Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-11-03
GROWING OF SUGAR.

There is disappointment among thi
growers over the sugar beet crop il
the Independence district, the tonnag,
to the acre not meeting their expecta
tlons. This is undoubtedly due to an
unfavorable season, yet a considerable
majority of those who undertook fol
the first time to raise sugar beets com.
merciaily are somewhat skeptical of fu.
ture results, and will abandon the crop.
This determination on their part makes
the establishment Of a sugar beea fac
tory at Independence, promised by one
OF the largest manufacturing concerns
of this character in the United States,
without the bonds of possibility, for
the first requisite is q beet acreage suf-
ficiently large to guarantee stock for a
beet factory. Originally owners Of 1900
acres agreed to plant that area to beets.
but when the planting time came it was
found that the shortage was immediate
ly around 250 acres, and when harvest
time arrived it was found that the crop
was only approximately about two
thirds.
Shipments are now being made to the
beet sugar factor at Grants Pass, and
the farmers are receiving $3.50 per ton
for their product aboard cars at indie
pendence. 1t wiss require somethinf
like 100 cars of 80 tons each to move
the crop, and these are now going for
ward at the rate of three care a day.
The beets are weiged before they are
loaded, and returns made on that basis,
The purchasing company has gone to
considerable expense in building a load
ing station on the spur track of the
Oregon Sand & Gravel Co.. for which
there promises to be little or no use
after the present season, for, although
few farmers may take another canoe.
the majority will no longer think of
sugar beets, except reminiscently. That
1t was unfortunate that the season was
nnfavorable goes without saying. Had
rains fallen at intervals during the sum-
mer season, in accordance with custom
Of long standing, there would probably |
have been different story to tell. In |
stead of the yield avering seventons
70 the acre, it would have been close to
iouble this figure. What is lacking in
quantity, however, is made up in quail
ty; but this only rebounds to the fac
'ory's benefit, for the growers receive
he ton price and no more, regardless
II superiority. While the requirements
are test of Is per cent, the Independ-
nee beet crop is averaging fully 20 per
ent, which places that section high in
he list of beet growing territory in this
tate.
A considerable amount of the land on
gain be planted to hops, the high prices
ow prevailing being an inducement to
hose who last spring plowed up their
ards to replant. One farmer who had ,
90 acres in beets, will take another
hot at it again next year with 100
cres, planting the remaining acreage
wheat. But a large percentage of d,
eet land will bear hops next year. In !
peaking of this prospective change to
representative of the Observer, an In
ependence man who this year had five
cres in beets, where he had heretofore
used hops, remarked that he had netted i.
5000 from hops off the tract, while on
is beet crop he would little more than =
reak even. Instances like this are nu-
erous, and those tillers of the soil who
ave reaped rich harvests from the pro-
act that put kick in the brown bev-
age, which remains only a memory. a
e hard to wean away from that pro- 1
Observer. "