The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-10-20
The Sugar Beet IN Montana
Billings Success Means More Factories
History OF Industry in Colorado MAY Be Repeated

the history of the beet sugar in
l dustry of Colorado to be repeated
in Montana? The trend of indications
certainly point that way. Colorado
is dotted with beet sugar factories.
These plants have added millions to
the wealth of that state. Thousands
OF acres are devoted to the culture of
sugar beets. 1t is intensive farming
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. 1t has PROV
en- very successful. other plants are
now in course of construction, one in
the Bitter Root. while the erection
of plants i'll central and Northern
Montana is said to be contemplated.
Experiments have demonstrated that
the S%ucculent sugar beet thrives in
many sections. and in Il few years it
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 sub
stance.
Montana has commenced harvesting
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 i'll the warehouse.
nr,,,m ~, ,,o>t f>,,, ,,,.+l,. AL.
factory will work to capacity, day
and night. 1t will handle the produce
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,OOO tons of beets.
for which the farmers of Montana will
receive in the nei@hborhood of one and
one-half million dollars. Employ
ment will be given to some 80 men at
the factory and the beet dumps and
by the close Of the season. about Feb
ruarN |, lol7, between 10000. 900 and
70,0oo.o00 pounds of sugar will have
been added to the nation s supply.
Incidentally some 10000 tons of
beet pulp will have been produced. suf-
tlcient to tatten more than 5000 cat
tie and 10000 sheep. Between 222.5
and $50 cars will be used every day
in hauling the beets to the factory.
Montana Beets Are Superior.
Estimates made by the sugar fac
tory agr]iculturists are that the crop
this year will run between II and II
tons per acre. though there will be
many fields in which the yield will
run as HIGH as IS and 20 tons. The
price to be paid for beets depends on
the sugar content, varying from $3.50
per ton up. This year it is expected
to run Very close to 81 per ton.
There are three things absolutely
necessary in the successful cultivation
of sugar ~beets-good soil, plenty Of
water and a large amount of sun
shine. Montana has all three, Her
soil is especially adapted to the cult
walton Of such crops. In the irrigated
districts the water is plentiful. The
sun rises so much earlier and sets so
much later in summer time than in the
country farther south, whore beet
culture flourishes, that there are more
hours Of sunshine here during the
growing season than in any other beet
growing country. Consequently Mon
tana raised beets have been made to
excel not only in the quantity per acre
but in the amount of sugar content
in the beet.
For Years a Local Industry.
This fact has great weight in in
duciny the men behind the Great
Western Sugar company to organize
the Billings Sugar company, which
erected the first factory in Montana
in 1906, an institution which Is now
the largest of the twelve factories con-
trollcd by the Great Western interests.
In the nine years following the Bill
ingS factory reached a record one year
of $4,000 acres sown to sugar beets.
They were shipped from the east, west
and south for a distance of more than
100 miles, Northern Wyoming attain
ed a record of one-fourth Of the prog
duction for the Billings plant. As a
result in the fall of 1913 another
company erected a plant at Sheridan,
Wyo.
About the same time the Great
Western mDa in view Of the won