The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-06-17
WASHINGTON LETTER
SECRETARY WILSON TALKS OF
BEET SUGAR FACTORIES.
He Has Commemorative Plans Relating
to the Testing Of the Beets a. Well
as to the Factory Part.

Washington, D. C.-The secretary OF
agriculture is having large map OF
the United States made for his office
which will show a broad red stripe
traversing the country from ocean to
ocean.
This stripe will include those areas
in which it is thought likely that sue
cess can be attained in the beet sugar
industry. This map and particularly
this stripe will interest especially two
great classes of citizens of the United
States, the farmers and the capitalists.
Having distributed sugar beet seeds
to about O,OO0 farmers" said Secre-
tary Wilson, 81 want to take up the
practical end of this subject now and
show to the capitalists as well as the
farmers where they can afford to make
such experiments and enter upon such
business investments as are likely to be
success financially and otherwise"
"You still have faith, then in the
beet sugar enterprise from a practical
standpoint?''
Undoubtedly; and it is evident
that the people of the United States
have faith in it. We have supplied in
the last four weeks 10000 farmers of
the country with sugar beet seeds for
experiments during the coming season.
They are scattered through practically
every state north Of the extreme south
ern line of states. The people as far
south as the Carolinas, Tennessee and
Texas believe that they can grow sugar
beets successfully. And we are quite
willing to give them full opportunity
to make that test everywhere. 1t they
succeed in extending the beet sugar
territory down to the very line Of the
cane sugar area there ought to be no
difficulty in producing in the United
States all of the hundred million dol
lars worth of sugar for which we are
now going abroad annually"
"The practical business end of this
experiment, continued Secretary Will
son, as he glanced at the map of the
United States hanging upon the wall
of this Office, sis the next thing to be
taken up. We have supplied people in
all parts of the country with sugar beet
seeds and they can now 60 on with
their experiments in growing them.
Meantime We shall begin our more
technical equally important investi-
cations to determine what part of the
country is most likely to be successful
field for operations both in the actual
growth of the beets and the production
of the highest grades in sugar content.
This is subject which the capitalists
of the country especially want to know
about. 1t takes money to establish a
beet sugar factory. 1t is not practical
BILE for the farmer who raises a few
acres of beets to turn them into sugar
upon his own farm. The factory must
have such expensive machinery and be
operated upon such large scale as to
absorb the production of several farms
if it is to be a financial success. So
the capitalists who are waiting to put
their money into beet sugar factories
are entitled to all the information
which we can give them as to the Sec
tion or sections of country where beet
sugar is most likely to be successfully
produced and likely to be most success
full in production. To this end they
ought to have the best information that
can be obtained in regard to climate,
soil, transportation conveniences and
other elements which enter into a de-
termination of these questions. The
next step which I propose to under
take, then, is to put into the hands Of
some competent person or persons the
study of this subject including climate,
rainfall, character of soil and other
matters of this kind in the various
parts of the various states. The rec
ords of the climate and rainfall for a
term Of years can readily be obtained
almost anywhere. Samplse of soil can
also be obtained and analysed. Where
it is practicable to make these analyses
at the state experiment station this
will be done; where it is not practic-
able the samples of soil will be for
warded here or to such other convent.
ent points as may be selected and an.
alyses made. In this way, while the
farmers are experimenting with the
growth Of the sugar beets we expect to
be making equally important expert
ments and researches from this stand
point and by combination of these ex-
periments be able to indicate to the
people desiring to invest in the estab-
lishment of sugar factories, the loca.
tions or the strip of country where they
are most likely to meet with success.
You think, then, that there is CAPT.
tai in the country ready to go into the
beet sugar manufacturing country?''
Undoubtedly, and plenty of it. A
number Of factories are already in pro-
cess of erection and people with capital
are willing and ready to establish
many more of them as soon as they de-
termine what sections of the country
are best adapted for practical beet
sugar production. I hope to have a
broad line extending across that map
from the Atlantic to the Pacific in a
mparatively short time indicating the
practical beet sugar belt of the country
in which capitalists as we'll as farmers
may safely enter upon the work of sup
plying the people of the country with
sugar"
Your other experiments in behalf
Of the farmers, Mr.. Secretary, are max
ing good progress?''
YES. Our first shipment of butter
to Europe in the experimental form
which we are trying to utilize is going
forward now. The butter has reached
New York, several tons of it, from the
best creameries of the United States
and in various forms as to size of pack
age, method of production, sailing,
method OF packing, etc. Every pound