184 THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



making a net profit of a little over $1.50 per ton. Without charging for use of land, the 



expenses were: 



Per Acre For 16 Acres 



Plowing, harrowing, etc., at $ 3.00 $ 48.00 



Seed at lOc 1.23 19.65 



Use of drill 10 1.60 



Sowing 15 2.40 



Cultivating 70 11.20 



Plowing out 1.00 16.00 



Thinning, topping and loading 12.87 205.90 



Freight to factory 13.83 221.37 



Total expenses $32.88 $526.12 



Net profits 24.31 389.04 



Total receipts 57.19 915.16 



CALIFORNIA, ALAMEDA COUNTY, RANCHO DEL VALLE, BY E. K. L1LIENTIIAL. 



The following fairly represents the average of several years' experience, but our 

 yield in '97 was an average of 18 tons, instead of 15, as noted below. We get the work done 

 oy contract at the prices stated: 



Per acre 



Plowing in the fall, once $2.00 



Plowing in the spring, twice 3.00 



Harrowing and smoothing 50 



Seed, 10 Ibs. at 12c, and 5 Ibs. for reseeding 1.80 



Sowing onqe 50 



Cultivating twice 1.00 $ 8.80 



Hoeing twice, .thinning, topping and sacking (by contract at 



$1.25 per ton) for 15 tons 18.75 



Hauling 15 tons, at 25c 3.75 



Total cost, exclusive of use of land $31.30 



Net profits per acre 21.20 



Total received for 15 tons, at $3.50 $52.50 



When the yield is brought up to 18 to 23 tons per acre, and the price to $4 or $4.50 

 per ton, the margin of profit is, of course, largely increased. The '97 crop averaged over 

 16 per cent, sugar, which, at $3.50 per ton for 12 per cent, and 25c for each additional 

 percentage, made a return of $4.50 per ton. Such a crop costs only the $8.80 per acre for 

 preparatory work, as above, or a total (at contract prices) of $31.30 per acre, while at 

 $4.50 per ton, the gross return is $81 per acre, and the net profit for use of land, $45.20 per 

 acre. Hence we see how intensive culture more than doubles the profits per acre. Still 

 better results are expected from steam plowing. See Page 189. 



ANOTHER CALIFORNIA. REPORT. 



A remarkable statement is that furnished by Dethlefsen Bros., for their 1896 crop 

 grown on 238 acres of rented land near San Juan, Cal. The harvest began Sept. 8, '96, 

 was finished Jan. 19, '97, and averaged 18.7 tons per acre of dressed beets. The soil was 

 a deep sandy loam, on the banks of the San Benito river, not subject to overflow, and had 

 been pastured for seven years previously, but no manure or fertilizer was used. The 

 season was ideal, rainfall 22 inches. Ten Ibs. of seed 'were sown to each acre, and 50 acres 

 had to be resown. A handsome saving was effected by working beets by day labor, instead 

 of contracting them. The thinning, topping and loading of beets into wagons cost 55c 

 per ton of beets, whereas the neighbors paid $1.05 per ton of beets to contract those oper- 



