The herald., 1897-12-09
(Edited by Prof. A. J. Cook.)
BEET SUGAR QUESTION

part of the state, for we hear Of factor
les going up north as well as south. Be
sides the factories already in operation
It Is reported that SIX are sur,
to be added and as many more are II
contemplation throughout the state.
We understand that the farmers o.
Ventura county have already made con
tracts with the Oxnards to start fac
tory. Other regions are contemplating
the same action. The brightest farmer,
Of Chino, where O factory has been IL
active operation for years, are not at al
satisfied and are free to speak theil
minds to the effect that had they M
factory they would be less eager thar
before to induce the starting OF one.
1t is reported that there has beer
serious anxiety, unrest and loss among
the Chino farmers this season. TheiI
beets were ready for the factory at the
usual season, but were uncalled for
The factory went to Orange and Ven.
tura counties for its beets, leaving the
beet fields in the Immediate region until
late in the season. The company, 1t Il
said. had to pay 20 cents per ton freight
on the foreign beets. but refused to pay
this extra amount for beets of the re-
gion. The early rain and lateness OF
the season when the Chino beets were
desired led to loss and possibly great
er anxiety on the part of the growers.
An early rain induces growth which
calls upon the stored-up sugar, and thus
reduces the percentage, greatly to the
disadvantage Of the growers. At once
after the rain. the beets had to be dug
peeled and covered, which of itself led
to no small increase in the expense. II
would seem that the Chino beet growers
had a just grievance. although a close
Investigation would doubtless show that
there are two sides to this. as we'll as to
most questions that are in dispute.
There Is certainly one sensible sugges-
tion to be made to the farmers that arc
being urged to sign contracts which
shall lead to the building and equipping
OF factory. They should appoint a
committee to visit the farmers where
factories have been longest in operation
and see Just how the thing works In
cold practice; just how the contracts
have failed to do Justice or to give sat-
isfaction: Just how the ranchers feel af-
ter feeding for years on actual expert
ence. We are credibly informed that
q committee Of farmers was brought to
Chino. were shown the factory with Its
large output of sugar, the tremendous
activity and Immense consumption of
beets, and were hurried back to sign q
contract. which the Chino farmers think
they would not have signed had they
called for a conference and freely talked
the matter over with the growers.
That there may be something in this
appears from the fact that the ranchers
Of Elk Grove, Sacramento county. were
on the very eve OF signing q contract,
which upon more full investigation they
refused to DO. They would sign for one
year, but not for five, contending that II
the promise was as great as the capital
lists claimed the farmers would gladly
recontract for the second, third, fourth
and fifth years. It will certainly be wise
for the farmers everywhere In case fac
tory Is contemplated to make very full
investigation before they sign any con-
tract.
BEET GROWING
That the continuous growing Of beets
will prove very exhaustive to the soil
there can be no doubt. The tonnage of
production is immense and the call upon
the soil great The sugar of the beets,
like the butter In the dairy, comes who'll
ly from elements furnished by the at
and were the sugar alone re-
and all the balance kept on the
land and returned to the soil, there
would be no better crop to grow; but
the Albumenoids and the ash products
are also great, as shown in the excel
%fh hno y, fn,. foc irrr 10 nd
thus, II the pulp is all removed, the soil
Is meeting heavy loss.
There are two suggestions which the
beet growers may wisely heed, or before
very long they will find that they have
II not ruined, soils: The
one 10 to return all the tops to the soil,
and buy pulp and feed 1t on the farm.
In this way they return all the elements
Of fertility that the crop removes. The
other suggestion is that the beet growers
practice rotation Of crops, as the wise
grain growers do In the east, and as, we
ore told, the beet growers do In Ger
many.
In most regions where beets grow In
alfalfa does exceedingly well.
Why not. then, grow alfalfa for term
Of years. then follow with beets? AS al
lalfa Is a legume, 1t will trap the nitrogen
from the atmosphere and really increase
the fertility. and thus make greater beet
production possible. It would also tend
to add to the percentage Of sugar In the
beets. The reason why California beets
are so rich in sugar contents is that we
have such fine soil. Let us be careful
that we do not change this by injudicious
cropping and by q total removal Of all
the product of growth.
BEET SUGAR
At nearly every one of our farmers
Institutes the question Is asked regard
beet sugar. and the opinion is quite uni
versal that jelly can not be properly
made IL beet sugar Is used, and Is quite
general that the fruit canned with beet
sugar will not keep.
The sugar from beets and sugar cane
. precisely Identical, and both are known
n science as sucrose or cane sugar. The
chemical formula Is C12 H22 Oil. II then
here is any difference In the two manu-
Iactured articles 1t IL owing to the clari-
ication or refining.
In case the foreign material Is
aot wholly removed or the refining pro-
,ess not complete. then the sugar will
not be Of first quality. Any imperfection
hen II due. not to the origin Of the Juice
7ut to the skill and perfection In the
Manufacture. We have used the beet