The record-union., 1897-10-14
FOR BEET SUGAR.
STOCKTON PEOPLE ADVISED TO
GROW SUGAR BEETS.
Interesting Facts and Figures Con-
cerning the Profits of the
Great Industry.
From the stockton MaiI.l

pie Of the city of Stockton and the
farmers of this vicinity on the subject
of sugar beets.
It seems singular that men should
have to be constantly urged and pushed
into doing that which is greatly to their
interest. Yet this seems to be the trou-
BILE with the farmers of this section IN
the matter of sugar beets. Sugar-beet
growing, on lands adapted to it, IS the
mcst profitable of all agricultural pur-
suits in this State. With the knowledge
that he has the necessary land, with
the certainty that he has the necessary
market, with the positive assurance
that he has a larger profit than ne can
expect to gather from his soil IN any
other way, it seems passing strange
that the farmer should be 10th to en-
bark in this industry.
The most casual observer must con-
cede that, with the coming of general
crop throughout the world, the price
Of wheat must decline in this country to
an unprecedented figure. When the
trans Siberian railroad is finished,
which. it is expected, will be in the
year 1900, wheat can be laid down in
san Francisco from Vladivostock or
Port Arthur much more cheaply than
it can be laid down from Fresno, and
the raising of wheat will be practically
a dead industry in this State upon high
priced lands.
The farmer. evidently, is not willing
to be warned by the awful experience
through which he passed during the
years 1898, 1894 and 1895, when he was
driven almost into bankruptcy and, in
many cases, actually into bankruptcy,
owing to the low price of cereals. The
causes which produced the depression
then are likely to obtain again, at any
time. and to continue indefinitely. My
informations is that there is enough
land in Siberia, which has never been
touched by a plow, to supply the Euro
pean markets with what breadstufts
they must import, without calling upon
the United States for bushel. That
we cling so tenaciously to this industry
evidences that we have gotten into a
rut. out Of which we have, apparently,
neither the energy nor the intelligence
TO move.
The market for sugar beets is as
sured; the price is fixed; the cost OF
producing an acre is so well determined
as to be outside the pale of speculation;
Inc amount " HUI d1 clN4C VI AeNAANN ~ -
produce. with good cultivation, is al
most certainty, and the profit is as
sured. There are no fluctuations in
the price; no especial care IS needed III
the preparation of the land, beyond
thorough tilling; no skill is required IN
harvesting; the land is not abused, but
after a crop Of sugar beets can De
cropped to any other produce the sue
ceeding year.
Tests made in this neighborhood evil
dence that there is, perhaps, more land
in San Joaquin County adapted to the
raising of high grade sugar beets than
in any other county in California rms
is especially true of the lands on Rob-
erts and Union Islands, though the
lands about Lathrop, Atlanta- Lodi and
New Hope bear evidence of equal fer
tility.
Here are the results of some tests
made in different parts of this county:
Wood Brothers, Roberts lsland-Io.9o
per cent. sugar, S5 per cent. purity OF
juice
W. w. Ferguson, Linden-15.oo per
cent sugar. 79-2 per cent. purity oi
juice 100
J. A. Reynolds, Roberts Island-l6S2
per cent. sugar, SOL per cent. purity OF
juice.
W. Schult. Linden-14.40 per cent su-
gar. I'll per cent. purity of juice
Crocker & Dillon, Roberts Island
1l35 per cent. sugar, S2.S per cent pur-
ity Of juice.
cent. sugar, S4.4 per cent. purity Oh
3uice. 100
William Dawes, New Hope-15.39 per
cent. sugar, SIS per cent. purity OF juice
P. A. Kise, New Hope-lo.39 per cent
sugar. 81 per cent. purity of juice
W. w. Fogg. New Hope-lo.ll per
cent. sugar, S3.4 per cent. purity OF
Ezra Fiske. Lodi-1425 per cent. su-
gar. S42 per cent. purity of Juice.
w. II. Priest, Lathrop--1459 per cent
sugar. 1872 per cent. purity of juice.
Crocker & Dillon, Union Island-l6I'
per cent. sugar, SS.23 per cent. purity
of .iltice.
These tests are sufficient, both in the
extent of the territory they cover and
in the variety of the soil from which
they came. to evidence that there is a
vast acreage in this county which will
grow sugar beets abundantly
The citizens of this community should
do all n their power TO encourage the
growing of sugar beets. The owners
Of the factory at Wheatport have writ
ten me that they are ready TO make
contracts for from 1000 to 5000 acres.
and will take the beets delivered on
the bank of the river, on the wharf in
Stockton. or at the railway station.
Assuming that 5000 acres are planted
and that the average cost of producing
an acre Of sugar beets is $40, ready for
the factory. we have an expenditure
upon 5000 acres of land of SD, 600.
All ot this except the cost of the seed
and the cost of sacks goes for labor.
AS seed and sacks can be provided for
about So an acre, this viii leave S2lO,
600 to be distributed in this vicinity for
labor during q period of seven months;
or at the rate of $50. 900 month, or
S1.154 for every working day-more
money than is disbursed for labor by
all the manufacturers now engaged IN
business in the city of Stockton during
the same period. OF the sum thus re-
ceived for wages. the laborer would
naturally leave the major portion in
the community in which he resides.
The citizens of this city should adopt
your sugge stion-should organ re for the
furthering Of this industry. Stockton
has always been reproached, truthfully.
with a lack of public enterprise and
public spirit. I hope that you win be
able to rouse our people TO the necessity
for energetic action in this matter.
Many factories for the making of SUI
gar from beets are likely TO be erected
in California in the near future, and
when it is understood that we can and
will raise heets / havn no doubt thai