Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-12-31
SUGAR BEET is KING
Continued from Page One)


1873 per cent. as against 13 per
cent i'll the previous year. The
story which these figures tell is
one of more intensive cultivation
which the producing companies
have been preaching for years.
The relative increase in saccharine
content is approximately the same
as the increase in acreage, while
the decrease in the average ton
mage per acre is purely a matter
in which climatic changes is con
cerned and has no bearing on the
future of the industry. Areas
that were affected by the elements
and which would in ordinary cir
cumstances have been reseeded
were allowed to go fallow because
of the restrictions imposed by the
European war on the seed supply.
The condition may never be en-
countered again by the farmers.
1t is Significant fact that for
the first time in the history of the
industry beet sugar was consumed
in every state of the Union, many
of these newer consumers turning
from cane to beet sugar only after
vigorous efforts on the part of
of selling organizations. 1t is not
difficult to conceive that in the not
remote future Colorado sugar will
be on sale in all the states which
do not themselves produce beets.
During 1915 there were five
companies engaged in the produc-
tiou of sugar in this state. The
Great Western, which operates ex-
clusively in the northern counties,
led with nine factories; the Amer
lean Beet Sugar company, which
has its plants in the Arkansas
valley, operated two out of its
three factories, aud the National
Sugar Manufacturing company
and the Holly Sugar company,
both in the Arkansas valley, and
the G. A. Worthington. Growers
associ alton, in the Grand valley,
sliced in one factory each.
Aside from the production of
beet sugar the industry in Colora-
do is responsible for the creation
of vast amount of wealth thru
the use of the by-products. Mil
lions are added to the states purse
by the feeding of the tops and the
pulp to cattle and sheep. Hun
dreds of thousands of dollars
worth Of molssses go into the pre-
paration of so. called honey hay,
thru its admixture with ground
alfalfa and straw. Around every
faatory in the state are feed lots,
some maintained by the sugar fac
tories, some by professional feed
ers who establish their plants in
proximity to the factories to save
the cost of hauling these by-prod-
ucts to their farms.
| The Industry has another side
which is just as important as the
present material wealth which it
creates, and that is the develop
ment of the science of farming.
Beet culture as practiced abroad
on the small farms of Germany,
Hungary, France and Belgium, is
of the most intensive type. In
this country, where there are more
acres in single field than in an
entire farm in Europe, it is only
semi intensive. The more inten-
sive it becomes even here the bet
ter yield yer acre and the higher
the saccharine content. 1t has
been the endeavor of every sue
cessful beet sugar manufacturing
company to induce the farmers to
cultivate more closely, to use bet
ter methods and to apply fertili-
zers with more skill and less econ
omy as regards first cost.
The lessons which they have
taught thru their field experts are
beginning to show in increased re-
turns at the beet dump. They