The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-03-27
RESULTS OF BEET CULTURE.
Wonderful Effect In Increasing Farm
Values and Helping Local Trade.

1
Values and Helping Local Trade.
"In order to obtain accurate informa.
ton regarding the average results
brought about locally by the establish
ment Of beet sugar factories in the va
rious communities where such facto-
ries have been erected" says Truman
G. Palmer, secretary of the United
States Beet Sugar Industry. in a report
which has been published as a congress
sional document. Il recently wrote to
the local bankers, county assessors and
postmasters where each Of these sugar
factories is located and to the sugar
companies as well. inclosing a blank in
which were some thirty-one questions.
| Not all the blanks have been returned,
but ] will give the giSt of those al
ready received may add that not Il
word of Encouragement was expressed
in any answer in any report.
IL asked, What gross proceeds per
acre are your farmers able to secure in
beet culture| In most instances they
gave me the range from the lowest to
the highest. The lowest was $50. the
highest $50, the average of all $G94O
per acre.
'The next question was, And how
does this compare with what they OBJ
tain in raising other crops? Among
the replies We're. One hundred per cent
higher 'Beets best crops we can grow.
Favorable Very much in excess of
other crops About 800 per cent An
increase of so per cent "A decided i'm
provement,' About three times as
much
'Then l asked. AS the farmers be-
come familiar with beet raising are
they more or are they less anxious to
raise beetSY All replied that they
were more anxious. that interest was
increasing and, in all but one case. that
the acreage was being extended.
II asked next. Have farm mortgages
increased or decreased since the cree
tion of the factory. and to what eX
tentY All but two stated that they
had decreased. some materially, some
25 per cent, some 80 per cent. one that
very few farms were now mortgaged.
Two stated that farm mortgages had
increased owing to the fact that rent
ers were becoming able to buy on par
tial payments.
II then asked for the average price
of agricultural lands prior to the loca-
ton of the factory and at the present
time. Two gave no price before the
factory was erected. the land being Il
desert and of little value, land in one
of those sections now being worth
$100 per acre. in the other $3.50 per
acre. OF the others, the smallest in
crease was 20 per cent. the greatest
$50 per cent. The average price of all
was $34.2S per acre prior to the loca,
ton of the factory and $75.55 per acre
at the present time. The average IN
crease in value was 124 per cent.
"The next question was, What eff
feet has the erection of the factory
had on the prosperity of the farmers?
Here are some of the replies: Glorious.
Profits double They are paying debts
and renters are buying farms Good
Much interest shown Diversity Of
crops En-, les them to buy land and
build hom Better prices and de
mand for produce of all kinds Great
ly increase
81 think this pretty accurately sizes
beneficial effect of the erection of Il
beet sugar factory on surrounding
farmers.
But this is only part of it. Me;
chants and real estate men are affected
in fact, The whole community. !
called for the assessed valuation of al
town prope ~ before the erection Of
the factories and at the present time
the same information as to population
average price of residence lots and o.
business lots. The replies show the
average increase to be as follows:
per cent
Assessed valuation, increase. ...."..... 49,
Population, increase. S9l
Average value of residence lots, in
crease ............................ 81
Average value of business lots, in
crease ..........I ..I........................ lSS
"All these results are directly anG
wholly attributable to the erection OF
the beet sugar factories. put another
question, What effect has the erectioI
of the factory had on the prosperity OF
your merchants?' Here are some of
the replies: Greatly increased 'Busi-
ness doubled Profits doubled Many
new stores,' Prosperous No failures,
Increased cash sales Increased the
business 1000 per cent Neither mer
chants nor prosperity before
"The question is, Do we want Coz
more such towns, each surrounded by
thousand or more prosperous farm
ers' families or will we destroy this
industry and turn the control of the
sugar supply of the nation over to the
sugar trust and it's fellow refiners by
granting their demands for the remova
of the tariff and so run the risk of sell!
ing the birthright of the American
farmer for mess Of pottage"
Competition Lowers Prices.
Excepting domestic beet sugar, prac'
Ecally all sugar consumed by the Amer
lean people is purchased as raw sugar
by the four seaboard refining concerns