Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-03-05
THE SUGAR BEET AND PROGRESS

THE SUGAR BEET AND PROGRESS
The history of every community
suited by natural conditions for the
culture Of the sugar beet has been
that progress and prosperity came
with the sugar-making plant. Just
now, when land owners are specu-
lating on the amount of acreage
which they should plant to beets for
the supply Of the Grants Pass fac
tory. report from other fields be-
comes most timely and pertinent.
In Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a sugar
factory was established in 1910.
Every year the factory has shown an
increase in its output and ever year
the farmers have increased the yield
OF their crops and improved the
quality of the beet product. In 1910
the farmers produced an average of
9.4S tons per acre upon 6.S12 acres.
In 1915 they produced an average Of
11.ss tons upon s1.s2s acres. There
was a steady increase in both produc-
tion and acreage during the six-year
period. The Scottsbluff newspaper
tells the following story Of the fac
tory and its influence upon the CON-
munity:
The year just closed has been the
greatest in the history of the sugar
beet industry, both to the company
and to the farmer, as IL has paid ST.
10000 to farmers for sugar beets in
the year 1915. In addition 1t paid
over 100000 to employees. The COM
pany handled 264,362 tons of beets
at the factory and manufactured
10000 bags of sugar, each bag
weighing 100 pounds. The company
furnished 9,TS4 cars Of freight to
shipment over railroads. It paid an
average of $5.65 a ton for beets for
a crop that averaged twelve tons to
the acre. The acreage planted was
$4,000 and the total yield was $780,
763 tons.
The company produced 100, 900
tons OF pulp, which was fed to 3,070
head Of cattle and 9,136 head OF
sheep.
The company shipped 1,400 cars
of sugar, 500 bags to the car. The
factory gives employment to $500
people during the crop.
The final delivery of nearly $4,000
acres of sugar beets, from which
enough sugar has been manufactured
to supply the needs Of more than q
million people for the entire year
marks. the close Of the most success.
full season the North Platte valley
has yet experienced. The total croT
of beets grown this last year under
the supervision Of the Scottsbluff fac
tory amounted to 382,763 tons Of
beets. The exact acreage which pro
duced this enormous crop was 81 1926
acres, and accordingly 1t Is observed
that the average yield was approxim
ately IL tons to the acre. The sugar
company has paid our farmers IL
cash for this crop the magnificen
sum Of s2,163, 1868, or an average
OF $500 per ton. Beet tops are gen
orally acknowledged to possess |
value OF at least $3.50 per acre foI
stock feeding, and this amount added
to the returns for the beets them
selves reveals the fact that the aver
age revenue to all farmers who pro
duced beets was $71.42 per acre To-
every acre of beets sown this year
The total expenditure OF the suga
company is more than $2,500,000 II
cash in Scottsbluff and vicinity in tn,
past year.
The handling Of the above bee
crop and freight incidental to th
operation of the sugar industry ha
involved the moving Of over 1000I
car loads Of freight during the pas
year. This item Is made up as fol
lows: Cars, sugar beets, $500; coal
S00 lime rock, 420; livestock, 42S
sugar, 1,430; molasses. so; coke, 80
miscellaneous, 172.
The statement shows the paymen
of nearly 100000 to the farmer
OF this valley for beets alone sine
1910. Beside this, II should b.
borne in mind that another large sun
has been paid out in the meantime
for labor and material; that tn
population of Scots Bluff county ha
doubled and the population OF tn
city of Scottsbluff has trebled In thi
period; that many schools an,
churches have been built throughou
the valley; that new highways hav
been opened and improved; that ad
ditional train service has been estab
lisbed; that the number and qualit
OF professional vocations has bee
greatly increased; that the volum