The record-union., 1897-10-17


cy.
In the face of all these things" con-
cluded Mgr. .Capel, 1T seems to me that
the farmer who holds back and throws
distrust on the efforts of others to
promote this industry, makes a grave
mistake. All that is required Of you
is to say that you are prepared to plant
and will plant q. certain number or
acres to beets. 1t is better for farmers
who now make 81 per acre to engage
in an industry that will pay them sew
eral times as much"
MR.. DOTY'S VIEWS.
Mr.. Doty said there was no question
about there being more than lu.OUO
acres in this county available for beets,
and, according to tests made OF Sacra-
nento beets, there are excellent lands
for the purpose.
gentleman, he said, who had been
looking over the county. says there are
30, 900 acres of good beet land. me
question is, can we afford to throw
aside our other crops and engage in
beet raising? He was told the other
day that Stockton was very enxious
to take this offer off our hands right
now San Joaquin has more good beet
land than Sacramento. and her people
are enterprising This is one reason
why we of Sacramento should not al
low the opportunity to pass. Here we
can secure the investment of a million
dollar plant for an industry that has
been successful everywhere. and the op-
portuuity should not be allowed to pass.
If the company wanted 100000 or
-, IN, fC r.
factory Sacramento City would give the
money quickly But these men do not
want money. They are willing to in
vest their own money and give the peo-
pie an opportunity to plant crop that
viii be profitable to. the growers.
The offer of the Southern Pacific
| Company to carry beets twenty five
miles to market for 80 cents per ton
is very liberal. The company is doing
as we'll by sugar beets as by the rock
crushing plant.
| Mr.. Doty then read from a published
| report showing what had been done
in other places. Where everything was
paid for there were returns Of 81 so
profit per ton.
| There is any quantity of land in this
vicinity suitable for beet growing, he
said. The people on the plains have
| been in the dark as to the advantages
of beet growing, and if the agitation
does no other good it will open the
! eyes of people to the advantages of
beet growing-even for cattle feed.
YOUNG MEN SHY OF THE HOE.
! E. w. Stickney said he had been sue
cessfully raising sugar beets for sew
eral years, but it takes hard, close work
to cultivate them. The ground has to
! be carefully prepared, and it means
constant attention. The question is,
whether or not the farmers can grow
beets at q profit. Young men
nowadays are so accustomed to work
ing with improved machinery that it is
doubtful if they would bend their backs
to do the hoeing, wedding and thinning
required
Mr.. Stickney was of the impression
that the native farmers would not do
| the work, and labor would have to be
hired. He could not get white labor
this year at 81 a day, and had to en-
ploy Chinese. If other counties went
into the business 1aborers could not be
had.
TIRED OF FRUIT GROWING.
| - 4sI, lNl&Oll, d IIdCeT county 1ru1t
grower, said he was satisfied there
would be money in sugar beet grow
ing and was anxious to learn something
about it. He had not been able to
make money in raising fruit, and was
desirous of leasing some ground for
beet growing. He had come all the
way from Lodmis to attend the meeting
and to learn what he could.
PLENTY OF LABOR.
Monsignor Capel said that the beet
raisers par excellence are the Italians
Spanish, Germans and some others. and
there would be no difficulty in secur-
ing al the labor required. He said this
in response to Mr.. Stickneys remarks
about scarcity of labor.
Delos Gage of Elk Grove thought the
subject one Of great Importance, but
did not feel qualified to offer any sug-
gestions on the subject.
Chairman Mcconnell, before adjourn
| ing the meeting, said that all who de-
sired to engage in beet growing in that
neighborhood could give him their
names and the number of acres thew
would plant.
1t is believed that the vicinity of
Elk Grove will be represented by sew
eral hundred acres.
|