Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1915 — TO RAISE SUGAR BEETS IN JASPER [ARTICLE]

TO RAISE SUGAR BEETS IN JASPER

Big Sagar Company Trying to Interest Farmers in Gifford Region to Put Oat 600 Acres. Newton Stultz, of Huntington, who represents the Holland-St. Louis and Decatur Sugar Co., with factories in Holland, Mich., St. Louis Mo., and Decatur, Ind., is here trying to interest the farmers in the Gifford region to put out at least 600 acres of sugar beets this year. He came here at the solicitation of George Gifford, of Tipton, who thinks the soil of the Gifford region especially adapted to the raising of sugar beets. A meeting is to be held at Gifford this Thursday evening, when the matter will be presented to the farmers of that region. .The company makes a very liberal contract with sugar beet raisers, and agrees to pay a minimum of $5 per ton for sugar beets, and for all over $5.00 per 100 that sugar sells for an additional price will be paid. Therefore, if sugar brings $5.75 per 100 the price they will pay for the beets will be $5.75 per ton, but in no event will they pay less than $5 per ton. The total cost per acre of raising sugar beets is from $20.25 to $35 per acre. The yield is from 12 to 20 tons per acre. The company will attend to the matter of securing the necessary labor, furnish the seed and implements at cost, and in case the farmer desires to retire from the business at any time will take the machinery back at two-thirds the price paid for it by the farmer. In case for any reason replanting is necessay the company will furnish the seed free.

At Morocco contracts have already been made and a big acreage will be put out. Beets can be grown on almost any kind of soil except on muck, which is not adapted for this purpose, but the abundance of other kinds of soil in the Gifford region which at present is not used for onion culture can be used for this purpose. The three factories of the company have a capacity of from 8,600 to 10,000 tons daily. The price quoted is for the beets delivered on the ears. Unlike onions freezing does not hurt the beets and they can be marketed at any time.