Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-09-12
SECRETARY WILSON FEARS THAT
DISASTER MAY RESULT. 80
GIVES OUT A WORD OF CAUTION.
CAREFUL STUDY OF CONDITIONS Is
NECESSARY TO SUCCESS.
Chemist Wiley ON the Danger of En-
EagfnR Blindly in the Industry
Experiments Now Under
Way Expected to Result
in Great Good.


In regard to the beet sugar industry. These
letters do not come from any particular
locality, but represent all parts OF the
United States. The secretary is impressed
with the idea that great many people
will be Influenced by their enthusiasm
rather than by their judgment and be in
duced to engage in the beet sugar industry
without proper study of the conditions
which insure success. 1t Is perfectly GER
tain that IL capital be invested in this in
dustry without a proper study Of these con-
ditfons and without proper technical
control, only disaster can follow. 1t is.
therefore, important that enthusiasts be
cautioned against investing without a prop
: er study of the data necessary to success.
An illustration of this enthusiastic eXpecta-
tion of large profits is shown in an extract
from a circular of beet sugar company
which has lately been organized, at least
to the extent of its issuing a prospectus.
One paragraph Of this prospectus reads as
follows: - '-- ''-'
This company can never be squeezed out
by the sugar trust, for the trust pays $50
cents; total, W.is per 100 pounds imported
raw sugar, and cost of refining the sugar,
S cents per 100 pounds. making total cost
Of Of, sugar refined ready for market si56 per
100 pounds, and receives no state or United
states bounty, while on the other hand We
manufacture and refine 100 pounds OF sugar
at a cost Of S.15 per 100 pounds ana re-
ceive from the state a bounty OF $l.50 per
100 pounds for sugar manufactured and re-
lined In the state, which. after being de-
Quoted from actual cost, S2.15, reduces our
cost per 100 pounds refined sugar to 20,
and the expected United States bounty will
further reduce the cost Of our product"
A gentleman from New York, into whose
hands this prospectus came, sent II to the
chief of the chemical division of the de-
partment of agriculture, with request for
his opinion on the statements which. are
''It will be a long while before the farm
ers of this country can grow sugar beets
at profit for less. than 81 ton: There
they acquire hy long experience, they will
ut is not possible that beet sugar can
States G at cost Of sas5 per loo u pounds. The
statement which Is made In the prospectus
of the beet sugar company comparing the
trust and that by the proposed factory is.
as you know. absurd. 1t Is not worthy of
serious consideration.
1T is unwise to misrepresent facts to in
tending investors. would suggest that
you overestimate rather than underest-
not safely say to intending. investors that
fair refining beet sugar, polarizipg, Sc, can
be made at less than cents Q. pound IN this
country under the most favorable circum-
stances.".
In regard to the above matter, DR.. Wiley
stated, In conversation with your CORE. re.
enthusiasm of our people running away
with their Judgment, as 1t did few years
ago In the case of sorghum.
The success Of the beet sugar industry in
tho United States is. assured. provided the
Industry be conducted along the proper
In the end it is evident that cruel expert
ence will force the beet sugar industry into
those localities where the natural advan. n
saved to the capitalists and farmers II this
cruel experience be avoided by wise and
study Sen Se the IS ta
100000 acres of fertile land, we'll titled, IN
sugar beets. will produce a sufhclent guam
United I;iH STATES. se the ' great importance Of as
certaining the exact localities where the
climatic conditions are the most faVorapie
During the past season, the secretary Of
agriculture distributed samples of sugar
beet seeds to nearly 10000 farmers IN di1o
number of cases. no wise use was MADE
of these seeds. Even If they were planted:
the young plants were neglected and OF
course no crop was made. In many cases,
however, the seeds were planted and the
plants carefully cultivated and In these IN
stances the results will be of value. The
chemical laboratory for analysis. and 1t Is
expected that the number received VIII
soon reach hundred or more day. The
information which will be obtained in this
way, together with that which has been
collected by Mr.. Saylor. the special agent
of the. department, and by the secretary
will be published in a bulletin which can
be relied On by farmers and intending in
vestors as giving the data necessary for
their use.- 't"
are by no means decisive. Similar expert
rnents, however. were conducted by the de-
partment several years ago and they can
be used in comparison with the results
obtained this year. Similar experiments
will be continued for another year, and
perhaps for several successive years. This
work, combined with that which has been
done by the agricultural, experiment sta
tons will gradually but surely point out
the localities where the best sugar beets
can be grown. 1t is In these localities that
capitalists will find the most profitable in.
vestment of their money in the building OF
sugar factories. FRED F. SCHRADER.