The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-04-20

tho State to Consider.
IN Its account Of tho exercises ct the
West Virginia Experiment Station at
Morgantown somO days ago, tho INTEL
LidENcER gavO a brief synopsis OF tho
address OF Hon. John W. Mason, Of Ma.
rion county. ex-Uni.cd States commits
sioner Of internal revenue, on tho cul-
turo oil sugar bects. The subject is ono
OF such great importance and the ad-
dress 60 full OF valuable information and
suggestions that IL more extended 70.
port Of it is here appended. Upon the
subject OF sugar boots Mr.. Mason enid:
l feel that l need not apologize for
calling your attention to a greatly neg
lected branch OF agricultural industry;
l. refer to tho culture Of sugar bects.
This in my judgment is ono Of tho most
promising oil the ~undevelopGd Ggricul-
tural industrles OF tho country. II is
now the source Of great profit IN many
countries whose soil and climate are
apparently no moro favorable than ours.
The necessity for increasing tho pro.
duction OF sugar in tho United States
will be manifest when weremomber that
wc consume more sugar than any other
country-that in fact We consume about
one.iourth OF all tho sugar produced in
the world; and that We produce less
than %one-eighth OF what We consume.
The world produces "A little less that
10000, 600. 900 pounds OF sugar annually,
and the United States consumes more
than four billion pounds, an average Of
moro than 60 pounds every year for
every man, woman and child. We send
abroad every year moro than ono hun
drcd millions Of dollars to pay for sugar
1t is tho duty OF every nation to pro-
ducc whatever it consumes II practical
bic. How then are the people OF tho
United States to produce, probably,
eight times as much sugar annually US
they now produce? In very little Of
u territory is the production Of sugar
cane practicable. 1t is confined al
most exclusively to the states OF Texas,
louisiana and Florida. W. can ecarce-
ly hope that there will ever be pro-
duCed in these states enough sugar to
supply the present, to say nothing OF
the increasing demands OF our people.
Sugar can be produced from cane in
Cuba and other southern countries
more favorable to its culture, SO much
more cheaply than in the United States,
TINT tha ropn nroductpp o,otnp coppot
nopo to compete with foreign markets,
unaided by the government. These
states have,alwavs been aided in Tome
form by the general government and
it is believed that without such aid the
industry would perish. No!withstand.
ing tho aid this industry had had, yet
the increase in production during the
past half century has not been such as
to justify tho conclusion that these
states can produce enough sugar from
cane to supply our WI markets. 1t is
very certain that We shall have to look
elsewhere for our sugar.
Tho production Of sugar from beets
is no longer an experiment. More SUI
gar is made in the world from beets
than is produced from cane. OF tho
$1,000, 600, 1000 pounds Of sugar pro-
duced in the world in 1881 only 7,400,-
100000 pounds were made from cane.
Most Of the beet sugar of the world
is made in France. Germany, Auatria,
Russia, Belgium, Holland, Spain and
Sweden.
1t has been clearly demonstated that
sugar beets containing o high par
cent OF sucrose can DO grown in
the United States. The experiment has
boon fully made in the states Of Nebras-
ka and California, and in the territory
OF Utah, and proven entirely satisfactory.
and profitable. A factory was recently
located at Staunton, Virginia. The re-
cult OF the operation OF this factory,
whilo q failure financially, owing to
some accidents, has demonstrated that
beets can be raised in Virginia and
made into sugar protitably.
The beets were very rich in suCrose,
as well as very pure, polarizing 10 per
cent Of sucrosc in the beets, with $40
purity. The yield per acre was good.
With proper care and cultivation 1t is
believed they would have averaged
from ten 10 fifteen tons.
1t having been shown by actual OK.
pertinent hat the sugar beet can DO
grown and made into sugar with profit
in California and in Virginia, it re-
mains to bc shown what points arc
favorable to its culture between these
two widely separated states. 1t is
known that the sugar beet reaches its
highest development in north temper.
ate la%titudos. There would seem to be
no climatic reasons why the sugar beet
should not flourish in parts Of the states
OF Maryland. West Virginia, Ohio. In.
diana, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Colo
RADIO, Nevada, California, Oregon, North
and South Dakotas, Washington, VIE
c%onsin, Michigan. Missouri, Wyoming
and others, wllcro the soil il suitable
and there 10 sufficient rainfall, or SUBJ
%terranean moisture. It is confidently
believed that in this immense territory
will be found more land suitable for the
production OF beets than will supply
sugar for tho entire world. II only re-
mains to be seen whether the present
generation will embrace this splendid
opportunity.
Let US glance Tor q moment at the
progress already made. Prior to 1850
very little sugar was made in the United
States from beets. In 1850 there were
produced less than 100000 pounds. In
1855 about :. 100000 pounds were made;
about G,000,000 in 1889, and in 1890
about 100000 pounds were produced
in three factories, then tho only beet
sugar factories in the United States
1.-TWO in California and one in Nebraska).
In 1890 three additional factories were