Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-03-13
THE SUGAR BEET CULTURE
Correspondence Concerning This In
duStry from a Gentleman Thor
Oughly CCnversant with Con-
diti0ns As They Exist in
the Territory.
II is A SURE SOURCE OF PROSPERITY
Seed for Experimental Purposes Can
Be Obtained Gratis, by Santa Fe
People, Upon Application to
Our Correspondent.

Moss, Monterey County, CAL, March TO-
| 1871 am reminded of the advent OF
the New MEXICAN which has been a
weekly visitant for SO successive years
that your people are taking considerable
| interest in the matter of sugar beet cul'
ture. Well they may, for when they shall
| demonstrate that lands adapted to that
purpose, are not limited to the Pecos
valley, but are plentiful about Santa Fe
and various other sections Of the territory
and that such sections can be depended
upon to produce beets in sufficient
a uantities to support factories, they will
witness the coming of times more pros
porous than pastoral sections are sub
| ject to.
Unquestionably, New Mexico can pro-
duce sugar beets of very superior quail
ty. The best plant is sun plant, and is
dependent upon sunshine for its sugar
content. Then why should not sunny
Land" produce beets of more than ordi-
nary sweetness? 1t surely can. That is
settled fact. But can the section about
Santa Fe as we'll as many others pro-
duce beets in quantities large enough
to support factories? | might answer
yes, but timid doubling capital is more
sceptioal. 1t asks for facts, not opin-
ions. Then convince 1t of such capabil-
ity by actual demonstration, and it will
quickly and smilingly set about erecting
factories. It is on the alert for just such
advantageous opportunities. l have had
IL, h 10 onJ Nhcouuotinp
in sugar beet culture, and am familiar
with the inside workings of converting
sugar beets into sugar. I am resident
| Of the section in which is located the
| Spreckels sugar beet factory. the largest
| in California. It began operations in q
small way, and met with many discour
agements, chief of which was its inability
to secure enough beets to support it.
This was overcome by its leasing lands
and growing beets upon its own account
| 1t showed farmers that sugar beet raising
| is profitable industry. After doing this
it experienced no further trouble in get
ting beets, but soon thereafter had :. to
double its capacity to handle them. Its
original daily capacity was about SOC
tons. This has been increased as occa
sion required until it has reached 1.50C
tons, and is still inadequate to handle the
beet output Another factory of daily
capacity of 5000 tons, intended to be the
largest in the world, is being erected
The two will give total daily capacity
of 1850 tons.
The sugar output of the past season
was nearly 10000 tons. We're I to ex-
| press in dollars and cents the amount OF
money circulated thereby, for sugar beets
land rentals, farm wages, teaming, trans
portation, factory wages, coal, wood,
lime, coke, ETC., and then show what the
circulation would have been, had the same
| lands that produced the beets been used
| for grazing purposes, l imagine your
| people would be astonished, and would
realize more fully the Importance of de.
monstrating the capacity of their lands
for sugar beet culture.
If any of your people about Santa Fe or
Galisteo want sugar beet seed to expert
ment With, will furnish it gratis, upon
application, and will furthermore have
analysis made, without charge, of some OF
the beets grown therefrom. The only
condition l will impose therefor, is that
be given the date of planting and of each
irrigation thereafter.
The soil should be thoroughly pulver.
lied about one foot in depth. The
sooner the seed is planted after the
ground shall become warm enough to
sprout it, the better. Plant the seeds
about eight inches apart, in rows from Is
to "a inches apart.
S. N. LAUGHLIN.