Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-12-24
The SUGAR INDUSTRY
Government Figures Show That This
Industry is on the Wane Because
of Artificial Obstacles.

occasioned some surprise to Alma
people for though acreage was not
much less than in former years the
tonnage was much lighter and the
yield of sugar correspondingly less.
However, the same conditions are to
be found in all states where beets are
raised for the sugar industry. Had
the company and the farmers antici-
pated the outbreak of the European
war and the great demand for this
staple in the foreign countries they
might have made better preparations
to meet it. Without a doubt the
cause of the disastrous blows which
the beet sugar industry has received
in the last two years can be laid dir
ectly at the door of the new tariff law
which provided for the removal of all
tariff on sugar by 1915.
According to the governments crop
review for 1914, of date November 23,
the preliminary estimate covering the
United States beet crop and sugar
output, the area harvested falls short
of 1913 by $4,000 acres, and of 1912
by $4,000 acres, the figures being
foosOVO dCftS III 1914, OSV,UUU acres In
1913 and 555,300 acres in 1912.
The beet tonnage is estimated to be
100000 tons less than in the preced-
ing campaign, and short of 1912 by
1877 tons, being respectively 5,147,-
600, 5,659,463 and 5,224,377 tons.
While the total tonnage fell off, still
the average yield per acre in 1914, 1O.6
tons, was greater than either 1913 or
1912, being exceeded only twice in the
last fourteen years, in 1911 when it
was 10.68 and in 1906 when it aver
aged 11.26 tons to the acre.
The sugar extraction ton of beets,
it is estimated, will average for the
United States for the 1914 campaign
1873 percent, about the same as 1913,
when it was 1896 percent, but below
1912, when it was 1926 percent The
three last campaigns show the highest
average extraction for the United
States during the last fourteen years,
the next highest being in 1910, when
the extraction averaged 1851 per-
cent.
Details of the governments figures
for 1914 show that California har-
vested about 10000 acres less beets
than in 1913 and 1000 less than in
1912. The per acre yield was o.3 tons
in 1914 and 892 tons and 9.O1 tons re-
spectively for 1913 and 1912.
Colorado's acreage fell off by 36,410
when compared with 1913, and 12,-
9999 acres compared with 1912, the
figures being 10000 acres in 1914,
168,410 in 1913 and 144,999 in 1912.
The average per acre yield was III
tons against 1898 tons in 1913 and
1892 tons in 1912. The average ex-
traction was 1876 in 1914, and 1881
and 1912, being respectively 1873,
12.46 and 1916 percent.
The acreage in Michigan was lOO,-
900, against 107, 965 in 1913 and
124,241 acres in 1912. The average
tonnage per acre exceeded the two
preceding years, being 90 tons in
1914, and 8.S5 and CTS tons for the
two years previous. The average ex-
traction will fall a fraction below 1913
but exceeds that of 1912, being respect
lively 1875, 1882 and 11.33 percent.
Idoho and Utah are the two excep-
tions, both showing increased acreage
and tonnage. In the former the acre
age was $4,000 in 1914 against 22,497
and 1882 acres the two previous
years. The average tonnage-per acre
was 10.5 in 1914 and go and 8.55 tons
in 1913 and 1912. The average ex-
Idaho and Utah are the two excep-
and 14.51 the two years previous.
In Utah the acreage was $4,000
against 39,472 in 1913 and $4,000
acres in 1912; the average tonnage
per acre was 1876 in 1914 and 1921
and 1908 tons the two previous years.
The average extraction was 13 per-
cent, falling below 1912, which was
1888 per cent, but exceeding 1918,
when the average was 11.88 percent.
In the group of states having sin
gle factory each, the total tonnage
was $4,000 acres, from which GIL 900
tons of beets was harvested, or an
average yield of 1917 tons. While the
acreage was short of 1913 (83,391
tons) and 1912 10000 tons), still the
average yield per acre exceeded both
1913 (9.48 tons) and 1912 (9.78 tons).
The average extraction in the
States so grouped, 12.4 percent in
1914, exceeded that Of 1913, 1916 per
cent, it fell little below 1912, when
it was 1915 percent.
There were in operation during the
campaign of 1914 sixty beet sugar fac
tories in the United States out Of
total of seventy-five, the others decid-
ing not to operate, and, therefore,
having no acreage at the time the war
came on and temporarily changed the
complexion of things.