Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-11-27

Sugar Beet =. = Rot..or.,

Sugar Beet ~ q Notator.
The following is from bulletin re-
Gently issued by Mr.. R. L. Adams,
chief in charge of the sugar factory
experiment station at Spreckels.
Calf:
When farmer smiles "you-can't-
stuff smile when the suggestion
is made that he raise sugar beets not
only to help out his income but to
prolong the life of his farm, one Of
ten wonders how this farmer accounts
for so many European countries pro-
ducing their own sugar at cost
greater than to import it. Probably
he doesn't try to account for It. But
the fact remains that Europe learned
help, she couldn't compete with the
peon labor of the tropical countries.
Holland owns the Island of Java, but
she buys almost no sugar there, not
withstanding that it produces 1000
600 tons. France gives only the
slightest reduction to colonial sugars.
But Europe didn't give up making Il
because she could buy Il cheaper.
Duty put on imported sugar to pro-
tect the home trade-not to insure an
income to the few men directly con-
nected with tho industry. but because
Of the great good done to the land
. benefit which covers a long period
Of time. This means slight increase
in cost to the consumer of the sugar,
but lessons his expenditures. very ma
tcrially on other products.
By protecting her sugar industries
Europe has given opportunity for the
investing of $500, 100000, an amount
which returns to the people 100000
600 annually, sum which would 9TH
erwise be, paid out to foreign coun-
tries. In addition to this $Iso.ooo.-
600 is derived from the surplus which
Is exported.
But the principal reason for en-
couraging the home raising OF the sti-
gar beet Is as crop rotator. Used in
this way Il has reclaimed much worth
less land and made good land much
more valuable for crop producing
purposes. This argument has often
been advanced, but most everyone
seems to think It untenable. Howev-
ef. in Germany. wheat. barley, rye,
potatoes and peas were grown on land
Just following beets and the yields per
acre were increased in the following
percentage: Wheat. a per cent: bar
ley, 7s per cent: rye. IS per cent; po-
tatoes, Io7 per cent: peas. 86 per cent.
The item of potatoes Is very sug-
cestive one and indicates the future
possibilities of the. Salinas Valley.
Land constantly grown to one crop
soon deteriorates. II Blanco, Chual-
ar and all sections primarily interest,"
ed in potato raising would rest their
land BY . two-years rotation with the
sugar beet the next few crops, after
a return to potatoes would be aston
ishing.
There Is nothing supernatural about
this. Thorough cultivation of the land
affects not only the growing crop but
those the following year or two. To
grow beess the land Is plowed deep
and careful. and thorough cultivation
Is given during the growing season.
by Eve to ten inches and just so
much more land becomes available
for future plants, as most crops can
derive moisture and nutriment only
to the depth of plowing. Repeated
plowings TO one depth leaves hard
pan through which il is almost i'm
possible for roots to penetrate. This
Is broken up by the plowing for the
beets.
In the case Of the sugar beet numer-
Gus small fibrous roots will penetrate
many feet down and to the sides.
breaking way through hard. resist
ant soils.
When the beets are dug these roots
are broken off and by rapidly decay
ing replace humus to the soil. and
the humus is the life OF the land. In
the same way the tops also contrib
ute humus.
The holes made. by the tiny root
lets are left and the roots Of future
crops will follow these paths. thus
reaching increased stores Of availa-
bic food. So there is nothing miracu-
lous or difficult to understand in re-
gard to the way the beet improves the
soil.
One more reason. of more gener-
al nature. showing the value of the
sugar beet is in remote section-par-
ticuIarly arid regions-whcre long
hauls and heavy freight rates prohibit
the shinping of low-prieed. bulky
commodities. Here the bulky beets
can be turned into sugar and the S.
per ton is turned into Sroo and ship
ped to a market consuming hundreds
of thousands of tons of sugar and ca
rs Bile of handling a vast amount more.
Verify. the United States can and
should be her own Sugar Bowl.