Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-01-26
Beet Sugar Factories and Sugar Beet
Raising Of Greatest Importance
to New Mexico.
SHOULD Be ENCOURAGED
Personal Observations on the Industry by a
New Mexico Citizen Suggestions That
Merit the Most Serious Con-
sideration.
To the Editor of the New Mexican:

nj California recently took pains to in
yestigate the sugar beet industry in tina
state with view to give publicity t
results for the benefit of the people o
this territory. In this article | propos
to quote from reliable statistics, state
ments of farmers and other valuable
data dealing directly with facts.
AS an agricultural crop in California
sugar beet farming in the beginning
had to force its way to the confidence OF
incredulous farmers.
Until after the second crop was har
vested at the Chino ranch in that state
there were many who doubted the re
ported advantages of the industry.
The same character of doubts are eX
pressed by many in New Mexice las one
learns in his trayels). who have thu
land, water and facilities for procuring
cheap and abundant labor.
There is q want of confidence, tho
same as existed in California in the in
ccption. How different today one finds
it in that state; all producers acknowl-
edge the sugar beet to be their best
friend. The New Mexicans will make
the same acknowledgment. if they will
apply themselves to the industry. But
to meet with success, our Spanish-Am
lean farmers who are largely in the ma
jority must be educated in that direc-
tion. They need leaders and encour-
agement. Once educated to the culture
of the sugar beet, with factories to
utilize the raw material. there is not ii
small holder of land and there are
thousands. who would not in a few
years be financially well off and indie
pendent, all would prosper and be
happy.
In this connection earnestly suggest
to the businessmen in every town and
city in the territory, especially along the
line of railroads. to organize and agitate
the matter by calling weekly meetings
and explaining In detail to the masses in
Spanish and English the great benefit
that would result to ALL rich and poor,
by giving this industry careful practical
attention.
/ suggest there be movement at once
by calling public meeting in this city
with view to appoint committees to
confer with other committees in differ
ent parts of the territory, or let there be
an organization which will result in
bringing about congress of delegates
from each county at the capital to dis
cuss the benefits of this most important
of all industries, and lay the plain facts
before the masses with view to their
being educated as to how to handle that
which must bring wealth and prosperity
to all.
While the mining industry of the ter
ritory is one of its important features,
all cannot be miners, at the same time
very large proportion of the masses
can be sugar beet raisers. The two
industries, properly developed, will place
New Mexico far in the front rank of
prosperity and wealth.
But to accomplish this the people
must awake, organize and show u deter
mination to succeed, and let me say
right here, that If the energy, yes the
energy, and money used in, and for
political purposes was applied to the
sugar beet industry, the very foothills
would be utilized for beet culture. But
referring to the industry and its many
great advantages, l. submit the follow
ing results obtained by different indi-
viduals on lands of the Chino ranch in
the state of California, to-wit:
Mr.. Moore rented 36 acres of land
which he planted to sugar beets, doing
the team work and a large part of the
labor himself, resulting in the land
paying him net profit of 81, ,9s1.3O. Mr..
Day cultivated 25X acres, harvesting
400 tons, receiving 81 400 for same,
while beets raised on 5s4 acres sold for
$525, or at the rate of s91.3O per acre.
Mr.. Fox cultivated ten acres of beets,
which at $5.10 per ton, amounted to
1929, or at the rate of over $72 per acre.
Gustafon Bros. purchased 20 acres of
land at s175 per acre. They harvested
436 tons, resulting In net profit OF
S6s.s7 per acre. Mr.. Warner harvested
1S acres, receiving 81, ,4O4 for his crop.
Mr.. Syell harvested IA acres, yielding
23O tons of beets realizing $70.95 per
acre. Mr.. Cavanaugh harvested ten
acres, yielding 2? tons per acre, OF 16
per cent beets, which were sold for
$5. 10 per ton or at the rate of S112.20
per acre.
These are only a, few of the many
cases which are givenwith view to show
the value of products per acre, while land
readily sells at from $50 to $175 per acre
for beet culture. The 16 per cent beet
mentioned above which yielded S1l2.20
per acre would be about the average for
New Mexico-while single factory will
pay out and distribute among farmers in
one season nearly $500, 900 which is kept
at home in local circulation. Is 1t not
apparent that with beet culture and fac
tories to consume the raw material,
cultivated lands throughout New Mex
leo would advance in value from $75 to
$3.50 per acre, that now lay dormant, SO
to speak, and for which there Is no sale
at present at mere nominal figures. As
this article is perhaps already too
lengthy, will reserve making mention
of many other advantages connected
with the industry which puts money in
the pockets Of everybody, especially the
farmer, for subsequent articles, respect
fully suggesting to You spend an hour or
two interviewing some of the business
men Of our city with a view to call pub
lie meetings. organize and go to work in
earnest, and at the same time urge the
business men throughout the territory to
do likewise. The Bureau of Immigra-
tion should (if 1t has not In preparation)
arrange to issue at least 10000 pam
phlets on the subject for distribution at
the Transmississippi exposition. In this
connection would be glad to donate oil
the Information have on the subject,
provided am given credit for same