Arizona republican., 1906-08-12
FIRST FRUITS OF THE PROJECT
One Hundred Sacks to Be Delivered Tuesday at MCKeeS Cash SOre---The Doubtful Stage Has Been
 Successfully Passed

would amount to 10000 tons. Subse- quent developments corroborate that estimate, but there is to be deducted from the volume the 1000 tons lost at the factory and a small quantity lost in the fields
 All lots of beets are tested at the fac tory payment for them being based upon their saccharine value Of all the tests made yesterday by General Man ager Meyers, none were lower than Is per cent, which is a high average. They ran from that to 16, r. Is and as high as 19 S-1O per cent. The beets of this extraordinary quality were produced on one of the old Fowler ranches. in the lower part of the valley. Beets of 16 per cent richness bring s5 a ton The average of those tested yesterday is considerably over that, so that the crop in will bring this year to the farmers of the valley more than S2OOOOO This is not so bad for what may be regarded as sort of an experiment.
 THE PROFIT TO GROWERS.
 About 4OOO acres were planted to beets-a smaller area than was desired. The average profit on this land per acre is greater than most of it would have sold for before the beets were planted.
 A representative of The Republican the other day visited the beet fields in the neighborhoOd of Mesa and he dis covered the reports Of heavy losses by reason of the failure of the factory to start up at the time expected were greatly exaggerated. The beets which had been left in the ground had been only slightly damaged. Those which had been pIowed out were even less damaged, but those which had been put into piles were lost. These losses however. were not great. The heaviest was suffered by Wolf Sachs. who lost about loo tons in this way. The whole crop may be said to be practically in- tact.
 In the neighborhood of Mesa the beets will run from twelve to twenty two tons to the acre. One farmer wa tered his too much. as he afterward discovered, and in places the crop will not amount to more than eight tons. but in other places the better crop will bring the average up to twelve tons. The neighbOr of this farmer. only fence separating their lands. who did not irrigate so profusely, raised twenty-five tons to the acre. The beets about Mesa run Is per cent in
 
 ton. These figures give some idea of the profit in the beet business. The people about Mesa understand this so that no land within a radius of from one to three miles of Mesa can be bought for less than $1OO an acre. AL most all of this land is good cantaloupe land, also. | AN EARNEST OF THE FUTURE.
 The success of the factory this year will greatly stimulate the industry next year There have been inevitable mis- -akes and misunderstanding on the part of both the factory management md the farmers. Profting by the ex- oeriences of the present year, the drawbacks will be avoided There will
  hen be no shortage of water, for by he time the factory will get to work 'n the next crop the government diver 'ion dam will have been put in and a iteady and adequate supply will be as- iured.
 The raising of beets requires study 'n the part of the farmers. and they nave learned something this year that hey will not have to learn next year. ut there is still much unIearned. Among the things to be taken into con- alteration are, when to plant and when md how to irrigate. MT. Meyers be- ieves that the crop should be sown within six weeks beginning with the middle of December. The harvesting hould be begun about the middle of April. The weather is apt to be better 1t that time of the year and labor con itions are also better then.
 WHAT HAS BEEN TAUGHT.
 There is a need of experienced sugar 'eet growers from such states as Wis Onsin and Michigan. They could iardIy be expected to settle under the Arizona or the new canals until all uncertainty about irrigation has been emoved but colonies of experienced