The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-25
Sugar Beets Leading Crop
Among Colorado's Products
Several Years Ago Raising of Sugar Beets Was Considered
a Joke in Centennial State, but Now Is
Its Greatest Industry.

When one starts to tell OF Colorado's
prosperity these days he usually begins
with its sugar production, for no one
industry has come so rapidly to the
front as this one. Only a few years
ago the idea Of manufacturing sugar
In the Centennial state was treated as
a joke. But now without invidious
comparison with other products and
resources OF the state. the sugar beet
may be regarded as the king crop Of
F Colorado.
Not inly is the production and value
OF the succulent sugar beet greater
than any other, but Colorado is also
the banner sugar-producing state in
the country. According to carefully
compiled government reports, this
state produced 81 per cent il the sugar
beets grown in the United states, and
alo approximately 20 per cent of the
finished product
The value of the sugar manufactured
by the IA factories in Colorado was
1881 900, 900.
Colorado leads in the amount of short
tons OF sugar produced, the number of
Rcres harvested, the quality of sugar
beets worked, and is second only to
Ohio and California in the prices paid
farmers for beets.
Colorado has IA factories second only
to Michigan with 15 Yet Colorado pro-
6ncn6 OE1 oh 81
against $1,000 in Michigan; had 1879 900
acres planted in sugar beets against
$4,000 in Michigan, and the quantity of
short tons worked in this state was
P,O15,000, compared with 604 1000 in the
Wolverine state.
Largest Acreage Ever in One State.
The government figures show a pro-
1uction of $4,000 short tons as
hgainst S74.220 last year. The area
harvested amounted to $4,000 acres,
Ind the beets 6,61,70O short tons.
This Is the largest acreage and ton
nage of beets ever harvested in the
United States. and the sugar produc-
ion exceeds the highest preceding
rop. that of 1915, by more than 1860
ons.
The government figures show that
he Il factories in Colorado made 261,-
90 short tons, that the average extrac-
ion was 13 per cent, 1890 acres were
arvestod. and 2,ol5.ooo short tons of
|eets, and that the average price paid
he farmers was $685. per ton
For the 1917 crop, the Great West
IN Sugar company. by far the larg-
st of the Colorado sugar concerns, is
making contracts with the farmers on
basis of 1915 per ton, the highest
ontract price ever paid. Without JUS
hg too many figures. there are some
Interesting facts in connection with beet
rowing that every reader of The Mis-
oulian ought to digest.
Manure and Rotation.
In general way it is we'll understood
hat in order to improve the yields,
nanuring and system of rotation
lust be practiced, but many do not
ute realize how much these recog-
lied good methods add to the pro-
uctivity of the land.
At the Longmont experimental farm
pc Great Western Sugar company has
Pised every year since 1910. on some
lots, beets after beets with manure
nd beets after beets with manure and
lineral fertilizers in the form of nj
fates and phosphates. 1t has also
'me plots where it regularly alternates
heat with beets. MANFRED.
The fields on which these plots are
Gated probably grew three or four
rops in succession before 1910. The
Verage returns for the last three years
-lsl4. 1915 and 1916-from each Sc
es We're as follows: