The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-12-02


what large sums OF money sugar
factories in other regions are pay
ing out to the farmers, and what
improvements to the towns have
come about because of the sugar in
dustry. But the farmer, no matter
how much he may be interested in |
the town and the prosperity of it's
business, has to know something
more about the profit a little bit
closer to home. He wants to know
how much Mr.. Farmer Is going to
make out of sugar beet raising and
that is about all he will be likely to
consider when he is asked whether
he wants this region to go into the
sugar business and whether he will
raise some beets himself.
The sugar beet industry has
proved to be more profitable to the
farmer than to anyone else con-
cerned in other districts OF this
state. Not only that but the raising
of sugar = let's has been found to be
about the most profitable part OF the
farmers yearly operations The far
mers around Billings, Montana, be-
gan to raise beets for the factory
about 1909 1t paid them so we'll
that every season since then they
have raised an increasing quantity
of beets, and this year from between
twenty-five and thirty thousand
acres of beets they nave realized a
return of over three million dollars.
That is the amount of cash paid to
the farmers, but their profits from
beet tops from every acre of land
are equal to from one to two and
one-half tons of alfalfa hay for feed
ing stock and also the factory fur
nishes waste syrup and beet pulp
to the stock growers at price
which make them very profitable for
feeding. This syrup and pulp are
mixed with alfalfa or grain and
have few equals for fattening cattle
and hogs or for feeding dairy stock.
Mr.. Klaas Andriesen of Shepherd.
] Montana, near Billings, states that
he received $4,000 for "a acres of
peets which is $6765 per acre. Leo
Carper of Billings, harvested 4z,-
062.58 worth of beets from % acres
or over $50 per acre. G. o. Stout
of Billings, got $3,170 from 81
I acres of beets in 1910. Many other
farmers could be cited who have
done equally we'll, and in fact the
average for the whole Billings dis
trict was about $o4 per acre from
beet raising last year. In 1911 the
\ Malin-Yates Co. of Billings, offered
three prizes for the best average
\ return per acre from sugar beets.
The winners were H. S. Tippetts,
i Lowell, Wyo, $113.43 per acre from
Z acres; j. G. Eiseman, Park City,
y Mont, $106.04 per acre on IS acres,
) and John Stewart, Billings, $loo.72
n per acre from 40 acres OF beets
r. 1%c
; even if they do sound like real es-
n tate ads. And the tests which have
y been made of beets grown in the
!; Milk River valley indicate that they
n are even more valuable than those
y grown in the Billings district.
81 The cost of growing beets is fig
= ured at from $40 an acre to $3s
{: and the profit from a we'll managet
8 beet tract is therefore seen to b.
N good in cash alone, not taking int
(: consideration the value of the stocl
o value for future crops of the well
y titled beet ground.
o The value of land in this vicinit
% and it's present market price ar
n we'll known. Suppos1ng the beet in
~ dustry becomes established here
lS and just supposing what experienc
n has proved to be the very low figur
III of $40 per acre as average prof
p from beet growing. With these tw
a things established, you have Mil
M River valley land worth 5000 an
y up per acre. And right there is al
Ia other point where the land owne
is going to be greatly benefited b
- sugar beet growing. Land able
produce such good returns can b
$ rented or sold for good cash figur
- always. This sugar beet bushes
e is pretty important matter for tn
80 70 nm, or'c consideration II ic n(
80 Ac~A AAAo1 SoAAoANNi ~.AOA.' - ~
- something to be decided in monet
- and with a thought of the preser
- only, and every farmer ought
- study the matter carefully with a
20 eye to his own best present and II
- ture interests.