The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-01-02
Experts Cite Example Of
Michigan as Illustrating
Opportunity For IOwa---Beet
Culture Is a Big Aid to Other
Crops.


farmers. 1t is manufactured
in plants scattered through the farm.
ing districts of the state, owned for
The most part by citizens, and partly by
the farmers themselves. Michigan not
only produces enough sugar to supply
her own people. but has q handsome
surplus to sell in other states
or the $15.OOO.O00 year that is thus
saved to the people of the state the
farmers get more than half. plump
SS,0000O0 year Of real money. Thus
The rapid growth Of the sugar produc-
ing industry, which is recognized as
the greatest agricultural development
uf the state in recent times. has shift
ed the balance of trade $30,000,000 In
Michigan's favor. Its full effect has
been much greater than this, for 1t has
led to the building up Of important
subsidiary industries and to great In
rrease in the agricultural and manu-
featuring wealth of the state. Thirty
thousand Michigan farmers are now
raising beets on their land. sixteen sug.
ar factories are 10 operation and plans
for four more plants have been pre-.
pared.
While the whole state, of course. is
better off for the development of the
new industry. the farmers apparently
have benefited more than any other
class Figures collected from all parts
IF the state show that the average in
rome from an acre Of sugar beets runs
from $50 to S65. while the cost of max
ing the crop, if all the work is done by
hired labor. is about S35 an acre. leav-
ing net profit to the farmer of S25 to
$50 IN acre. which is far better return
than he can obtain from any Of the
staple cereal crops such as corn, wheat
or oats In many instances much high
er returns are secured. Reports from
fOrty-fve representative farmers rails
ing beets for one factory showed that
they realized an average Of $9S an
acre from their crop last year.
Many of the farms in the regions
where the sugar beet has been intro
iuced were heavily mortgaged ten
+
paid of so rapidly that today almost
the only farms that are not debt free
are those that have been bought with
In the last few years by newcomers
who want to share In the prosperity
Of Michigan's tillers Of the soil Bank
deposits have gone up. The sellers OF
agricultural implements. dry goods
men and dealers in all other lines tell
Of improved sales and report that col.
lections of bills are made with much
greater promptuess wherever the sug.
ar industry has been introduced.
That similar results may be expect
ed in Iowa is borne out by the testi-
mony of farmers who. having already
tried the sugar beet. have found 1t not
only a highly profitable crop in itself
but most important agency In in
creasing the yield of other crops grown
In rotation with It, Indeed II the pol.
Icy of encouraging the growing within
the United States of sugar to feed the
American people continues to receive
the encouragement OF the federal gov
ernment In the future as 1t has for
the past fifteen years there seems to
he little doubt that Iowa will rank
high among the leaders of the indus
try and will add millions of dollars a
year to the returns from her beet
fields and factories. This state has
much at stake in the development of
sugar production. That this is impor-
liant to the consumers as well as to the
producers of sugar was shown plainly
enough year ago. when sugar. which
had gone skyrocketing up to 10 cents
a pound and was being sold at whole
, sale by the trust and other refiners at
from $G.75 to $3.50 per 100 pounds.
came tumbling down to Its normal
level as soon as the beet sugar crop
reached the market.
Mr. Moore. the secretary of the Iowa
Sugar company, has great faith In the
future of the sugar beet In Iowa. 1--WE
have the soil. we have the climate, and
we are producing the beets. The crop
Is making money for the farmers. and
II it is properly developed within the
next ten years will do more than any
other thing to cause an increase IN
population IN the state. The present
factory produces only about per cent
Of the sugar used In Iowa. II we had
sixteen factories like 1t we could pro
luce the sugar required by the people
of Iowa. and the farmers would be de-
voting $4,000 acres of Iowa land to
beets. II the beet industry grows to
these proportions 1t would mean the
employment of 5000 men in factories
and of .fbcnt 10000 people in the beet
fields. The railroads would get about
s1.000.000 for freight each year. the
farmers would receive about $1,000. 900
for beets. and the factories would get
about $l0000,0o0 for sugar. The agri-
culture Of northern Iowa would be In
tensiied. Eighty acres would make a
large farm. Live stock production
would be stimulated. for most Of the
stock feed value Of beets is retained
10 the tops and pulp Weeds would
be kept under better control. for the
Intensive cultivation given beets Is de-
structive to any weed. even quack
grass"