210 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



California is second to Colorado in the production of 

 beet sugar, but the largest factory in the United States, 

 and one of the largest in the world, is the one at Spreckels, 

 CaL, which is able to slice 3000 tons of beets in a day, or 

 100 carloads of 30 tons each. The oldest successful factory 

 in the United States is at Alvarado, CaL, which was estab- 

 lished in 1879, and has made sugar every year but one 

 since its beginning. 



Situations and Soils. The large area noted as adapted 

 to sugar beet production is obtained by computation of 

 our valley acreage. For the most economical production 

 of uniformly good beets, fairly level fields are of great ad- 

 vantage. To get the largest profits there must be the use 

 of the most capacious planting, cultivating and harvesting 

 appliances, and all these are best suited to level or gently 

 sloping lands. As most of these lands, except in coast 

 valleys, lie in regions of moderate rainfall there is seldom 

 the need of underdrainage, but the problem is rather one 

 of moisture conservation, and that is in most cases easily 

 accomplished by cultivation, to the extent required by the 

 beet which roots deeply and draws its moisture from a 

 large soil volume. Where it may be necessary to concen- 

 trate the rainfall of two seasons for one crop, the method 

 of a constantly stirred summer fallow, which insures a 

 crop of grain in spite of low rainfall, will do the same for 

 a crop of beets, providing the relatively deeper cultiva- 

 tion required by the beet is given. 



Though nearly all fertile soils will grow good sugar 

 beets if well tilled for moisture retention and for root 

 penetration and expansion, a rich, sandy loam, deeply 

 worked and with medium moisture conditions, is the ideal 

 for the purpose. Sandy soils, which dry out in spite of 

 cultivation, are available for beet growing by careful irri- 

 gation. Heavy, wet soils may be put into condition by 

 underdrainage and cultivation, but as there are such vast 

 areas of soils which will suit the beet without either irri- 

 gation or drainage, it is probable that improvements in 

 these lines will be left for the future. 



