The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-09-12
SHORT OF BEE1S
California Beet Raisers
Alarmed.
Plant Destroyer tns Appssrsd In
Salinas Valley ava . her Sec
tioos-Much Damage Done.

OAKLAND. Aug. 3l.-The beet-rais-
ers throughout the State are alarmed
lest the new disease that has developed
In the sugar-raising sections seriously
injure the chances for big yield The
trouble. so far has been most serious
In the Salinas valley section. but re-
cent reports from Alvarado and Pleas
anton, in this county, are to the effect
that the plant destroyer has appeared
in that neighborhood, and unless
something Is done to check 1t immedi-
ately much damage will be done to
growing CROPS.
Little or nothing has been said in
print about the matter, but very seri-
Gus approximations have been enter
tanned for more than n month past. In
the large beet plantation near Salinas
II was noticed that the leaves of the
beets were curling up and the beets
themselves were not maturing as they
should. The proprietors of the factor
les at Salinas and Watsonville sent
down Mr.. koebele and other entOmO-
logical experts, suppOsing that the
trouble originated with an insect pest
and that 1t might be discovered and its
work counteracted.
Mr.. Koebele and the rest were not
able to discover any insect, and re-
tsI hat sI.. 10 Ii,
due to unfavorable climatic conditions
Il is understood that most of the beets
in that region are affected in various
degrees, and that a tract of about 1000
acres. which would have yielded some
%, 900 tons of beets, has become total
failure.
The serious question, which cannot
be fully answered until the beet fac
tories commence the years run, is
whether the new disease of the beets,
whatever 1t may be, will prevent the
beets from yielding the usual amount
of sugar, or will impede the operation
of extraction. Last year there were
| troubles with the beets which were
rather serious, but they were of a
| different kind; then the juice contained
elements which caused it to assume a
gelatinous condition and interfered
with the success of the diffusion pro-
| cess.
| John l.. Howard. who Is the presi-
dent of the Alvarado company, as well
as of the Union Sugar Company, which
has its large new plant at Betteravia
in the Santa Maria valley. Santa Bar
bara county, has undertaken to ascer-
tain the character and probable effects
of the new disease. He has engaged
Professor Rising of the State Univer.
sity, Professor Essen, who is a noted
microscopic, and Professor Hardness
of the Academy of Scientists to make
analyses of the beets and discover, II
| possible, what the trouble is. When
| the beets which have been affected are
cross-sectioned the rings appear to be
full of small dark spots. This Is OBJ
served in some of the beet ground at
Pleasanton. and they will be among
the first tested by the scientific gentle
men referred to.
| The Alvarado Sugar Factory will
probably begin its years run week
from next Monday. The probable crop
of beets is 10000 tons, which will not
be sufficient to justify running the
whole factory; probably only one half
of the machinery will be run this year.
All the other beet factories in the State
will be more or less short Of beets dur
| ing the present year.