Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-06-03
FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1910
Subscripdon Rates.
SUGAR BEET CULTURE.
Prize Winning Essay in Sucrose Club
Contest.

the sunar beet culture as farming
industry in the Arkansas Valley, and
the commercial relations of sugar
beet factory to a community where
the resources are largely agricultural
which was awarded first prize in the
contest conducted by the Sucrose
Club of the A. B. S. Co.'S factory at
Las Animas:
A most complex system is our
American social state; but although
every man does his part, and although
every class of labor is in way es-
sential, the farmer is by far the most
important. So great are his produc-
ing powers that should we at any
time be cut off from intercourse witt
the rest of the worldI we could with
comfort exist independently. In fact
our farmers have such advantages
that thew fail to realize what they
might do: yes often what they ought
to do. There is not the slightest
doubt but what they should raise
crops which we most need, and
which at the same time will yield the
best returns with the least expendi'
ture of natural resources. Such
product is the sugar beet.
| We are the greatest sugar consum-
ing nation on earth; our average an
nual per capita consumption being
eighty pounds. OF this vast amount
the value of which is greater thar
that of all the wheat exported from
this country. we produce less than on.
seventh Were we so disposed. We
might in this valley raise nearly hal
| of what the nation needs. Their.
are some. no doubt, who rather thar
try anything new, would be content
for foreign nations to produce our ST.
gar: but such spirit is not in har
mony with American idcas-wc wan,
no make shift. We want the very best
| Now the sugar beet may be profit
ably raised from one end of the coun
try to the other. and when properly
cultivated the profits to all concern
ed cannot be surpassed by those o.
any other crop.
| Under the most favorable condi
tions the sugar beet made its advent
into the Arkansas valley. which is th,
the Oxnards building the plant a.
Rocky Ford A great. broad. fcr,il
valley. in the most desirable of eli
mates and under an extensive sys
tenn of irrigation. it would indeed b'
difhculr to imagine a better place TO-
the industry.
First, there came the experimental
stage. A few progressive farmer
planted small patches and gave them
the best OF care: the results were
more than pleasing. Factories were
built. and in but few seasons pco-
pie bought and paid for farms will
the hitherto unheard of profits deriv
ed from their culture The country
went beet crazy and every available
acre was planted to this crop withou:
the least regard to method; of courst
reaction cnsued. Men wondered
why they were not successful. and
many turned away from tho industry
in disgust
II The sugar beet is a garden cror
and must be cultivated accordingly.
We may scratch over the surface
scatter the seed broadcast. and har
vest a poor crop OF wheat: not SC
with the beet. Its culture is a sci
encc-a science which will be master
cd in all its details by our intelligent,
farmers il they will only listen to the
sugar company's agriculturis,s. and
with their practical advice combin,
little common sense. Even a school
boy should know Netter than to thinl
he can sow seed ON unprepared. un-
fcrtilizcd soil. let the weeds outgrow
the bcets, and them expect to pay of
. ASdRC VIII pIouls.
i Practically all OF the tillablc lanG
in the country has been opened up.
and future generations are going to
depend upon the scientific cultivation
of the sold for their food. The
farming land of this country, the
most OF which was originally very
fertile has indeed been abused. One
farmer gets control of a large tract.
| (cnough for a whole European set
tlcmcn), and proceeds to get what
he can out of it with the least ex-
pcnditurc OF money and energy. No
attention is paid to the effect upon
the soil. and in many cases it is con-
verted into barren waste. 1t ap-
pears to me that when a man uses
a piece of ground for years, and
leaves it in poorer condition than
when he found it. he has committed
a crime against society. The western
farmer needs lesson in scientific
farming. and no better crop can be
found for the purpose than the beet
| ror its successful culture the farm
must be made as level as garden.
and as all farm products do best on
ground which has been carefully pre-
pared, it is easy to see the effect up
on the crops which follow. The beet
cannot be grown on common soil
without fertilization. thus the ground
must be constantly enriched with fer
tilizer. or by alienation with alfalfa
or cereals. As matter of fact, other
croDs thrive best on beet ground. due
to the preparation of the soil and the
stores of nourishmcnt which has been
left An erroneous idea current with
the farmers is that while the beet con-
sumes vast quantities of nourish-
mcnt. it leaves none in the soil.
When we see a bcca we fail to real
izc that besides the enlarged root.
which is sent to the factory. there
| is dense root system Left in the