The record-union., 1897-11-04

nese or japanese will contract for the
care of the beet crop at one dollar per
ton for clean topped beets. Some con-
tracts have been made with Italians at
ninety cents per ton The work of the
contractor is as follows: Hoeing (usua1-
ly once) before or after thinning, thin
ming, wedding and cultivation between
the rows with a hand push hoe, pulling
the beets from the ground, after they
have been loosened by the plow, and
cutting the tops off in the manner re-
quired by the factory management,
placing the beets in piles and immedi-
ately covering them with the leaves
or tops to protect from the sun. After
this the contractor gathers up the beets
and loads the farmers wagons as they
come along.
The contractor receives So per acre
on account as soon as the work of thin
ming, hoeing and cultivating is finished,
the balance when the beets arc deliver
| ed to the factory and paid for. When
! the beets are ripe the ground is loosen
ed so the beets can be pulled by hand
by the use of specially constructed
ploW, consisting of two land sides, each
held by a standard, attached to an iron
| frame, forming as it We're, two plow
/ shares set three or four inches apart
/ which is run to a depth of eight or ten
| inches
! This plow requires three horses to
pull it, and with one man can plow out
! two and one-half acres of beets per
day at an expense of 81 20 per acre.
! This work is done by or at the ex-
pense of the grower-likewise any extra
cultivation that may be required
/ Some years ago it was found bene-
ficial to give the ground one and. pos
sibly two civilizations with good horse
cultivator about the time the beets are
half grown; but this extra cultivation
is the exception and not the rule, the
farmers claiming that the thorough
work upon the land in preparing it for
the seed is the secret of successful beet
culture, making a material saving in
the cost of raising beets. as against do
ing the work in a slipshod manner in
the beginning and being compelled 10
do more work and at greater expense
after the beets are up and growing.
The rotation of crops as rule is ID
beets CD barley, CD potatoes and again
beets.
/ - - - Ntoii Ct W pant a lidtl VI idllu
to beets that has previously grown a
crop Of grain, the land should be plow-
ed early in the fall-after the first rains
and lay over until February or March
following before the second and deep
plowing for beets is done.
Farmers can and do raise just such
beets as are required by the factory,
and they understand each other so we'll
h.A1- ie, In
them. Beets are delivered at the fac
tory in wagons or at distant points at
the receiving stations located and es-
tabiished by the factory, where the
beets are weighed in and after a vary-
ing deduction mow 5 per cent? is made
! from the gross weight to compensate
for the dirt adhering to the beets the
farmer is credited with the net weight
ana once month he receives pay
therefor at 81 per ton.
! The delivery of the beets at the fac
tory from near or distant points is reg
ulated by the factory, but the details
OF this work is so well arranged and
managed that the farmer is put to no
serious inconvenience or annoyance.
The prosperity of Watsonville and
surrounding country is due, no doubt.
In a large measure to the beet sugar
| industry now so well established, and
| there seems to be no good reason why
other communities should not become
equally prosperous under similar con-
dltiohs prevailing there from the estab-
hshment OF a beet-sugar factory
The Watsonville factory charges the
FARMERS ~ cents for each acre planted
for the use of the four-row beet seed
drill, ard also charges 10 cents per
pound for beet seed.
The cost of delivering beets to the
factory by wagon is about 80 cents per
Ton Tor two-mile haul, and 10 cents
per ton for each additional mile.
1here is plenty of labor available TO
90 adj the extra work in growing beets
/ farmers need have no fear about en-
| gaging in the business on this score
as At does not require as much help as
we nave been led to believe. Three
men can handle thirty to forty acres
OF beets from start to finish-they do if
at Watsonville
me cost of raising a crop of beets
yleldlng fifteen tons to the acre. delfv-
ered at he factory, railroad station or
steamer landing say two miles distant
according to the figures given in this
article and arrived at by actual expa-
rience is:
PPFeParfng Psl3 n ga land ;;;...... ......... SO 80
Co.. ~ 1 ~ u. ~ y, 10
Sost " of stu, - los al Ioc Ib............ 20
contract for thinning. wedding hoe
lng, pulling, topping and loading in
o''.i wagon: .-.............. Is 90
pitc i5ie.fn gNoid u cuitiVator, with horses.... 70
n1sIS otl - .---..--. -....-.....-... 20
DehNery OF 10 tons two miles at 30c.. so
Cost of delivery by team sos %
IL the beets have to be transported to
factory by rail or steamer the cost
OF same may be added, say.......... 81 so
iotal cost of delivery. s33 ~
Gross returns, at Is tons to acre......s $50 co
Net proht per acre Observation-Disclosures. &c Is
Weather Reports.
FINha NN1ea -