The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-01-28

in Bemidii, and prospect of the
farmers of Beltrami and adjoining
counties engaging in raising sugar
beets, with resultant large profits.
Samples of sugar beets which have
been raised in this county have been
shipped to the refinery of the sugar
beet factory at Carver, and the
result of the test of these beets is
awaited with interest. Some which
have already been tested have given
the finest kind of results-very
encouraging for the successful rails.
ing of high grade of sugar beets in
this county.
In further speaking of the posi-
bilities of sugar beet raising and the
prospect of securing a factory for
Bemidji, Mr.. Jester says:
The raising of sugar beets is the
principal question which is being
agitated by the farmers of the
surrounding country at the present
time, as being the answer to the
question as to what to do to make
small tracts of land which have been
cleared produce profitable crops.
We have been investigating the
sugar beet question for some time,
as to its adaptability for this section,
and the feasibility of getting a sugar
beet factory for Bemidji; and we
have every hope that, with the
hearty cooperation of the farmers
in the raising OF the beets to inaugur-
ate permanent, paying industry
! for every owner of an acre of land
in Northern Minnesota.
We are informed by the people
who operate the sugar beet factory
at Carver that the light soil of this
section should be ideal for the raising
of the finest kind of sugar beets;
and those who will work intelligently
and diligently in cultivating the
beets will have large returns.
"A fair crop of beets will give
an average of from five to ten tons
of beets to the acre, which, at IS
per ton at the factory, nets the
farmer SIS to $50 'per acre. The
minimum yield is five to ten tons
per acre, and with the intensive
cultivation that is given to raise
other crops in this section, the
yield should be from twenty-five
to thirty tons per acre.
s'1t is necessary that 5000 acres
of land be grown to sugar beets in
order to provide the beets for the
factory, and 10000 acres are
better. The factory furnishes
specified variety of seed.
And in connection with the rails
ing of the sugar beets, the tops and
the pulp of the beet left from the
manufacture makes the finest kind of
feed for the dairy cows which are
being raised in large numbers by the
farmers who are starting dairying in
this section"
Representative J. ]. Opsahl stated
that in 1906, accorning to the gov
eminent statistics, there were 81
sugar beet factories in the U. S., and
hat last year there were between
80 and 80 in operation. The statis-
tics showed that the land adjacent
to the factories had increased in
value tenfold, after the installation
and operation of sugar beet factory
and the raising of sugar beets on
the lands.
Mr.. Opsahl quoted from letter
written by Prof. Bull, of the State
Agricultural College, in which the
latter stated that there was about
100000 invested in the plant at
Carver, and that it took 1000 to
5000 acres of sugar beets each
season to keep the plant in raw
MATERIAL" as it were. The average
yield from these 5000 acres was
about five to ten tons of beets, but,
by intelligent cultivation, thirty tons
have been raised from an acre.
One hundred and fifty men are
4 necessary to operate the factory.
| 1t was stated that the sugar beet
was an innovation in this section,
by reason of the fact that frost
does not injure the beet for sugar
purposes; but once it is frozen, it
should be kept in that state.
The commercial club will con-
tinue the agitation for the estab-
lishment of plant in Bemidji;
and agreements will be secured
from farmers as to the number of
acres they will grow to beets, in
order that the necessary 5000
lacres are devoted to beet raising.