Arizona republican., 1905-11-10

that all the farmers expect, whereas the $45O price to be paid here is min imum; and it will be a disappointed farmer in this valley if he don't beat even the five dollar price when he learns how to raise beets, for tests heretofore made run higher in quality of beet than almost anywhere else. Following is the Topeka item:
 Miss Gertrude Coburn, representing the secretary of the Kansas depart ment of agriculture, who supervises the payment of the state bounty to the sugar beet growers, returned today from a weeks trip of inspection to the beet fields of the Arkansas valley, In F'inney and Kearney counties Miss Coburn has visited this territory in previous years for Inspection purposes, but reports an unusual spirit of eaation this year because of general agricul- tural prosperity and especially the promising outlook for the sugar indus try. In speaking of her observations Miss Coburn said:
 "There are no buster nor more en- thusiastic Kansans just now than the farmers in the Arkansas valley sugar beet region. Real estate agents can scarcely find vehicles sufficient to ac- commodate the landseekers who arrive by every train, and the high prices of ! fered for the cultivated land would seem tempting even to the most con- tented of the older settlers. But farm CTS who have fair beet yields refuse | to listen to offers of any sort. Their cry is for more laboreTs, more wagons, more cars; for the fifth sugar beet har- vest in Finney and Kearney counties is in progress, from more than dou- | ble any previous acreage harvested, and grinding for sugar making has be- gun at the new factory at Holly, Col orado, which contracted for the 1905 crop of Kansas beets.
 Dozens of cars at a time on the sidings, great four-horse wagon loads of beets coming by every road to the | stations, piles of topped beets in the fields, and many hundreds of tons still in the ground, testify that beet grow | ing in western Kansas is becoming a business of importance.
 "No one longer questions that the soil and climate are admirably adapted to beet culture. and the growers are learning each year how to better man. age the new crop. There have been | drawbacks and discouragements l | tic, ever -buoyant western Kansan blames his lack of larger experience | and skill. but never the country nor the natural conditions. If his yield by any chance is too small to pay ex- penses he planes only himself; he | planted too late, or watered too early; neglected to cultivate sufficiently; lis tened to the wrong advisor; failed to | engage his Mexican laborers, and so on: but, 'Oh. yes, there's money in the beet business: I shall double my acre. age next year.. Gradually these per sistent and progressive men are learn ing to avoid frost and combat insects, to supplement or supply moisture, inn port suitable laborers, and provide machinery for a business very unlike | any they had known before.
 "It was at first supposed that only | the bottom land along the river was adapted to beets, but this years expe- rience has demonstrated that even bet ter beet land lies up toward the high | prairie, and many old alfalfa fields have been and will be plowed up for | beets, wherever ditches or wells make irrigation water available.
 Every ton represents for the grow CT five gold dollars, besides the state bounty. The farmer who produces sev- | en tons from an acre estimates that he | pays expenses. 7,
 "Beets up to this time with the prin- cipal farmers have been a side issue.
 and planted in the main by way oi testing the possibilities of untried land.
 but this year Finney county will har- | vest about 800 acres, and Kearney 500. and the yield from these is expected to
 be between 10000 and 11,000 tons."