The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-01-13
TIL IG
% ally Burreti"
Pledged 10 neither Scot nor Party.
But established for the benefit OF all.
FRIDAY, JAN. 13, 1888.
BEET SUGAR

Claus Spreckels, organizer of the
Western Beet Sugar Company, has
prepared the following for the in
formation of those interested in the
beet sugar enterprise:
My belief is that the cultivation
of sugar-beets will soon be one of
the largest agricultural pursuits, not
only in California but in all the
Western States and Territories,
both soil and climate being more
favorable to the purpose than even
in Germany. The failure in the
past to manufacture sugar from
beets, on paying basis, has been
mainly due to the absence of the
best available machinery. The
beets that were grown have been
suitable for the purpose, but the
machinery has been deficient. This,
however, will be obviated in the
future, as l have secured the right
for the whole of the United States,
of all the latest mechanical appl-
ances and manufacturing methods
that are now in use in Germany,
which is the largest and most sue
cessful beet sugar producing coun-
try in the world.
The soil best adapted for growing
sugar beets is rich, sandy loan.
Beets must not be grown success
sively in the same soil, and they
must never be manured. Land that
has produced crop of beets should
be planted in grain the next year,
then manured and planted again in
grain, and in the third year it may
be replanted with beets, but it must
not be manured that year. Thus q
farm of $50 acres would enable a
farmer to grow fifty acres of sugar
beets in each year, and | think l
may safely say that the fifty acres
planted in beets will prove more
profitable each year than the whole
of the other hundred acres that are
producing grain at present prices.
The price of beets will be deter,
mined by the percentage of saccha-
rine matter that they contain, few
beets being taken from each load, as
delivered at the factory, for analy.
sis-the result of that analysis form
ing the basis upon which each load
shall be paid for. BY this mean:
the best beets will obtain the best
price, and the farmer will be en-
couraged to careful cultivation.
l propose to erect one factory at
Watsonville, at cost of about
$4OO, 900, which will be in full oper,
alton by September l, 1888. This
factory will consume $50 tons Of
beets in every twenty-four hours
but the consumption will be doubled
by the following year. At present
il will require 100 cords of wooC
and Z tons of lime daily during thu
four or five months that it is il
operation. This will show the neces
sity of having good supplies of woot
and lime close TO the factory, which
should also be near TO line of rail
road or TO suitable water facilities
for shipment of raw sugar to San
Francisco. The lime is good
fertilizer, and can be returned TO the
soil again. The pulp from the beet'
can be fed to cattle, and will keel
them in fine condition.
Before erecting factory any
where / must be guaranteed that al
least two thousand five hundred
acres will be planted in beets every
year, for "a definite number of years
/ must also be assured of sufficient
supplies of wood, water and lime in
the neighborhood and good trans
portation facilities. 1t requires
from fifteen to twenty pounds Of
beet seed to plant an acre of ground
The seed cost 10 cents per pound in
Germany, and will probably cost Il