Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-10-08
SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY.
The Experiments Successful Much
Money WIN Be Saved to the People
OF this Country.
Special to the PRESS.

Of this Country.
Special to the PRESS.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4. - Secretary
Wilson, Of the Department Of Ag-
ricultule, is confident that the re-
suit of this years experiments with
sugar beets will add 800 per cent. to
the beet-sugar factories of the
country.
IL know Of people who stand
ready, said he, in speaking on this
subject, " to establish twenty beet
sugar factories in this country next
year.
"That will be pretty big increase,
will it not, Mr.. Secretary ?"
ut will. We have, perhaps, a
half dozen beet-sugar factories in
the United States now, all told, so
that will be an increase of about
800 per cent. which / think will be
very good for the first year Of the
experiment. :"
"Your experiments of this year
have apparently been successful,
then ?
Eyes Beyond question. OF
course our analyses have not pro-
gressed sufficiently yet to show very
definitely what each section has
done or is doing, but there is no
doubt in my mind of the entire
feasibility and practicability of the
production of all our sugar in this
country. The interest which the
farmers of the country has devel-
oped in beet-raising, the results OF
such analyses as have already been
made of the beets produced this year
and what we know as to this years
crop in the sections where beet
growing has already been developed
show beyond question that it is en-
tirely practicable for the people Of
this country to produce their OWL
sugar. 7"
"That means the retention in the
United States of q great deal OF
money which now goes abroadP"
"Yes. A hundred millions is a
good deal of money, and especially
when it goes out of the country. II
we can distribute among our farmers
the hundred million dollars which
we now send abroad for our sugar
it will be very important thing tC
them and to the country in general
1t will be especially so to labor
People talk about labor and about
doing things for labor and for the
cause of the workingman. What
can be done more to the advantage
of the workingman than to put int {
his pockets hundred million dol.
lars which we send out of the coun
try every year for single article
Then add to that the amount which
we send to other parts of the worlt
for other classes of farm products
which might be kept at home an(
the total is something enormous
The value of the products of agri
culture which are brought into thu
United States and which we nigh
produce at home if we were to maxi
the proper effort is, in round mum
bers, $3.50, 900, 900 per year. Why
not give that to our farmers9"
"What is being done, Mr.. Secre
tary in the way of learning the re
suit of this years experiments witt
the sugar-b beet seed which you sen
out last spring?"
1--WE are gathering the beets pro
duoed from the seeds by section
and States into our experimen
stations, and testing and analyzinI
them. These analyses are going OF
constantly, and will continue 70
some weeks or perhaps months. 1
is comparatively slow process, bu
one which will give us a Thorough
practical and scientific knowledge o
the capabilities of the various sec
tions of the country for this kind o
work, and while the analyses hav'
not yet progressed very far, enougl
has been done to satisfy me that th
results of this years. experiment
with sugar beets are going to b
very satisfactory and encouraging
I am confident that before the en-
of another year we shall hav
twenty five great beet-sugar estat
lishments in operation in the Unite
States, scattered all the way fror
! New York State to the Pacific Coas
and producing large quantities c
beet sugar and opening the way I
the production by our farmers of a
least a large proportion of the suga
for which We now send our none
abroad. J."