Arizona republican., 1906-02-16
PHOENIX. ARIZONA, FEB. 16. 1906.
A Time for self.COnSratuIation.


 Inhabitants of the Salt River valley are warranted in batting themselves and each other on the back If they had known some years ago what they would have to go through they might have hesitated to make the start. In spite of discouragements and the fail ure of plans for the future to material ize most of them, especially those who were persistent enough to stay, have done very well, if not quite so well as they had expected.
 A retrospect shows that the more roseate expectations of years ago were not quite reasonable. Too much had to be left to chance and chance is us ually unprofitable.
 The fortune wheel feature of farming in this valley is about to pass away for ever. The government is engaged in the relegation of it and the farm CTS under the Arizona canal have just decided to anticipate slightly the work of the government so as to bring under cultivation a large area of land which for years has not been cultivated, or at best has been cultivated with fear and trembling and uncertain profit.
 This new state of things alone is enough to produce a feeling of satis- faction and security. But in addition there is the certainty of the early set ting up of the beet sugar business with all its consequent blessings.
 bav-a bafOra s+a+a1 b1o=e ings are manifold There are in the first place the immediate profits and the assured annual profits. But there is something else which experience has demonstrated in every community in which beet sugar factories have been started-the steady and rapid increase in the value of all tributary land. This is a benefit not confined to the raisers of the beets, the patrons of the fact ories, but extends to all land owners within the wide influence of the fact ories
 We often hear of fictitious values of iand that land in certain cOmmuni- ties is too high. That may be true Land may be worth more one year than it will bring the next. It's real value is not it's speculative value but is based upon the income that may be derived from it. It is this kind of value that sugar beet factories have given to adjacent lands.
 Within a few years land about Rocky Ford, Colo, the center of a great sugar beet industry has been steadily rising in value. This has been the ex- perience of every other sugar beet community, that is, if the conditions have been proved to be favorable to the growth of sugar beets. The Salt River valley has furnished that proof in a high degree to the satisfaction of experts and investors. There is noth- ing to be done now but to let them grow and then reap the profits direct ly from the sale of them and indirect ly from the enhanced value of the land on which they grow.
 Another nice thing about sugar beet growing, and unlike the production of most other crops, too many cannot en- gage in it. It cannot be overdone. The manufacturers will see that the crop is taken care of even if they have to build more factories. The more the better for them and the growers.
 There is no danger of overstocking the sugar market in this country which can produce hardly half enough for it's own consumption for which s150,00O. 900 was imported last year. constitut- ing the largest single item of our inn ports.