The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-10-19
The Sugar Beet in Montana
billings Success Means More Factories
History OF Industry in Colorado Nav Be Repeated

Is the history OF the beet sugar in.
3 4 dustry of Colorado to be renoated
: in Montana? The trend of indications
v certainly point that way. Colorado
Is dotted with beet sugar Factories
These plants have added millions r.
the wealth of that state. Thousands
OF acres are devoted to the culture of
sugar beets. It is intensive farm;nc
and has added much to the prosperity
of the Colorado farmer. The interests
that have developed the industry in
Colorado are operating in Montana.
Their first plant was established at
Billings some years ago. It has PROV
ell very successful. Other plants are
now in course of construction, one in
the Bitter Root, while the erection
OF plants in central and Northern
Montana is said to be contemplated.
Experiments have demonstrated that
the succulent sugar beet thrives in
MANY sections, and in a few wears If
is possible that the manufacture of
beet sugar will be one of the import
ant industries of the state. This is
little more than conjecture, but the
guess is based ON indications of sinh
stance.
Montana has commenced haryestino
the largest crop of sugar beets in her
history. This week the factory at
Billings began operations and by Mon
day the first Of the 1916 CAMPAIGN
will be stored in the warehouse.
During the next four months the
factory will work to capacity, day
and night. It will handle the product
OF nearly $4,000 acres of sugar beets,
situated in all sections of Montana,
though mostly in the country tribu-
tary to Billings, and it will grind
something like 225'0O0 tons Of beets.
for which the farmers of Montana will
receive in the neigh borhood of one and
one-half million dollars. Employ
ment will be given to some $50 men at
the factory and the beet dumps and
by the close of the season, about Feb
ruary l, 1917 between 60,O0O,OO0 and
7O,OOO,OO0 pounds Of sugar will have
been added to the nation IS supply.
incidentally some $4,000 tons of s
beet pulp will have been produced, suf-
ficient to fatten more than 5000 cat s
tie and 10000 sheep. Between 225 c
and $50 cars will be used every day a
in hauling the beets to the factory. t
Montana Beets Are Superior t
Estimates made by the sugar fac |
tory agriculturists are that the crop |
this year will run between II and l2 I
tons per acre, though there will be C
many fields in which the Weld will e
run as high as Is and 20 tons. The t
price to be paid for beets depends on
the sugar content, varying from $3.50 il
per ton up. This year it is expected d
to run very close to 81 per ton. f
There are three things absolutely L
necessary in the successful cultivation a
IT sugar beets-good soil, plenty of a
water and large amount of sun a
shine. Montana has all three. Her ii
soil is especially adapted to the cult p
7atlon OF such crops. In the irrigated a
districts the water is plentiful. The
Jun rises so much earlier and sets so
much later in summer time than in the lie
country farther south, where beet st
culture flourishes, that there are more q
hours of sunshine here during the p5
growing season than in any other beet m
rowing country. Consequently Mon &c
ana raised beets have been made to M
xcell not only in the quantity per acre in
tut in the amount of sugar content tr
n the beet. tn
For Years Local Industry. he
This fact has great weight in in
ucing the men behind the Great nc
Western Sugar company to organize dr
he Billings Sugar company, which eS
rected the first factory in Montana tr
4 1906, an institution which is now
ne largest Of the twelve factories con-
'olled by the Great Western interests. of
In the nine years following the Bill III
lgs factory reached a record one year to
t $4,000 acres sown to sugar beets. in
hey were shipped from the east, west in.
nd south for distance of more than -
90 miles. Northern Wyoming attain
d record of one-fourth of the pro- A
uction for the Billings plant. As
asult in the fall Of 1915 another
ompany erected plant at Sheridan,
Vyo.
About the same time the Great
Western company, in view Of the won
erful record made in the Billings dis Gle
'ict, decided on a policy of expansion tr,
nd development. It transferred to n,