Beet Factory Speech by Christ Miller 1897
"Beet Factory speech", I read while doing some newspaper research for Jewell, Iowa. Christ Miller thought a beet factory needed to be built near Jewell and was encouraging other Hamilton County farmers of its benefits in a speech that he wrote for the Farmer's Institute that was held in Jewell, Iowa on the 17th and 18 of February 1897. Various articles appeared in the paper advertising the institute. One article mentioned that, "a splendid program has been arranged and many subjects of great importance to the farmers will be discussed." "Many speakers of state wide reputation on farm matters have assured the committee that they will be present and it is expected that the farmers will have a general love feast" The program would include: swine raising, Dairying, Transportation, Public Roads, Fertilizing, Diversified Farming, Mutual Insurance, Farm Co-operation, and Beet Sugar Industry.
Farmers Institutes were popular between the 1880's-1920's and were the precursor to the County Extension system that was created in 1912. The Farmers Institutes main goal was to bring new agriculture knowledge to farmers. Many farmers became to reliant on the same crops year after year and the soil was becoming depleted of nutrients. The institute was usually held in the winter and over a two day period. These programs would be advertised and drew farmers from across the county. It had an atmosphere of a county fair with music and storytelling mixed in with the various lectures. Lectures were later added for women farmers called "domestic sciences".
I am not sure if all of the speeches were later printed in the local paper, but the one Christ Miller wrote was printed a few weeks later.
It appears that Christ Miller wrote the speech but another person read it during the program. I am not sure if he felt insecure about giving the speech in his thick German accent or only certain people were allowed to be the lecturers. No matter what the reason was, I was quite impressed that he was able to write so well in English with it not being his first language. But from reading his speech, he seems to be quite proficient in English. I wouldn't be surprised if he got a little help from his daughter Anna! I will post the articles from the newspaper and then type the speech here so it is easier to read.
Sugar Beet Speech written by Christ Miller Jewell Iowa February 1897
I am extremely anxious to bring before this congregation the subject of raising sugar beets and I am thoroughly convinced that such aversion of farming would be beneficial for more reasons than one. In the first place we are convinced of the fact that an overproduction of corn and oats is not one of the possibilities but one of the real things that are and that alone ought to lead us to think that a more diversified method of farming ought to be adopted. I would suggest that an ordinary farmer should plant from four to five acres of this vegetable. It is the best feed for milch (milk) cows and young stock, especially through the winter season, and as to the hog it is without doubt a better feed to fatten them and an absolute guarantee against the so much dreaded hog cholera. Farmers need not to enter into this new enterprise without some considerations and need not hesitate as to taking chances on the use of a few acres of ground; as to labor, it requires no more than it would to raise most anything else in the line of feed except it be hay or straw. To obtains the exact quality or such quality of beets as is profitable to raise is a question of course, but that can be overcome by having samples tested in beet sugar factories that now exist in both Wisconsin and Nebraska. Usually if beets contain from 15 to 20 percent sugar, they are considered first class. This town ought to encourage the erection of a beet sugar factory by all means. Capitalists or stock companies could not invest money in a better and more reliable speculation. This is one of the most desirable locations on earth for the development of such an enterprise. It is a railroad center or rather a junction, and the raw material can be transported from the four directions, making freight comparatively less than if otherwise situated; this no doubt would lessen expenses in the manufacture of sugar, and there is no possibility for at least 50 years of any overproduction in that article as there is much of it used. Home consumption would make a steady market. I speak from experience and wish that I could make my experience your experience. I have worked in sugar factories and have performed every labor that enters into its final product, from gathering of the seed of the sugar beet to the packing of the loaf sugar. Every man who would assist in an enterprise of that kind would find it a paying investment.
I came from the province of Saxon, Germany, in that vicinity every town, however small, has from one to three factories and each factory averages from 400 to 500 men during the winter season when work is scarce. These factories run day and night and all the time except Sunday. In my opinion, four townships could furnish beets enough to supply one factory; and it is a further opinion of mine that if we had a sugar factory, we would have no tramps. The cultivation of the sugar beet requires no extra amount or expert labor, a boy from 10 to 12 years old could well take care of 25-30 acres. How are sugar beets raised? First, take good clean corn ground, such as similar to cultivating of corn. The ground should be dry and if possible, well drained, as wet ground will not produce sugar in the beets. The best beets weigh from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Beets usually sell from $4.50 to $5.00 dollars per ton and crops average from 12 -15 tons per acre. Christ Miller February 17, 1897
I was so excited to find this article and not only find out what he did before emigrating to the United States, but had the opportunity to hear him "speak" some 125 years later. What a find!
This article lead me to research sugar beet factories in Germany and learn more about the process. Luckily, I found a book on sugar beet factories from his home region.
Agriculture and other related industries began to industrialize between the 1830's and 1850's. The sugar beet industry took off in the 19th century when the Prussian State was encouraging new crops like potatoes and tobacco. Andreas Marggraf discovered that you could make sugar from beets in 1747 and the first sugar beet factory was started in 1802 in Lower Silesia (Germany) The beet sugar industry really kicked off in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Prussia/Germany. (Where Christ Miller was born and raised) With the development of new technologies, the production of sugar from beets made it a viable way to extract sugar and cane sugar was replaced by beet sugar in Europe in the 19th Century. This lead to investors to build more and more sugar beet factories. The majority of sugar beet factories in Germany/Prussia were located in the Saxony-Anhalt region. Between 1840's through the 1880s about 65 percent of Germany's sugar beets were processed in that region. The quality of the soil in that area made it a prime candidate for the production of sugar beets. The region also had the rivers, Saale and Elbe that connected to the port city of Hamburg that helped transport the sugar to the world market. The aftermath of World War II saw the decline and collapse of the sugar beet industry. Schaal, D. (2015). Regions, Industries, and Heritage. Perspectives on Economy, Society, and Culture in Modern Western Europe: Industrialization and Agriculture: The Beet Suar Industry in Saxony-Anhalt 1799-1902 (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan London
As far as I can tell there was never a sugar beet factory built in Hamilton County Iowa. I guess the idea never caught on. I wonder if Christ Miller was disappointed?
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