The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1891-10-24
BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
WEAY TIE MaRTNSBrRG COMMITTEE
ACCOMPLISHED III WASH.
INGTOy.


FURNISH THE sEED.
The Washington correspondent Of
the Grafton Sentinel contributes the fol-
lowing interesting article TO tho col
umns Of his paper:
Messrs. J. W. Bishop andJ. 7. Jam
ney, Of Martinsburg, were in the city
yesterday looking after the interests Of
the proposed beet sugar industry to be
established somewhere in the eastern
panhandle. These gentlemen represent
a committee Of seven appointed by the
farmers Of Berkeley and jefferson
counties to investigate thoroughly dur
| ing the present fall and winter the pos
sibility Of making beet sugar ono Of
the noble products Of West Virginia.
To that end they were at the Internal
Revenue Office yesterday to acquaint
themselves with the bounty provisions
Of the Mckinley law, as well as the
regulations under ii
After examining into this question,
Commissioner Mason accompanied
them over to the Agricultural Depart
ment, where they met Secretary Rnsk
and had long and interesting CONVEX
sation with him on the subject Of beet
raising. Messrs. Bishop and Janney
desired to know what aid the govern
ment would give them in the way Of
seed and also in instruction as to the
growing and care Of the beets. They
found Secretary Rusk very much In
terested in the question, and he readily
agreed to give them all the aid in his
power. He will furnish them with
seed for planting next spring, and will
detail an assistant to give full instruc-
tons at the time. OF course the only
other point in question is as TO the
adaptability Of the soil Of the counties
in the Eastern Panhandle for raising
beets containing sufficient per cent.
Of saccharine matter to make the in
dustry profitable. That can only be
ascertained by trial, and in case the
trial proves successful, Mr.. Bishop
informed your correspondent that capi-
tai to any amount would be forthcom-
ing to back the enterprise.
In the agitation Of this new enter
prise in West Virginia is seen another
evidence Of the fostering effect Of the
Mckinley law. Beet sugar raising
would probably never have been SER
iously considered in West Virginia, had
it not been for the bountiful provision
Of the Mckinley law. As it is, there
is no reason why the next two or three
years should not see it well-estab-
lished and profitable industry. And in
this connection it can be said that there
is very little popular knowledge as to
the extent Of the beet sugar industry
throughout the world. It is not gem
orally known that there is nearly twice
as much sugar produced from beets as
from cane in the world. That is the
fact, the figures being about S,000,-
OOO, 900 and 4,5OO, 1000 900 pounds, re-
spectively. OF this beet sugar the Ger
man States produce about 1850, 000,-
900 pounds; France about 1,000, O00,-
600 pounds, and Russia about the
same amount. In this country beet
sugar culture has increased very rap
idly Of late years. In 1887 we pro
duced only 100000 pounds. In 1888
| the production jumped to $500, 900
pounds, in 1889 to 6,OOO,000 and in
1890 to 5000, 1000. For this year, UNI
der the effect Of the sugar bounty law,
the crop in the United States is esti-
mated at 25,000,0O0 pounds. There
would seem to be no doubt that If the
bounty law continues in operation it
will only be question Of time, and q
short time at that, when this country
viii be able to furnish the entire amount
needed for domestic consumption, about
1900, 100000 pounds, from home
grown and home-manufactured beet
sugar.
Miss Mamie Hunter, Of Berkeley
II + 49,.