106 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



benefit of the moisture and at the same time the evaporation from the 

 surface is reduced to a minimum. 



Then, too, the seasons out there are peculiar. The agriculturist be- 

 gins to plant his beets in January, and they ripen early in the summer. 

 From January on they plant field after field up to the middle of May, 

 so that beets are growing and maturing through a greater portion of 

 the year. This gives the Californians an advantage which is not found 

 anywhere else in the world. There, too, they derive another advantage 

 from the fact that they do not have to protect their crop from the cold. 

 Out there we find no such thing as a silo to guard against the low 

 temperature as in a severer climate, although they are sometimes siloed 

 to protect them from second grow^th. During the last two years the 

 seasons in California have been remarkably trying, the average rain- 

 fall being only about ten inches, and that during the winter time. 

 These growers, however, don't expect the rain, and usually don't get 

 it, so they are forced to make provision to meet this lack of moisture 

 w^ithout any help from the heavens; and during the last season and 

 the season before, although the rainfall has only been about one-half, 

 even with this, fair crops have been grown. On the other hand I saw 

 many fields where there was no crop at all, especially was this true 

 around the factory built by Mr. Spreckles, the largest factory of the 

 kind in the world, while in other localities still I saw reasonably good 

 crops, although none of them were more than half the average crop, 

 although the area under cultivation was very much greater. 



That is one condition of this industry, and I will say that all condi- 

 tions may be classified under four heads, the one I have just mentioned, 

 which is possible in California. The second is the growth of the beet 

 under irrigation. This second condition marks a point of progress 

 which is encouraging because it increases the area upon which the 

 growth is possible. The first use of irrigation in connection with this 

 industry was made in Utah, and is most firmly established there, the 

 farmer finding the growth of beets his most i)rofitable crop. 



As a general thing in the localities where this industry- is in its in- 

 fancy and new factories but recently set in operation, the first 3'ear's 

 . work is not satisfactory either to the factory or the farmer. Even in 

 the old country, whenever a beet factory is built in a new locality, the 

 first year's work is not satisfactory, because it requires a number of 

 years' education to bring about that condition of affairs. And so, while 

 I have not heard from other factories in localities where irrigation is 

 used, still I am ready to believe they are not so successful as the one 

 to which I have just referred in Utah. It is my belief, however, that 

 there is a great opportunity for progress under this condition of sugar 

 beet culture in this country. 



Now, it is evident that under this condition of irrigating the land 

 upon which the crop is grown, the beet must bring a great return. It 

 is necessary to raise such crops as will pay for the investment, and in 

 doing this I think the grow^th of sugar beets will pay this investment 

 better than any other crop. All you need is the sunshine and warmth, 

 and you are certain of your returns in a crop. These conditions of 

 warmth and sunshine, however, are indispensable, but when it is once 

 realized that these are the most potent factors in the development of 

 the crop, vast areas will be converted into sugar farms. 



