Daily Republican., 1880-03-05
Rect sugar and the Farmers.


There are farmers and there are ed"
itors who cannot see the possible re-
pponsibility Of the agriculture. class for
the success Of beet sugar in the United
States. Welded to old ideas OF meagre
fertilization, half culture, smaal yields
and ancient routine, new crops are
avoided, or experiments with them are
carelessly or improperly made, and
then, forsooth, the conclusion Is drawn
tha. the new departure "don't pay"
In some cases the beets are treated to
the hand. culture Of the last oeutury's
kitchen garden; in one instance, at least
the seeds are sown broadcast With
such child's play, and ignorance OF the
means OF economical production, % the
ton would Of course prove small remun-
Grafton. No intelligent farmer will as
sume that he understands the success
full culture Of the sugar beets without
having first learned Its conditions and
given at least brief apprenticeship to
its practice.
The very fact that so many make q
single trial, in unsuitable or halfpre-
pared soil, or cultivate improperly, and
then quit the effort in disgust, proves
the "peril Of beet sugar" at the hands
of those most to be benefited by the
success of that industry. The growing
Of sugar bests may not ultimately pay,
but II can never be SO proved by such
experiments as these. II farmers will
not acknowledge that they have some
thing to learn, 1t Is quite certain
that they will learn nothing
Not SO with the manufacturers, who
we're told that America could never
compete with Manchester in cottons, or
with Sheffield in cutlery; after years Of
effort they have done 1t. Not so with
the farmers of France, who at first
failed to make beet growing remunera-
tive; they persevered, and have en-
riched themselves and their nation
Not SO with the farmer In Maine, who
gets thirty tons of beets and $3.50 per
acre; he finds it pays better than 200
bushels OF potatoes, not merely in the
price of the crop, but in the increase
Of after crops of potatoes or grain.
The truth in this nutshell lies in
this That much Of the cultivation OF
the old States is now Improbable ac-
knowledged to be SO by the cultivaters
themselves, and the fact duly and con-
tinuously mourned over simply because
the poor yield OF surface scratched and
half manured land does not repay the
expense Of the small amount OF dear
labor expended on it; while to obtain
good crops Of sugar beets the soil must
be highly and properly fertilized, cul-
tivation must be systematic and wise
rotation must be pra,tsed, which
necessarily increases largely the other
crops grown, and practically makes the
beet crop a clear gain. 1t means a
revclution-more fertility, cultivation,
profits. 1t means cheap beef and NUT
ton, cheap supplies Of fertilizers,
through the use Of the pulp, by
which about all Of the crop which costs
anything is returned to the soil. Has
1t been faithfully tried in Maine, and
must we conclude in contravention Of
European experience, and science and
common sense, that 1t cannot be Of any
value as food for cattlei
We can compete with France in
wheat-growing with gross return Of
$40 per acre after sending the grain
1000 miles, but we despair of growing
beets at profit for IS per tor-a high
er price than the French grower re-
ceives and thrives upon. Such want
of courage is unworthy Of the Ameri-
can farmer. We would not advise the
timid or the respondent to make the
nor any one else who fails
to study and to master the conditions
OF success. The inevitable failures Of
such may prevent a trial by those who
could ultimately succeed, and 30 en-
danger the present success Of the beet
sugar experiment. But We hope there
is intelligence and grit enough in the
thoughtful majority Of New England
farmers to. prove that our mechanics
are not the only class that can compete
with European industries, especially
at the v,ry time when the farmers OF
Europe are trembling in mortal fear Of
the competition Of American agricul'
ture.