El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-06-24
BEET SUGAR.
Interesting Art icle byJ. NJ. Hawkins
in the Farmers Friend.

y
per and now of Southern Callfornis
has the following article in the Farm
er's Friend of Los Angeles on the bee
sugar industry in SOuthe California
Interest in the beet sugar industr
grows apace, and capitalists and farm
ers alike read whatever Is preSente
about it. The progressive farmer @
= today is keenly alive to what is goin;
on. and is looking about for new thing
that will bring him revenue. Callfor
mia has more reason TO expect eXpan
sion in the beet sugar industry tina n an,
other state, because she has the re
ouisite conditions TO a greater eXten
than any other section, namely, mil
; climate and ample sunshine. 1t woulC
be folly to say that all of the vail y
of the state are adapted TO the profit
a lie gro Sth of the sugar beet, but the
suitable area is exceedingly largA. MOI
is it limited to the ''mOist'' lands. a
has been asserted by owners OF sucf
soil.
While the growth of sugar beets ir
California has been confined TO non
irrigated lands, 1T is not SO elsewhere
One factory at Lehi, Utah, which has
been ia successful operation Tor half a
dozen years, has used Only irrigated
beets. The acreage has gradually in
| creased, showing that the farmers are
Statistic d with returns. In the PecOs
valley, of New Mexico, just north OF
| the Texas line, about l, oOO acres OF
| irrigated beats were grown last year,
| and local factory, in its initial season,
| sh pped 135 carloads OF granulated
suga TIE Utah factory finds home
market for all of its product, and sew
eral similar plants could run without
fully supplying Utah. The New Mexl-
CO factory would not have to ship to
points outside of that territory if there
were facilities for reaching the mining
camps. In fact, the people OF New
Nj exico could consume the output OF
several similar factories. In each OF
these irrigated regions the beets gave
as good returns in percentage OF sac
charine and purity, as those OF non
irrigated fields of California. Nor does
the expense of irrigating appear to
have seriously reduced profits to the
gro err, as only a mOdicum OF water
was needed, and water rates have not
reached the prOhibitive point as in
some sections of California. This sea-
son the New Mexico farmers are grow
ing 5000 acres of sugar beets, all 1rri-
gated.
Southern California is familiar with
the history of the Chino sugar enter
prise, and its ever increasing OPERA
lions. Its success has led to the con-
structiOn of another great sugar fac
tory by the Clarks, just across the
county line thirty miles south of Los
Angeles, in easy reach OF San Pedro
harbor, when shipping facilities are
needed. Under the American system
of raising beetS the factory is in close
proximity of the fields, and the beets
may be received fresh and at slight
expense for moving. In foreign coun-
tries, neig hborhOod manufactures
handle the crop, converting 1t into
sugar and shipping this to central
to be made into marketable
sugar. By this plan localities that
cannot enlist sufficient capital for a
pant like that at Chino or Los Alami-
los, may engage ia the industry.
Doubtless either of the above factories
would handle the syrup OF small fac
tories in small outside districts. That
at Los AlamItos might even engage in |
the refining of Hawaiian sugars dur
ing the period when the home product
is Insufficient to meet the demand.
The idea of a central renLery near
or at the har Dor has already been sug-
geeted by Col. Holabird, for the con
sIderation of the Los Angeles Cham
Der of Commerce.
No one need be apprehensive that
the wide interest shown all over the |
United States in the growing of sugar
beelS will result in over production.
" hen experiments are made. Until |
artlcular locality has u ade ample
tests, capital will not be invested i'll
buildin gs and machinery. as a rule, be-
cause capitalists depend upon experts |
to decide as TO locations. These take
into consideration not only apparent
conditions of locality, but |
also accurately guage results OF extern
sive experiments. While the market |
,y,;, h.
prof able in many localities that will |
suffer if the lime ever comes when |
is close. Then the region |
best adapted naturally to sugar max
ng will nave the permanent advantage |
and California, therefore, can consider
her calling and election sure. 1t will
De a long day before American farmers
,an produce enough sugar to retain all
If the s12O, 600, 600 in gold that is an
aually sent abroad for the foreign
made article.
California need not send a pound of
sugar beyond the Rocky mountains to
nest the importatiOns from across the
ocean for many year, no matter how
the farmers may engage IN
beet culture. The western-the home
consume all the sugar
California can make. The factories
and farmers have made money without
tarlH-tHOSo IN CailIOFnld, al least
and under proposed tariff aid the bust
ness will be highly remunerative.
That numerous companies are con-
proposed investments in sugar
plants demonstrates the readl-
ness of capitalists to provide the
and the time is coming
when the sugar trust will be over
wbelmed and unable to control the
mari cts.
There are in operation in this state,
besides the Chino factory, those at
jacksonville and Alvarado. The lat
ter is adding to it's plant $500, 900 worth
of machinery to handle beets from
5000 acres already planted by AGO farm
ers, who will receive this year nearly |
half million dollars. The new mil
lion dollar plant of the Clarks at Los
Alamitos and of Spreckles at Salinas |
will be in operation this season. But |
there is room for many more,- small |
and great.
AS disburser of coin, as an agent
for prosperity, the best sugar factory |
has no equal, and while beet growers
are dependent upon the factory, the |