56 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



fornia, but they were ignorant of the methods of irrigate, so it required the com- 

 bined knowledge of the experienced beet growers of California and the skillful irnga- 

 tors of Utah to successfully produce our first crop of sugar beets. But the problem 

 has been most happily solved, and to-day Utah produces sugar beets that are fast ap- 

 proaching in quality those of the oldest beet-growing countries. 



The growing of this plant is a departure from the usual methods of farming as 

 practiced by the ordinary farmer, in that no part of it can be neglected, or even done 



MAP OF EASTERN NEBRASKA 

 Showing location of the two beet sugar factories at Norfork and Grand 

 Island, and principal points at which beets are grown for shipment. (From 

 Bulletin 44, Nebraska experiment station at Lincoln.) 



n a haphazard sort of manner, without sacrificing the crop. It requires intensive 

 cultivation in every sense, but it pays well, a larger cash return beins obtained from 

 one acre of beets than from three acres of grain. As the farmers gradually become 

 more familiar with the crop, they steadily increase the yield in tons per acre as well 

 as the sugar quality of the beet. 



. The farmers of Utah for the first two years took hold of the beet industry cau- 

 tiously and lightly, preferring to carefully test its merits for themselves before risk- 

 ing too much on a new crop. There were some failures and many successes, but they 

 soon discovered its value, and the increased acreage offered since then has been so 

 great that for the past two seasons the sugar company could not accept it all. At the 

 present writing (March, 1896), there are already applications for over 1000 acres of 

 beets more than can be accepted for the coming season of 1896. During the sugar 

 campaign just closed, the Lehi factory received 33,108 tons of beets from 3300 acres, 

 an average of 11.54 tons per acre; 300 acres averaged about 7 tons, 2000 acres about 11 



