The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1891-02-06
FACTS FOR THE FARMER.
ABOUT CULTivATINo THE
SUGAR BEET.
Ilatsrsstlns Letter from an Expert In the Indus.
try In Californis-Don't Winter Too
nauy rouis-Boillns Grain for.
Stock-Oid Horses.



A. A. Bertrand, Of Moro Colo Ranch.
Cal, writes to tho Rural Home about
tultivating the sugar boot The in
dustry In California. he says. is still In
Its infancy and tho methods employed
are worry crude, yet 1t will compare
lfavorably with any other part OF the
country, but It is for information more
than anything else that has prompted
me to write this article. In the first
place. l will describe tho Moro Colo
Ranch ind its methods. This is the
largest beet farm In tho world, con-
tanning 1900 acres and owned by Claus
Spreckles. the sugar king. It Is situ-
nted on Monterey Bay. at tho mouth OF
tho Salinas river. ton miles from Wat
sonville, where Mr.. Spreckles has
large sugar factory. Tho farm Is OF
ouch magnitude as to cause Mr..
Sproclles to build q railroad from
Watsonville to tho ranch, where 1t is
carried to my part OF the field by port
able trucks. In addition to this 1t is
The only ranch Of my size that employs
white labor exclusively. Tho facts
hero given were furnished mo by w.
V. Galley. the originator and main
stay OF tho place.
First we will refer to the preparing
OF the soil, he says: my opinion
about blowing is, that tho ground
should DO plowed deep, ut least ton
inches, carly in the fall, after tho first
rain. so that the soil will DO well OK
posed TO the atmosphere, and be thor
oughly warmed by the time It Is ready
for planting. using five horse sulky
pillow. Let 1t then DO we'll narrowed
and cultivated. and II the weather has
not boon too wet this blowing will
suffice.
"Tken in the spring as soon as the
weather will allow, wo plant. using u
planter, sowing In rows fifteen inches
apart and about two inches deep, using
from two and one-half TO six pounds
per acre according TO tho size OF the
seed. II the soil pulverizes we'll there
Is no need 10 soak the seed, II not you
must soak 1t we'll for forty eight hours.
This seed classified into Nos. and 9
before placing In the soak. Tie
planter itself is an original idea OF
Mr. w. c. Waters. superintendent OF
the Western Beet Sugar Co. There
are no patents on It. being for the
benefit OF the beet grower. and is the
most complete in existence.
CAS- soon rs tho beets have put forth
four or six leaves the thinning
process commences. This is all done
by hand, the men going through pull
Ing all the surplus bects. leaving n
good plant every six or eight inches.
This will cost from &c to $40 per acre.
according to the stand.
Then comes the cultivating. This
is also done by hand. using the hoe.
as there is no machine that will
cultivate fifteen inches. The men are
kept going backward md forward as
long rs there Is weed in sight.
'In California bcets ripen In from
four TO five months.
''Now we como 10 the harvest First
We use pillow that loosens the beet
This year We had twelve plows going.
paying the mon that handled them 81
per day behind the plows. We had
twenty-five men Mt $l.l0 per day TO
pull the beets and spade up those the
plows failed to loosen. They placed
them In piles for the toppers. who
were furnished with knives TO remove
tho green tops and parts OF beets that
had been exposed above ground.
OF these We had ilfty. and they re-
ceivod q cents per box. which aver
aged from III TO li5 lbs, according 10
the soil. These boxes arc removed by
trucks operated by two men. driver
who received sl.l0. and helper who
received u. tho driver giving tho
topper a check for every box hc rc-
moved. lie then conveyed the boxes
70 n portable track; run to any part OF
tho field, where they wero dumped In
70 cars. he receiving check for every
box hc hauled, kcoping perfect tally.
The cars were then drawn to the main
line OF the p. V. narrow-guage rail-
road. whore tho engine picked them
up and carried them to the sugar
factory Mt Watsonvlllc. Hero
sample Of from four to fvo bcets arc