:michi(tAX beet sugar 405 



in (.laiiliraiiuii, plenty of purr \vat<n'. and coal for fuel, and the success 

 of the factory is governed to a considerable extent by the abundance 

 and chf-apness of these three requirements. The factories of Michij^an 

 are very fortunately provided in reiiard to all of these particulars; 

 coal is especially cheap, the mines l)ein<; located only a few miles from 

 the factories. 



Tn the production of su^ar there is a large by-product of molasses, 

 some of which is saved and used for further sugar production. Eventu- 

 ally, however, all this molasses will be saved, either by mixing it with 

 the pulp to make a fine grade of cattle food, or else it will be used for 

 producing alcohol, as in Germany. A factory with a capacity of 750 

 tons of beets a day, a little larger than that of the ordinary factory, 

 but not so large as some of those in the west, will produce 8U tons of 

 pure granulated sugar daily. 



One feature of the new enterprise is the part which American engi- 

 neers and machinists have taken in the work. One would suppose that 

 American promoters of such a new industry would have been compelled 

 to import all their machinery from Europe, where the business of 

 building factories has been long established; but such is not the case. 

 Not only has American ingenuity risen to the occasion, but the work 

 has been done so well that our machinery is actually more effective than 

 that in use in Europe. One factory in Michigan which was originally 

 fitted Avith German machinery has had to be entirely rebuilt, with the 

 substitution of American-made machinery at a cost exceeding .^200.000. 



One thing, however, the American lacks. He has not yet learned 

 how to grow seeds of sufiliciently high grade for successful beet sugar 

 production. Consequently, all seed must be imported at considerable 

 expense and with great care and caution from France and Germany. 

 One of the Bay City factories imi)orts seed in large quantities and sells 

 it to farmers who carry its beet growing contracts, thereby assuring 

 a production of beets of a high sugar value. But the American farmer 

 will not long suffer from this difficulty, because extensive experiments 

 are going on in various ]»arts of the country Avhicli have for their object 

 the i)roduction of high-grade seed. 



In spite, however, of the growth of the new industry, it plays as yet 

 only a small part in supplyin. the sugar consumption of the country. 

 I was much imj)ressed by a i-em.irk of the owner of the Bay City factory 

 which 1 visited. He said: "Last year we produced about 0,000,000 

 pounds of sugar. K we had produced 1,500,00 pounds more, we should 

 have been able to su]»j)ly ihe sugar requirements of Bay and Saginaw 

 counties'" — two counties out of a great State. Nothing could better 

 sliow the vast sugar needs of the nation. 



