Imperial Valley press., 1937-05-30

any land but if there is an excess
amount of salt or inorganic COM
pounds in the ground the venture
will not be profitable since the
price to be paid growers is based
on the amount of sugar and the
purity. The company has agreed
to pay on the basis of 1928 pei
cent of sugar with 80 per cent
purity. Deductions will be made if
there is a large amount of inor-
ganic compounds present.
Juice is extracted from the beetS,
the syrup taken out and dehydrat-
ed SO that the sugar may be crys-
tallized out, this crystallization be-
ing made difficult by an undue
amount of inorganic compounds.
Consequently salty land will not
be profitable for the growing of
beets as the plants will absorb
a certain amount of these inor-
ganic compounds.
Method of planting sugar beetS
is similar to that used for early
lettuce and the planting period is
approximately the same, Sept. 10
Oct 20 being the best time accord
ing to experiments conducted both
on individual ranches and at the
Meloland Experiment station.
The proper type of land should
be selected and the paintings
should be fitted into a crop rota
ton program since there is danger
of garden nematode if beetS are
planted in the same ground Sue
cesSive seasons.
BY planting early in The fall it
may be possible to eliminate the
danger of boiling. where the plants
run to seed stalks.
The old u. S. No. | or German
varieties are most successful in the
valley although they are somewhat
more susceptible to curly top dis
ease carried by the beet hopper
During the time of planting in
the fall, this insect is, however,
inactive ana the danger is lessen
ed. Curly top disease reslstent varl-
cites are in the process of develop
ment.
Planting should be at distance
of 8-12 inch spacing and should
be watered carefully until the time
of harvesting when all irrigation
should cease so that higher per-
centage of sugar may be obtained.
Sugar beetS are not new crop
for the valley as they were grown
in the early days but were dis
continued as a crop because of
the difficulties in getting them to
the mills, which were then quite
inaccessible.
During -28-29-30 experiments
were conducted at Meloland Expert
ment station and l.. G.. Goar, SUI
perintendent, has published the re-
suits in his pamphlet issued some
years ago on Imperial Valley crops
These experiments showed that
if the proper varieties are planted
in medium to fine soils and if good
cultural practices are followed high
yields can be obtained, averaging
about Is tons to the acre with
20.4 sugar content and 79.5 per
cent purity.
Even better results were obtained
last year, possibly due to better
equipment and more adequate
knowledge, sugar content running
at about 10 per cent and purity
running as high as 846 per cent
Average yield was 1920 tons pei
acre. Eighteen tons is considered
good yield.
The Long Beach firm is anxious
to complete its signup within the
next 80 days so that dumps may
be located in various parts of the
valley since payments are to be
fob. the dump.
A sliding scale of prices, based
on the whole sale price of sugar
at the factory is the basis for pay
ment, this scale ranging from 1926
to Sc per hundred weight of milled
sugar.
Last year in California the price
of sugar beetS was about $3.50 pei
ton and the average yield for the
making gross return of $76.l7
Results of paintings this past
, winter were satisfactory due tC
the extreme cold weather but still
demonstrated that Imperial Valley
is capable of producing beets OF
high sugar content, purity, ano
yield. The extremely cold weather
forced the beets in boiling or seed
ing which in normal years Woulc
not be expected in the valley. This
boiling reduced the sugar content
and purity materially.
Goar pointed out that the vari-
ETY. at the station had lower Yields
than the German varieties planted
at the station had lower yields thar
the German varieties planted for
merly, stating that he is convinced
that fine sugar beetS can be grown
i'm the county.
W E. Hancock, chairman ol
the Ell Centre Chamber of Com
merce agriculture committee said
THE question of transportation
from Imperial Valley TO the Loi
AlamitoS Sugar company plant In
Long Beach was thought TO oe 9
problem but this has been met
satisfactorily by the agreement Of
the sugar factory to pay The freight
TO the coast and to make theil
price fob. the leading dump al
the railroad tracks in Imperia
Valley. The cost of hauling sugar