Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-07
BEET SUGAR.
The Chamber of Commerce
Interviews Mr.. Spreckels.
INDUCEMENTS FOR FARMERS.
Liberal Terms Offered and Premiums
Also Promised to
Raisers.

lntorocoanlc oteamSnlp company, aC
.companied by his wife, Mr.. and Mrs
Irwin, of Honolulu, and Miss Ilene Ivers
OF San Francisco, arrived in the city from
San Diego in the special car, "Espira,
on Saturday night and remained her
until / 80 P. NJ. yesterday, when the,
proceeded to San Francisco on the north
bound train. 1t will be remembered
that when Mr.. Spreckels went tn Sar
Diego last Monday he was interviewed
by the HERALD with view to obtaining
his opinions regarding the production o
beet sugar in this country, and he an
nounced that he was ready to cooperate
and would erect factory here if enough
land were put in beets to insure @
crop that would be worth working. The
Chamber of Commerce took the matter
up and appointed committee to confer
with Mr.. Spreckels on his return,
which accordingly waited on him
at the San Fernando street depot yes
terday morning, the following gentlemen
being present: Major +. w. Jones,
Colonel A. H. Denker, Judge Fitzgerald,
Mr.. J. J. Mellus, Mr.. J. F. Humphreys,
Mr.. L. N. Breed and Mr.. M. L. Wicks.
On arrival they explained their mission
to Mr.. Spreckels, and he at once con-
sented to a conference, so adjournment
was taken to Landlord Reinhardt's cosy
parlor in the Depot Hotel. The result
was all that could be expected. Mr..
Spreckels said that he was as anxious as
any of them that beet sugar should be
produced in Los Angeles county, and
made the following liberal offer. If the
farmers of this section will put 5000
acres in beets he will erect factory
similar to the one at Watsonville. which
cost $500,000 and pays out $4,000 a
month in wages. He said that he could
not do with less acreage, as to
work with any profit to himself the fac
tory must turn out ninety tons of sugar a
day. "Your farmers here have a fortune
knocking at their DOORS" said Mr..
Spreckels, "for you have every condi-
ton favorable to the production of beet
sugar. All around your city / notice
land lying uncultivated and unproduc-
tive and there is no earthly reason why
it should not be turning out batween $3.50
and 5000 year: Let us figure on the
proposition a little. Forty-three thou
ehuu UectS Cdu Uo Idibcu W Iuo dCIc duu
each should average three pounds, a to-
tai of 129, 900 pounds or over sixty tons.
Now my terms to the producers are as
follows: will pay 81 ton for beets con-
tanning IA per cent. of sugar and so cents
for every per cent. over, and as the seed
we are sowing produces from Il to "a per
cent. of saccharine, the big profits to the
farmer are easily apparent. There is one
farmer at Watsonville who has attended
to his beets carefully, and as result has
reaped 1925 an acre, and there is no rea-
son at all why these figures should not
be increased considerably, as the busi-
ness is yet in its infancy here. l men
ioned that sixty tons can be raised to
the acre, and although they have not yet
reached that total at Watsonville some
of the farmers have raised forty two tons
an acre, and considering that the crop
was planted late, there is no doubt that
the better figures can be easily obtained.
For the successful raising of the sugar
beet loamy, loose soil is the best. The
beets require no irrigation. but the land
must be ploughed deep, very deep, for on
this depends the quantity of saccharine.
Some of them will grow to a depth of
eight feet, but it is not good to have them
too large, for we do not care for any
weighing more than from three to five
pounds, in fact we throw away the ten
pound ones, as they are not worth crush
ing. | suppose you are aware that the
beets get their sugar from the sun, and
here an important point comes up; for
as far as we have experimental there is
only one seed that answers thoroughly,
and that is the one we have imported in
large quantities from Germany. Some
farmers mistake the mangel-wurtzel for
the beet. but that only produces about
per cent. of sugar and is more suitable
for cattle feed than anything else, for it
is of no use to us. l should therefore
REQUIRE that if your farmers plant beets
here in connection with my factory, they
will SOW only the seeds which 1 will fur.
nish to them, as otherwise the 5000
acres, although certainly sown in beets,
might prove very sorry thing to me
when the crushing time came around. As
regards the handling of the crop the beets
can be sown at any season, and will be
ready for harvesting about four months
after the seed enters the ground. This
will give you a possibility OF having two
crops a year, but of course l do not say
it is certain. in any case you will be
able to make from $3.50 TO $3.50 an acre,
which as it is sure crop should be q
considerable incentive"
PREMIUMS OFFERED.
GAS further inducement," said Mr..
Spreckels, II will give premium of
81 900 to the farmer who turns out the
most sugar from 100 acres, and bonus
of $3.50 to the one who can get the most
saccharine out of ten acres. If your agri-
culturists will enter into the spirit of the
thing, will give you factory at every
place there Ia sufficient beets
rroduced, and as I hear you
are saying that all Los Angeles
wants is factories, here is your chance.
To give you an idea how much faith l
have in the industry, I am now making
arrangements for the incorporation of
company with $40 1000, 900 to handle it,
and I intend to have it all over California
if can possibly do 60"
The Chamber of Commerce committee
appeared to be very much impressed
with Mr.. Spreckels' statements, for by
the earnest manner in which he spoke
there was no doubt that he meant what
he was Saying. They promised to bring
the matter before the public at once and
invite all the farmers in this section to
send in statement OF how much land
thew would put into sugar.
"Well," said Mr.. Spreckels, "When
YOU have got 5000 acres promised | will
nut up the factory. Meantime l will
sand you down some samples of the
seeds and you can experiment with
tnem, and if you will send the beets up