The Detroit times., 1912-05-16
MICHIGAH FARMERS DERIVE
BIG PROFITS FROM
SUGAR BETS
Soif in Both Peninsuias Admir-
ably Adapted To Their
Growth
"A MIGHTY FACTOR FOR
PERMANENT PROSPERITY
Millions For Michigan Derived
Annually From This I'm
portant Industry

with the single exception OF the au-
toniobile industry. no other industry In
the state of Michigan has shown the
development within the past ten years
that characterizes the beet sugar indus
try OF Michigan. II Is only twelve years
since the first factory was built In
this state. and practically but ten
years since the industry got under way
This year the sixteen factories in OPP
eration In Michigan produced slightly
In excess OF 25O,ooO,0oo lbs OF granu-
lated sugar. the value OF which Is over
t12000.0o0. This Is more sugar than
Michigan consumes In twelve months
Instead OF sending out OF the state
10000 900 to pay her annual sugar
bill. there has been brought into the
state $4,000 900 for distribution TO the
citizens of this commonwealth. The
value OF Michigan's sugar output Is
greater than the value OF her wheat
crop. II II equal to the value OF her
potato crop. and Michigan is the third
greatest state In the Union In the pro-
duction OF potatoes. The sugar this
state produces 10 more than twice as
valuable as the combined barley, rye
and buckwheat grown In Michigan. Her
sugar is 40 per cent Of the value OF
her corn crop. and 80 per cent or the
Z value OF her hay crop. Moreover, this
enormous additional agricultural re-
source has been added to the states
wealth without decreasing the value
OF her other annual lines OF produc-
ton. II has been a net gain or Slz,-
1000 ia her annual resources.
The above figures relate simply TO
the value OF Michigan's graduated
sugar; they do not include the value
Of the by-products Il these oy-pr9S.
granulated sugar produced, we viii
have q grand total OF over $l3,OOOOOO.
which IL nearly equal TO the value or
the oat crop for the State OF Michigan.
Another remarkable feature connect
ed with the development OF the indus
try In this state Is the fact that the
yield In beets per acre and the amount
Of sugar In the beets have steadily In.
creased. Last year the average yield
per acre In this state was fully two
tons more than II was ave years ago.
moreover. the sugar content has IN
creased during the past ten years from
about IS per cent to nearly II per
cent For the past two years the sugar
content In Michigan beeta has been
\ Union. with the possible exception OF
some portions OF California. Her
beets are actually richer In sugar than
those grown on the irrigated fields OF
onstrated that the climatic and soil
conditions OF Michigan are well adaptI
cd 20 the production Of sugar. Scien-
lists have repeatedly stated that the
resemble the climate and soil OF Ger
many. The results obtained In this
state are demonstrating the correct
ness OF this assertion.
The Improvement In the tonnage
and sugar content OF the beets grown
In Michigan IL directly traceabie 20
certain well-known facts such as
10 be planted. more expert cultivation
OF the growing crop. and more rigor-
Gus selection of the type or seed to be
planted Development In the future
Will be along the perfection OF agri-
cultural methods N planting, growing
and harvesting the crop. II the Mich
igan farmer will use as much care IN
the planting, cultivating and harvest
ing OF HIS crop as does the German
farmer. there II no reason why held
OF beets grown in Michigan should not
yield as many tons per acre as do the
sections OF the state where this Guilt
walton has been thus improved, the
beets grown are equal In tonnage and
sugar content to those produced In the
most favorable sections OF Germany.
As the price which the farmer re-
ceives for his beets depends upon the
sugar content OF those beets as well as
the weight, 1t will be seen that every
works to the advantage Of the farmer. |
The farmer has found out by expert |
ence what the official reports OF Ger
many show, namely. that where beets
are grown I'm rotation with other
crops the yield OF those other crops |
per acre. as for example, wheat and
corn, Is greatly increased by virtue OF
the careful filling necessitated by the |
culture OF beets, Michigan farmers In |
the beet district now consider beets a
necessary crop In their regular rota-
First, the various factories IN this
state retain from as per cent TO 80
per cent OF their farmers as regular |
patrons from one year 10 the next. |
year is In excess II that grown the |
preceding year. Careful returns show
that the amount OF Michigan beet acre |
ago under. contract with the various
cent greater than that harvested last
fall.
In the midst of the discussions Of
rraiiroad earnings and Changes ,.. IN
that an acre OF wheat, corn, or oats
grown I'm Michigan yields the railroads
but from 90 cents 10 so cents freight
earnings: whereas an acre Of beets
AZ grown so that they must be shipped
60 the factory by rail, yields the rail-
roads on freight into the factory and
freight out from the factory. earnings
sugar industry Of Michigan paid the
Michigan railroads Last year Yearly one
and one-half million dollars freight
In the manufacture OF sugar from
beets there IL produced a hnal mo-
fasses which cannot be made into
sugar. Thirteen OF the factories In
this site sell their final mOlasscs 70
chemical compcny at Bay CITY that
MANUFACTURES from this mate gNl n high
grade alcohol which is sold exclusively
n: rho arts and sciences, This alcohol
pays an excise tax, the amount OF such
tax btIng considerably In eScSss OF
$4,000, 0OU per year. II thus appears
that these thirteen factories psy var
~ into the national treasury about
$4,000 each which ls equivalent to
cent per pound on all the sugar they
produce. While this Industry is pro-
tected by the existing tariff, II Is
equally true that IL contributes 70 the
national revenues In no insignificant
manner. Meanwhile the people are Sc
curing their sugar at lower price
than any other civilized country In the