The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-04
THE SUGAR BEET.
Charles Il. Phillips Talks
About the Chino Ranch.
HOW FARMERS MAKE MONEY.
Great Profits Of the Sugar Beet
Industry.
TWENTY ACRES ENOUGH FOR A RANCH.
A Sparsely Populated Section in Few
Years Becomes Tricky Settled
and Prosperous.
TWENTY ACRES ENOUGH FOR A RANCH

One of the most important real estate
sales consummated in this State for a long
while is that of the celebrated Chino Val
ley ranch of Al 900 acres to G.. II. Phillips,
the successful real-estate dealer of Santa
Clara and San Luis Obispo counties, the
price paid for the property being 81, 100000.
The sum, though very large in itself, is re-
garded as comparatively small price for
the ranch, which in the last five years has
become one of the most profitable as well
as productive ranches in the State, owing
to the extensive and successful cultivation
of the sugar beet. This industry has
changed what was formerly vast wheat
ranch, sparsely populated and conducted
at a small margin of profit, to one of the
most fertile and productive valleys of Cali
fornia, thickly settled with large and
growing population.
Large holdings have been subdivided and
rented out, and large number of families
have been enabled to live comfortably on
land that formerly would not have sup
ported a single rancher.
Mr.. Phillips has been in the city for the
last two days, and in speaking of his re-
cent purchase last night said:
1.-THE Chino ranch lies near the line
separating Los Angeles and San Ber-
nardino counties. The soil is a hardy
loan, easily worked
"About eight years ago the idea took
possession of Richard Grid, the former
owner, that the soil and climate of Chino
Valley was adapted to the cultivation of
the sugar beet. He began experimenting
very extensively and continued these ex-
periments over a period of nearly four
A l. 1. i
patches of beetS which he was cultivating
in different manners as to time of planting,
method of cultivation, etc. Mr.. Grid is
something of a chemist and took one day
a week for the careful analysis of these
beets in order that he might know to a
certainty which method of cultivation was
the best to assure the desired quality in
the beets.
"After careful experiments extending
over period of four years he came to the
conclusion that he could raise beets Just as
we'll if not better than they are raised in
France and Germany, and he proceeded to
put his belief into execution. As a result
the cultivation of sugar beets began to be
entered upon very extensively in the Chino
Valley. This year we devoted about 5000
acres to beets, and next year at least 1000
acres will be devoted exclusively to this
industry. Oxnard Brothers of New York
have sugar beet factories in Nebraska and
they determined to erect one with capac-
ity of turning out 500 tons at Chino. They
did so and are so we'll satisfied with it and
the product of the beets that they increased
the capacity of the factory to 1000 tons.
We shall have area enough planted to
beets to tax the enlarged factory this year
to its fullest capacity.
ga few miles from US is Anaheim, a Ger
man settlement, where sugar beets are
also grown very extensively, they having
an area of about 5000 acres devoted to this
industry. This colony, like the one in the
Chino Valley, is very prosperous. The
gross income from an acre of beets varies
from $50 to $120 The net income will
range from SIS to $65 an acre. One man
can work successfully twenty acres and
fifty acres. So you see that man with
what is comparatively very small sugar
beet farm can make a great deal more
money than his neighbor who may own a
very large tract of land devoted solely to
the cultivation of cereals.
''The great beauty about a sugar-beet
farm is that no irrigation is required. An
orchard or a vineyard must be irrigated
and in a dry year. the wheat crop is
ruined. But the crop of sugar-beets never
fails, be the season wet or dry. The soil
required is sandy loan and the climate
must be dry and clear. The sugary quality
of the beet, so to speak, depends on the
air and the sun, and the coast Valleys such
as is the Chino Valley, possess in the
peculiar qualities that are necessary for
the growth of the sugar-beet.
"Of course this industry had q setback
in the removal of the bounty from sugar
We pay our laborers decent wages, while
foreign labor costs but a trifie. Then
again we live in a civilized manner and
not like brutes. Our sugar-beet growers
have schools and churches; they live in
coy homes comfortably furnished and
are surrounded by evidences of culture and
refinement. Yet in spite of the removal
of the bounty the sugar-beet grower is able
to com pete with the foreign producer.
eve have great many aids in our indus
try. Mr.. Grid himself perfected number
of inventions which make one man do the
work of half a dozen. All these things
help. Besides that, sugar is something
that must be used the world over, yet there
are comparatively few localities where SUI
gar beets can be raised. We only make a
small part of the sugar used in the United
States even. Yet we have enough land IN
make all the sugar used in America. Our
alluvial valley soil cannot be surpassed,
and it ranges all up and down the coast.
Beets, however will not do we'll III adobe
soil.
''The sugar beet farmer has the advan-
tage OF knowing Just what ne is gong 10 get
for his crop before he plants it, There is
no fuctuation of price. The market does
not go up or down. Last year we lost
about $4,000 on account of the removal of
the bounty yet our farmers went right
ahead and have saved nearly 81 10000 to
this country that would have been spent
for the foreign product if the California
sugar beet industry had not been es-
tablshed. There is no danger of the sugar
market being glutted. There is always a
demand for it, and man can sell his crop
as soon as it is ready to harvest.
'"The effect of this industry on any sec
ton of country where it is engaged in is
exemplified pretty clearly in our section.
The industry started four years ago. At
that time we only had sixty children IN
our school. Now there are 500 on the roll.
Where the services of but one teacher were
needed, now we need seven, and next year
we shall need at least ten. A brick school
house costing $4,000 has just been, com
pleted 1t was the gift of Richard Grid
and wife and the Chino Valley Beet Sugar
Company, and the chances are that III
year or two we shall need another.
"There are now 5000 acres allotted for
planting sugar-beets this season. This