Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-05-24
ADVANTAGES Of THE BEET SUGAR
INDUSTRY TO THE AMERICAN FARMER

why 1t is OF material beneiit to the
farmers OF Michigan. II OF such
benefit to them. then 1t surely must
be OF equal benefit to the beet grow
ers In the other states when the beet
sugar industry is an important factor
in the industrial life.
| The Michigan beet sugar industry
has been In force for fifteen years. ap-
proximately speaking, In those ff-
teen years Michigan beet sugar pro-
lducers have paid to farmers for beets
better than $50, ,00O. 900. This means
that $4,000. 900. on an average. has
been spent each year for the raw
product during the short time. CON-
paratively speaking. that the industry
has been In existence so far as the
Wolverine commonwealth is concern
ed. Right now Michigan beet sugar
MEN are paying out approximately
Sc. .000. 900 a year to farmers for their
Ibeets; II the industry Is permitted
to thrive under the protection OF
tariff II means that there will be
corresponding growth II the indus
try Is permitted to be smashed by
the cheaper labor OF Europe then II
will be distinct loss to the farmers.
For there is no other crop that can
replace the sugar beet.
Michigan sugar men have proven
many things. They have proven that
fifteen years ago. when the farmers
we're unacquainted with the desirable
properties Of this crop that they were
prejudiced against 1t and that In
many instances they refused to give
over their land to the cultivation OF
IL. But precedent Is stranger thing
than many OF the plots OF fiction, so
when one farmer saw his neighbor
going to sugar beets he decided to try
the experiment for himself. AS a re-
suit approximately 10000 acres are
annually under the cultivation OF
sugar beets in Michigan.
This means that farmers give work
to more people in the cultivation and
harvesting OF this crop than they
would have done In the culture OF
grains. The crop is one that is, OF
course. planted in the spring. II
grows through the summer months
and is harvested In the fall at time
when other crops are in the barns.
One distinct advantage of growing
sugar beets was demonstrated in
Michigan during the past summer.
Grain crops, in many districts, We're
almost total losses because OF the wet
weather throughout the growing
months. In practically every section
OF Michigan fields OF wheat. oats, rye,
barley, corn and other crops we're
stricken, and within redius OF fifty
miles from Detroit were hundreds OF
farmers who did not attempt to put
a reaper in their fields.
1T was useless" they said. There
is nothing to save in the grain aside
from the straw, and this Is 80 short
that 1t is hardly worth going after.
! Besides, the ground is too soft to per-
NIT harvesting"
With sugar beets II was different.
From wet summer Michigan passed
into a beautiful fall and farmers who
had planted their acreage to beets
realized on their crop. The Michigan
Sugar company had Adopt 10000
acres planted to beets and OF this
total 1t lost approximately $4,000.
But at S. ton, the farmer could af-
ford to lose some land and still
realize a good profit on his land in
vestment. Far better than to lose
almost everything on the speculation
OF grain.
Registers OF deeds in various coun-
ties can testify that farmers who
planted acreage to beets were far
more successful In paying off land
mortgages than were their brethren
who gambled In grains. In the
Saginaw distrlct---one Of the big beet
growing sections OF the state--farm-
ers are very prosperous and 1t Is very
striking that in only few instances
where sugar beets form the principal
. crop are growers forced to pay Off on