48 



THE SUGAK INDUSTRY. 



ing an immense amount of information about the industry and its growth. 



THE RESULTS AT CHINO FOR ITS FIRST FIVE YEARS. 



1891 



1892 



1893 



1894 



1895 



Acres of beets grown, 



Tons of beets produced, 



Average yield of beets per acre, tons, 



Per cent of sugar in beets, 



*Crude sugar per acre, Ibs, 



*Pure sugar per acre (80%), 



Began making sugar, 



Finished making sugar, 



Days in operation, 



Average weight of beets worked daily, tons, 



Average weight of sugar made daily, Ibs, 



Total weight of sugar made, tons, , 



Average paid farmers per ton beets, 



Average return per acre, 



*Estimates or data figured by the author, the other facts being all furnished from the company's 

 books. The ton is of 2000 Ibs. Granulated sugar only was made in '91, raw sugar only in '92 and '9'J, 

 while the product of '94 was all the best grade of refined white granulated sugar except 1009 tons 

 (2,017,363 Ibs) of raw sugar, and in '95 only 51 tons (102,286 Ibs) of raws. 



Among the most successful beet growers for this factory are the brothers Gustaf- 

 sen, who averaged 15 to 20 tons per acre. The Dethlefsen brothers averaged 20 tons per 

 acre on 250 acres in the comparatively poor season of 1896, and will double their area 

 in 1897. They give their crop close personal attention, and [no detail that will con- 

 tribute to success is omitted. They have fully determined that there is a certain 

 profit in intelligent beet culture, and well they may, for their net profits above all 

 expenses and good pay for their own time and ability, have averaged over $30 per 

 acre. 



To protect their interests at the factory, planters have a strong union, which 

 chooses its own chemist, weigher and tare man to keep tab on the beets as delivered, 

 to see that full weight is credited on each lot, and that the deduction for tare is not 

 too large, while the chemist's duplicate analyses are a check on the factory tests. At 

 the annual meeting in December, 1896, of the Chino beet growers' union, numbering 

 106 farmers, it was reported that 48,139 tons beets were harvested and marketed. 

 The average price per ton was $3.78, representing a total of about $180,000 paid for 

 this season's beets. The average sugar content was placed at 14 per cent. In addi- 

 tion to the present membership, there are nearly 100 farmers who make a business of 

 growing beets, and it is hoped these may also be brought into the union, in order to 

 secure the best possible administration of the business affairs of growers. At the 

 beginning of the season an assessment of 4c per ton was levied on all Chino beets to 

 defray factory and office expenses of the union, including tare man and check chem- 

 ist. The close of the season finds a surplus in the treasury which makes it possible 

 to rebate lie per ton. Thus it cost less than 3c per ton harvested to carry on the 

 business of the union. 



The Chino factory uses oil for fuel, from 75,000 to 100,000 barrels during a cam- 

 paign, which comes through pipes from the oil company, 14 miles distant, although it 

 is hoped to get a supply near by from oil wells on the ranch. It consumed 125,000 

 tons of limestone in 1895, its 21 artesian wells furnished nearly 4,000,000 gallons of 



