The record-union., 1897-10-30
DOES BEET GROWING DEFERTIL-
IZE THE SOIL?

DOES BEET GROWING DEFERTIL-
IZE THE SOIL?
There are some serious questions re-
lsting to the liberalization of soil by
the cultivation Of the sugar beet which
require candid investigation and debate.
One experimenter declares that after
single crop of sugar beets his land failed
to yield full return of cereals for five
years. Another experimenter says that
it is impossible to obtain good results by
successive crops of beets and that the
intermediate or off year shows a very
large decrease from the usual or average
yield of cereals.
If the cultivation Of the beet so far
depletes the land as to make it less pro-
ductive when planted to other objects of
culture, then the cultivation Of the beet
in the abstract defertilizes the soil.
Nothing could be more unfortunate TO
any country than the impoverishment Of
its soil However profitable a crop OF
beets may be, it will not compensate the
land owner for the destruction OF his
land. We are not now contending that
the extent Of liberalization herein in
dicated has been demonstrated what
appears to be desirable is that state
ments of this character from reliable
sources should be thoroughly investi-
gated, not by theorists or scientists, but
by farmers who have planted successive
crops of beets and other products Of
the soil. Testimony in these matters IS
usually found by reason of experiments
made in different kinds of soils.
1t is the testimony of one cultivator
that he raised successive crops of beets
without intermediate crops of other OBJ
jects of culture. If this feat was ac-
complished, the kind of soil to which the
experiment relates should be duly in
vestigated. Again with equal positive
ness there are those to contend that
even a single crop of beets viii defer
tilize the soil as to any object of culture
for several succeeding years.
With this conflict of testimony before
the country it is incumbent upon the
proponents of the beet industry to show
what the actual facts of the case are.
When the Chino experiment of beet
raising was first put on foot, a German
resident of the vicinity gave warning
that the cultivation of the beet would
absolutely destroy the fertility of the
land. making it absolutely sterile as to
all other objects Of culture as well as the
beet itself. He declared that this had
been the experience in Germany.
1t goes without saying that land de-
voted to any object of culture may be
refertilized. The chemical components
Of soils may be ascertained. The i'm
poverishment as to any of these ulti-
mate elements may also be ascertained,
and restoration of the depleted element
is equally a mater of chemistry; but
when this is said, the economical consid-
Grafton intrudes itself. There are spe-
cies of fertilizers which are very costly
and their use is consequently uneco-
nomicaI. Sooner or later California will
have to restore the depleted fertility of
its soils. When that day comes the cul-
tivation of large areas of land to any
thing will be wholly impracticable.
Small and diligent cultivation only will
be possible when rehabilitation has be-
ccme indispensable.
Nobody is interested in self-deception
in these matters. The disparity OF
profit as to the cultivation of any single
product cannot long be maintained. In
the early history of raisin growing we
were promised an object of culture
which would yield US annually from
$3.50 to $1,000 an acre net profit. II
some enterprising archaeologist or anti
quarian will search the files of the press
of California for the past thirty years,
ne will encounter some lurid prophecies
concerning the astounding profit at
tending the production of raisins. A
little further back he will find equally
astounding prophecies and allurements
of hope relating to the wine industry;
and behind that still he will find a
Monte Cristo brilliancy in the expec-
tationwhich was raised by reason of the
capacity of the State for the growth
of silk worms. All these objects of cul-
ture, yielded to the inevitable law that
none can long maintain a position OF
profit beyond the average profit of the
cultivation Of the soil.
If the growing Of beets is not utterly
destructive of the soil. it should be COM
mended. It furnishes a new object OF
cultivation, and keeps money at home
that is now sent abroad; but if such cul-
tivation is to replace the present fertility
with absolute sterility. the time to as
certain that fact is before and not after
the mischief has been done.
HENRY GEORGE.