Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-10-30
SUGAR MAKING IN IOWA.
Some Interesting Facts Concerning
Only Beet Sugar Factory
in the State.

other fact distinguishes this factory
from the majority of beet sugar en-
terprises-this is the only factory
in the United States owned and
managed by the American Sugar Re-
filming Company. The buildings,
erected in 1907, represent an invest
ment of 100000. Mr.. Rosevear,
the able and gentlemanly manager,
has been with the work from its
inception. This enterprise did not
find at the start any fiowery road to
success. 1t met and had to overcome
the obstacles which invariably retard
new movements, says the Iowa
Homestead
The first great difficulty was to
persuade the Iowa farmer to grow
beets. The Iowa farmer, with his
horses, cows and pigs, is one of the
most Independent men in all crea-
ton. He had to be convinced that
there was more easy money in beets
than in cattle and hogs.
But even when he was convinced
upon this point, he was confronted
with the impossibility of getting
sufficient and efficient labor for
wedding and pulling the beets. At
this point Mr.. Rosevear and his
assistants stepped into the breach
and devised a system of labor which
is successful.
They secured German and Rus
sian laborers to do the work. These
men are sturdy and reliable. They
have been brought up to labor and
are willing to do it for a proper
consideration. They come with
their families and many of them be-
come American citizens. The farm
er for whom they work provides
quarters for the laborer and his
family and even furnishes a gar
den spot to help on the expenses of
living. The workman contracts to
keep the beets clean and harvest
the crop at a fixed price per acre.
He may spend much or little time
upon the work, but is bound to do
1T well, and SO has the balance of
his time for other work. This sys-
tenn is good, for it apparently puts
a premium upon industry. And the
best of it is that it is successful,
pleasing both workman and employ
err. And it solves the labor prob
lem for other enterprises located in
the same territory, for when not
needed in the beet fields, the work.
man gladly earns his honest dollar
elsewhere.
For the work done with the beets
in wedding and harvesting, the
laborer receives from SIS to $24
per acre. The laborer usually con-
eracts to care for from three to eight
acres, according to the number of his
helpers. Five years ago the land
owners would only venture to plant
small patch, from two to five acres.
But with the happy solution of the
labor problem they are taking larger
ventures, and some now take over
loo acres. However, the average
number of acres per farmer this year
Is twenty-three.
The fields are scattered over the
adjacent country in a radius of 100
miles. This year there are about a
dozen railroad points from which
the crop is shipped to Waverly. At
the beginning of the industry beets
were shipped in from about fifty
places, but the company has found
it the part of wisdom to concen-
trate, and have as few loading sta
tons as possible. Facilities for
dumping a load of beets in three
minutes are provided where there
| is large amount to be handled,
which cannot be provided when
there are but one of two growers in
place. A test of the beets has been
made and it showed very satisfactory
results, a sugar content of 13 to Is
per cent. The total crop to be made
up this year is estimated at $4,000
tons, and the approximate yield of
sugar, judging from past experience,
will be 1000 tons. The yield of
beets per acre is from ten to twelve
tons and the price paid the grower
upon the car is So per ton.
When beets yield twelve tons per
acre, the laborer receives about 500.
for his share per acre, and the land
owner about $40 AS it takes about
eleven tons of beets to make a ton
OF sugar, and that amount of beets
costs the factory about SIS, it is easy
to reckon the income of the factory.
That is, If we knew the wholesale
price of sugar. Suppose it to be A
cents per pound, the company will re-
ceiye S45 per ton net income, or al
total closely approximating 100000
for the season. And this is none too
much we should say, upon such al
large investment. Remember that
the expenses of the factory are neces-
sarily heavy. 1t runs from October
1st, three months, night and day, for
there can be no closing down such a |
plant when it once starts. Two hun
dred and fifty hands are kept busy
during the campaign.
There is only one right way to
grow beets, that is, only one way for
Iowa. 1t is useless to talk of twelve
and fourteen inch rows, for work
with hand cultivators is tabooed.
No thanks, we will never do it that
way. We will do our cultivating
like gentlemen. So the rows must
be twenty-six inches apart, that the
kngly farmer may ride over the
fields behind $3.50 Percheron horse.
Then the plants must be thinned out
and left exactly ten inches apart
no more and no less. Long expert
ence has demonstrated that this is
the space required for the develop
ment of the three to four pound
beet, the best of all sizes. The |
coarser beets, weighing from FIVE to |
eight pounds, are not considered as
good.