A number of interesting facts about the Los Alamitos Sugar Factory can be discerned from this U.S. Government report on the factory and how it might be applicable to raising revenue in the new U.S. territory of the Philippines.
1906 – Revenue for the Philippine Islands: Hearings Before The Committee on the Philippines of the US Senate, p. 695
Los Alamitos.—The work of this factory has done much to revolutionize agricultural conditions in its vicinity. The farming area surrounding it was originally an immense sheep-grazing ranch. Seven years ago this factor}’ was built. It started on its career reclaiming this wild expanse of grazing land. A large part of its beet-growing lands is now under irrigation, water being supplied from flowing wells. In the vicinity now are annually fed a large number of cattle and sheep for the Los Angeles market. The plant owns considerable acreage. It is also interested in the Bixby Land Company, which owns a large tract of land in this vicinity.
The waste molasses and pulp by-products are all utilized to the best advantage. The molasses is sold under contract to feeders, who mix it with their hay when it is stacked, where it is allowed to go through the sweating process and is afterwards fed. This seems to produce avery palatable and desirable feed.
The sugar company installed this season the osmose process for more complete extraction of sugar from the molasses. This will reduce this waste product to a small amount.
All crops in southern California during the latter part of the growing period were affected to a considerable extent by the hot dry weather. As most of the beet-growing plats of this district are irrigated, this drought did not affect the beet crop so much.
The general results of growing beets were satisfactory. Beets have always shown a very high quality here. During one week this season the beets received showed average sugar contents reaching almost to 19 per cent, with a purity over 83.
This district received a bountiful supply of winter rain, one*downpour the latter part of December, 1904, amounting to 2.1 inches. Such a rain in the winter in this district means much for crops generally.
The farming district is using extensively for fertilizer, especially for fruit lands, the refuse lime cake produced by this factor