0-iErills Courisr-Jouruzl-
In 1856 there were six beet sugar fac
tories in operation and one building. hav-
ing altogether a capacity for slicing 400
tons Of beets daily. In 1Sss there were
sixty-four factories. with a total capacity
OF 50.0o0 tons OF beets daily. more than q
twelve-fold increase
From 1885 70 1905 our production OF beet
sugar grew from $500 tons 70 $4,000 tons.
an Increase Of more than thirteen-fold in
eight years. In 1886 $500 acres Of beets
were harvested, IN 1sos. g7soo0 acres. or
more than nine times as great an area.
says a bulletin OF the Department OF
Agriculture
The price OF beets. Ike prices OF other
farm crops has risen steadily IN lSss the
factories paid $40 q ten; now they have
10 pay S-55. In Is9S the farmers had 3s4.-
000 tons OF beets 70 sell 10 the factories.
for which they received Sl5s40o0 In
1876. Just eight years later. they had 4Zss. o.
coo tons OF beets 10 sel. and received for
them 81, 604 90. a twelve-fold Increase in
money returns
The total amount paid ont By factories
for beets during the last twelve years
amounts to so. .000 CO., The total capital
invested IN beet sugar plants in this c0un-
try IS about SO. .000. and this does not
include investments made BY factory
owners in farm lands. irrigation works.
&c
Pay SI2I, ,OOO, 900 for Beeta.
Among other things. the Senate called
on the Secretary OF Agriculture 70 state
how much beet sugar can be produced IN
the United States The Secretary. replied
that We have demonstrated conditions OF
soil and climate favorable 10 beet culture
IN an area OF al least "a o00. 600 acres. and
that II VIII only take one acre out OF
every 90 OF this 70 produce al the sugar
we row import from foreign sources He
estimates that Il the sugar beet were
grown throughout those portions Of the
United States adapted by nature and with
the aid Of irrigation 70 its culture. with
system OF rotation including the cult
walton OF the beet every fourth year.
1900. 900 tons OF beet sugar could be pro
duced IN the United States annually or
more than the worlds total production Of
sugar at the present time"
Factories in Sixteen States.
Beet sugar factories are now in sue
-I7-,- "a NAict 1A-AA II sixteen ELaNE@. ADle-
rado leads all other States engaged IN the
Industry. having sixteen factories. In 1907
these produced I6soOe tons OF sugar. or
enough. II IL had been passed around. 70
give al the people IN the United States
four pounds apiece California and Mich
igan followed Colorado at respectable
distance in the race for second place.
Michigan has the same number OF fac
tories as Colorado. but their product IS
considerably smaller. California has only
nine plants. but some Of the latter are
very large From year 70 year the pro
duction Of sugar is about the same in the
two States Utah has i've factories. and
they are strong producers. Idaho and
Wisconsin follow with four each. and
there are ten States with one factory
each
The most eastern factory IS that al
Lyons n Y Hamilton City. Cal. has
the most western factory. Los Alamitos.
the most southern. and Billings. Mont
the most northern The largest factory
IN the United States. and one Of the larg-
est IN the world. Is the one at Sprecklas.
Cal, which Is able 10 slice 5000 tons OF
beets in DAY, or 100 carloads OF 80 tons
each The oldest successful factory IN
the United States Is the one az Alvarado.
Cal. which was established IN ISIS. and
has been making beet sugar for thirty
years.