The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-10-22
BEETS AND CAMPHOR.
SECRETARY WILSON'S VIEWS
ABOUT THEM.
The Agricu1turist and Arboricu1turist
Receiving Special Attention-WiIso
Says There Is No More Reason for
Buying Sugar Abroad than Wheat.
Would Keep Money at Home.

SpeclhI washington correspondence:
Secretary Wilson, the head of the De
partment Of Agriculture, continues earn
est If not enthusiastic about the practical
bility of putting into the pockets of the
farmers Of this country the 00,000,000
that the people are now sending abroad
for their sugar. 1.-The more l think of
this beet sugar business" said he, land
the more l look into it's vast possibilities,
the more l am surprised that the Ameri-
can people have been buying such quanti-
ties abroad. There is really no more rea-
son why we should buy sugar abroad than
wheat. We have in this country land as
well adapted to the growth of sugar beets
as anywhere in the world, and it is u re-
markable fact that our people have been
SO long in seeing the possibilities and put
ting forward every effort toward the ac-
complishment of this end. Sugar enters
into our consumption to such a large and
national extent that the triumph of bring
ing about the growing of all our own pro-
ducts in this direction would be no small
one. The way in which the American
farmers are taking hold of it shows what
comparatively easy matter it would
have been at any time of late years to es-
tablish the industry on permanent basis,
and as say, it seems strange that far
to result to those successfully fostering
it. In my trip through the West l found
farmers generally enthusiastic over the
subject, all of them anxious, and hoping
that the analysis to be made of their beets
would show such a satisfactory percent
age of sugar as to enable them to at once
enter into the growth of the beet as
crop. In fact, the danger lies in over
enthusiasm; in the large outlay of money
and establishment of plants in sections
where the beet cannot be prohtably
grown.
''-The Mckinley bounty on sugar was
operating well, and If it had continued
would have so encouraged both cane ana
beet sugar industries that we would, by
this time, be quite independent of foreign
markets in this respect. The bounty pro-
posed for beet sugar in the Dingley tariff
bill would have still further stimulated
the industry, but even as it is, l believe
we are on the way to seeing good quail
ity of sugar supplied from a great many
points in the United States. The sugar
beet thrives on a variety of soils, being
best adapted to sandy loans of moderate
fertility, and l presume that reports OIL
our analyses will show great areas IN va
rious sections of the country capable OF
raising beets containing a sufhclent per-
centage of saccharine matter to warrant
the building of factories and the planting
of large areas.
"About 2,2O0 of the farmers of the
country have grown beets for tests, ana
we are now receiving samples for analy-
sis. If everything goes right we VIII nave
q complete report on the subject py tne
first of the year. This will show.the most
desirable sections for entering INTO tne
beet industry and will enable operators
to erect beet sugar rehnerles WIN solrS ~,
degree Of assurance that the industry Will
be a success in their particular sections.
"Any new crop which takes the place
of present crops, and thereby reduces
their acreage, tends to stimulate the
prices received for those crops, by dlHin-
ishing their yield, and this is one OF lne
indirect ways in which a general cuitlVa-
tion of the sugar beet will better the con-
dition of the farmer. The saving OF Sloo'-
100000 to the country will give tnat
amount to labor. Sugar represents laoor
almost entirely, from the growing OF tne
seed to the sugar barrel. The dlVersln-
cation of our industries to this extent VIII
have a tendency to help the prices OF other
crops.
'"The production of camphor,' continued
the Secretary, "has been recently calleu 10
nv attention, and L tnlnk see III '
connection another industry to be deVei-
oped and one especially advantageous TO
the South. We are gathering statstles
now in regard to the area i'll Which tne
tree will thrive. 1t is known to do Wen IN
Florida. In fact, there are now IN ina.
State large trees which were sent down
there from this department years ago as
little plants, intended then for SHADE anu
ornament, but they have demonstrated
clearly that the tree grows well IN lot
ida. and what 1 want is to see whoie
groves planted on the rich hammocks ana
bottoms of the State, where the SOIL ~
very productive, but not safe from rroSts
for the growth of oranges, lemons anu tne
more tropical products. Every part Oh the
camphor tree is now used in the eAtrac-
tion of this valuable gum; the leaves
chips. the roots, everything. All our
camphor is now imported from the far
East. and if we can keep this money IN
our own pocket, we are so much the pet
ter off. The South, especially, is IN neea
of q diversifcation Of crops and nope
if will be found that the camphor indus-
try will be practicable and prohtaple.
GEO. MELVILLE.