MICHIGAN BEET SUGAR IN 1900. 397 



his beets in Bay City in 1898, "How do you like raising sugar beets?" 

 "Pretty good! Look at my passbook and you see my beets average 14 

 per cent sugar, and I get' $4.50 a ton cash." ''How many tons to the 

 acre?" "Twenty." "Then you get f90 an acre for your beet crop. How 

 does that compare with dollar wheat?" "Dollar wheat ain't nowhar!" 

 Only one factory has received the benefit of the bounty law of 1897. 

 The Alichigan Sugar Company of Bay City received a part of the bounty 

 in 1898. No bounties were paid in 1899, because no money was appro- 

 priated for this purpose, but claims for bounty that would call for more 

 than $300,000 are now pending. So large a demand upon the State 

 treasury, with prospective increase year by year, led the last legislature 

 to reduce the bounty to one-half a cent a pound, appropriating |200,000 

 to pay this bounty, and repealing the act of 1897, with its cent-a-pound 

 bounty. The Governor vetoed this bill, leaving the State without funds 

 to pay the bounty, yet leaving the law of 1897 in full force. What will 

 be the outcome of this unfortunate conflict between the legislative and 

 executive powers of the State is uncertain. Whether the State will 

 finally resort to the speedy, respectable and modern form of repudiation, 

 by declaring the act unconstitutional, remains to be seen. 



OVER-PEODUCTION OF SUGAR. 



With the large number of factories, present and prospective, fear 

 has been expressed that there might be danger of over-production. 

 Inquiry was made of the director of the Michigan Sugar Company, as 

 to how much sugar his factory would turn out in the year? "About 

 6,000,000 pounds." "So large an amount will go far to supply the needs 

 of the State." "If we can produce 7,500,000 pounds, that will only 

 supply the needs of the counties of Bay and Saginaw." The use of 

 sugar is constantly increasing and seems to keep even step with increas- 

 ing supplies. 



Our factories produce sugar so pure as not to need refining, but is 

 ready for table use just as it comes from the factory; in German par- 

 lance, "Sugar of consumption, not sugai* for refining." It does not 

 have to pass through the hands of the sugar trust, and thus escapes 

 the exactions of that great monopoly. 



Michigan has the physical basis for producing beet sugar of the 

 highest quality and in unlimited quantity. We have the soil and cli- 

 mate, the coal, limestone and pure water, the intelligent farmers and 

 wide-awake business men required for so great an industry, and Michi- 

 gan no more needs to import sugar than to send abroad for flour. 



BEET GROWING AND SOIL FERTILITY. « 



Conflicting statements have been made about the influence of growing 

 sugar beets on the permanent fertility of the soil. In Europe the rais- 

 ing of sugar beets has been followed by a large increase in the pro- 



MICHIOAN BEET SUGAR WINS AN AWARD. 



Siroe the ah^ve was written nnnonncpinent is re'^eived of the prizes awarflerl to American exhibitors 

 at the worlfl's Exposition in I'aris, and in this list we are pleaseil to see that Michigan beet sugar is 

 awnuled a prize. 



'ITie Mii'Iiican Sugar Conipanv of Hay City sent a barrel of their sugar to the Department r.f Agri- 

 cnlture in Washington, ami this was sent as .1 part of the Amerii'an exhibit at Taris. It might look 

 like prestimpfinn to send beet sugar to one of the greatest producers of beet sugar with any hope of 

 winning a j)rize. 



Wht-n we remember that this Michigan sugar was the product just aft it cnmp,^ from the factory, 

 exhibiterl alongi^ide the refineil stifais "f France, yet awarded a prize in the or'g nal home of the <»ugar 

 beet industry, we are surprised and gratified. It is like "Carrying Coals to Newcastle," and bringing 

 borne a prize from the colliers! 



