The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-08-18
Beet Growers Would
Have Sugar Mills

Keen interest is being evidenced by
sugar-beet growers in various sections
of the country in the possibility of
producing their own sugar on the farm
by some simple process or of esta-
blishing and operating their own sug-
4 ar mills. Owing to the scarcity and
high prices of sugar numerous inqui-
ries on the subject are being received
by the Bureau of Plant Industry of
the United State Department of Agri-
culture.
/ According to specialists of the bu-
reau who have made close study of
all phases of beet-sugar production,
there are several fundamental fea-
lures to be taken into consideration in
the establishment and operation of
sugar mills In the first place, no
simple or inexpensive method of MAX
] ing sugar from beets on home or
small scale has been devised. There
fore a fully equipped sugar mill is
| necessary in producing sugar from
beets. The smallest beet-sugar mill,
| say the bureau specialists, to be sue
| cessful should slice not less than 500
tons of beets a day for a period of
| 100 days each year. Since the aver
age yield of beets in the United States
| is 10 tons per acre, not less than 5000
acres of beets must be grown annual
| ly for each mill of this size. A small
Ter acreage would probably cause the
mill to operate at loss under normal
conditions. There is almost always a
larger or small loss of beet acreage
during the season in every community
where beets are grown, hence in or
der to bring 5000 acres of beets to
maturity it would be wise to plant
about $500 acres. In order to insure
the production of from 5000 to 5000
acres of beets annually in given beet
area there should be available in that
area at least from fifteen to twenty
thousand acres of good beet land, SO
that proper crop rotation can be prac-
ticed. This acreage should be SO To-
Gated that from 25 per cent to so per
cent of the beets grown can be deliver
ed at the sugar mill by wagons, and
the remainder of the beets should
have freight haul of less than 100
miles, in order to avoid heavy freight
charges.
The construction and equipment of
mill of 500 tons slicing capacity
would cost under present conditions
approximately S750,O00 This is about
so per cent above pre-war costs ow-
ing to the increased price of materials
and the higher scale of wages. In adj
dition to the initial cost of the mill
approximately 100000 of working
capital would be required in cash for
overhead charges and operating ex-
penses until returns can be expected
from the sale of the sugar
Probably the most important of the
other items to be taken into account
in the operation of a beet-sugar mill
is that of a sugar-beet seed A 500
ton mill would require about 100000
pounds of seed annually to insure the
production of sufficient beets for a
To-day run. Sugar-beet seed of good
quality has been produced in the Unit
ed States each year for several years,
and those who are considering the
erection of beet sugar mills @should
look into the possibilities of produc-
ing their own seed. This, minimum
sized mill would require in addition to
its permanent employees about 300
workmen for the operating period and
good supply of pure water, high
grade lime rock, and plenty of coal for
fuel, besides numerous other supplies.
=