Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-24
THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY.


The immense possibilities of the beet
sugar industry in Southern California,
are not as fully realized by those who
should lead in its extensive inaugura-
ton in this section as we would like to
be able to record. The landowners are
especially backward in taking the lead
that would be expected from them. If
there were any questions about the great
profit to be derived from the culture of
the beet and its manufacture into sugar
we could find no fault with their timldity
dubious or experimental about it. The
value of the beets raised in our soil and
climate has been thoroughly proven by
the actual results in the Chino ranch
enterprise. There the farmers who
raised the beets were satisfactorily re-
munerated. We have the details of the
cost and returns of a number of farmers
who raised beets for the Chino factory
last season, and they show net profits,
exclusive of the wages received by the
farmers for their own work, of from
$36 25 per acre to $45.SS. Now, this is
certainly a very encouraging showing on
the farmers side of the account.
But the plans proposed in this
valley would present much more
inviting picture to the farmers who own
lands than that presented by the farm
ers of Chino, who worked the land be-
longing to the ranch. They would
realize the profit incident to the raising
Of the beet crop, as was the case at
Chino, and at the same time they would
receive their pro rata, here, on the
profits realized from the manufacture of
the sugar. BY bonding sufficient land
to supply the factory with beets the cap
ital would be advanced to erect the re-
fnery; and it was shown at the Ca
huenga meetings that the profits of
three years, less the amount paid for the
beets at the factory, would clear off the
first cost of the refinery and leave the
cooperative company with their sugar
milk clear.
Now, proposition OF this character
would seem to be one that ought to
commend itself to the judgment of the
most prudent and conservative land
owner OF the valley. There is in it the
minimum of risk and the maximum OF
certainty. We know that our climate
is peculiarly adapted to the success of
the industry, and that our soil is espe-
cially gracious to the sugar beet. We
know that whilst the season, or the
sugar campaign, is very short in the
states east of the Rockies. it covers
from six to eight months here, enabling
the mills to work longer and the farmers
to put in and work off much larger crops
than elsewhere.
All these considerations are so favor
able to the establishment of this indus
try very extensively here, that we are
perplexed to see any good reason for
hesitation on the part of our land-own-
ers to enter into its Inauguration with
enthusiasm. We should have at least
six or seven mills in full blast in our
valley the season after next, and there
is enough soil available for the culture
of the beet between the Cahuengas and
the sea, and Santa Monica and Anaheim
to supply hundred factories with raw
material for the manufacture OF sugar.
If our farmers do not succeed in MAX
ing this country the center OF the great
est sugar beet industry in the state, it
will be their own faults. They can do
so to their own immense advantage if
they will only take mold of the PROPOSE
ton and carry it out with energy and
intelligence.