The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-05
BEET CULTIVATION.
WHERE 1T CAN BE DONE SUCCESS
FULLY IN THIS COUNTRY.

pnFtment OF Agriculture Shows That the
Industry, Property Conducted, VIII Add
Immensely to the Wealth Of the Country.
The special report on the beet sugar industry
in the United States submitted to the Presi-
dent by the Secretary OF Agriculture. the Hon.
James Wilson. on March 20. and transmitted to
Congress by the President on March 81. has
just been published. The report ls embraced
in q volume Of 240 pages. and is the first at
tempt made by the United States Government
to place before the people q more or less COM
prehensive history OF the beet sugar industry
in the United States. The information con-
tanned in the report Is not only Of interest to
those engaged or about to engage in the Gull
ture Of sugar beets. but It brings before the
general public matters connected with an in
dustry which. under approved conditions and
carried on on q scientific basis. must result In
profit to those engaged In It, add great wealth
to the country. and give employment to thou
sands Of laborers. In his letter accompanying
the report transmitted to the President Secre-
tary Wilson says:
During the past I'VE years the people Of the
United States have paid to foreign producers
over half q billion dollars for imported sugar.
The total domestic product for 1897 was 1885,
$50 tons, the total refined product Of beet sugar
1.760.607 tons. making the total consumption
for that year 2.0o6, 263 tons. OF the total
1pJioh vi bukHE III bIO htt0 oJhOcb III
1897. 40 per cent. was beet sugar. As the pro-
duction Of beet sugar in the United States In
1897 was barely 12K per cent. OF the total do
mestic product, IL follows that the percentage
OF beet sugar imported last year to the entirs
sugar imports must have been over As.
"~Inasmuch as the total amount OF sugar now
imported into the United States can be produced
upon ]. 100000 acres devoted to sugar crops. It
is manifestly OF the first Importance that the
selection OF localities for the production Of
sugar beets should be most carefully and jul
diciously made. To do this requires that the
sections Of the country best adapted to the
growth of this valuable crop should be def
nitely determined. This determination I con-
ceive to be a duty clearly devolving upon this
department..
1.-The facts and figures. as briefly presented
to your attention. eminently Justify. in my
opinion. the devotion OF time, money. and
talents on the part Of this department to the
development Of this important industry. They
also explain the widespread popular interest in
this subject, expressions OF which reach us
from every side and from all quarters Of the
country. TIL demand for a farmers bulletin
on the subject OF the sugar beet, prepared last
year by the chemists OF the department. both
from members OF Congress for distribution to
their constituents and from correspondents Of
the department, has been such as to severely
tax our limited appropriation for this class Of
publication. Nearly 100. 1000 copies of this bull
letin have already been distributed and the de-
mand appears to be unabated. These facts. I
believe, warrant the recommendation / have
the honor to make in regard to this report.
namely. that it be printed by order Of Congress
In an edition sufficient to afford this depart
ment. for its own distribution. Of least 10000
copies. apart from the allotment which Con-
gress may. in its wisdom. make for the use OF
It's own members"
II seems. according to the report, that the In
~vestigations conducted by tho Department. Of
Agriculture for many years in the study Of
sugar-producing plants and the methods Of
manufacturing sugar in the United States were
suspended by order OF Secretary Morton in
1893. When Secretary Wilson took charge Of
the Department Of Agriculture. with the inau-
guration Of President Mckinley. his attention
was called to the importance Of carrying on
further Investigations in reference to the Gull
ture Of sugar beets and tho manufacture OF
sugar from them. Secretary Wilson was not
willing to take anybody's word on the subject,
30 he made a careful investigation himself. As
u result. he directed that the investigation into
the subject be Immediately resumed and prose-
cuted under the most approved scientific infor-
nation on the subject. Thereupon arrange
ments were made with q sugar beet company
to accept a quantity OF sugar beet seeds for the
purpose Of carrying on experiments. As rap
idly as possible the seeds were sent to different
parts Of the. United States interested In the
subject, special attention being given. to dis
theoretical conditions for the production OF
sugar were the best.
of persons in different parts OF the Country and
largo quantities OF seed were distributed
fss os4dS Of fh Tra %edl Business n ssT men!. asso] sttattii0ns.
and others particularly interested in the Gull
ture; 30 far as was possible. tho cooperation
3 I being deemed advisable St 10 cond Tsf
the experiment IN each State under the direct
the report, 1t was only when such cooperation
could not be obtained. or where preference was
partment of Agriculture. that the experiments
were conducted directly under tho auspices OF
It seems that one OF the great dangers to be
avoided IN the sugar beet industry is the for
nation Of h8sty sonclusions in regard to tho
beet. Often. without any study whatever OF
the climatic conditions, or Of the character Of
to be abandoned on account Of having been
made heretofore in regard to the climatic con-
ditions have been Of such a nature as to locate.
suitable for the culture Of the sugar beet.
II has been found, in general. that the coast
valleys 81 Galiiornia and large areas in Oregon
and Nebraska, localities in Minnesota. Iowa.
fMIiis Sois' fnd Hnd d9IbSie o snd SS2 nx y Of northern 0rdssnt
ibsyorable CONDITIONS for sugar beet culture.
are certain restricted areas most suitable to the
sugar beet, and 1t Is only these restricted areas
to which we must look for success. The fact
that In one locality. for instance, the report
be no warrant whatever for assuming that all
parts OF that State were equally suitable for
this purpose. What is true OF one State may be
applied to every one of the, States mentioned.
Sugar beets have, also been raised in other
sections of the United States. notably in New
ENGLAND. New Jersey. Delaware and Kansas;
States where beets can be. successfully grown.
1t appears that the States Just named stand In
the second rank Of beet sugar producing local
tiles. In Kansas. for INSTANCE. sugar beets
OF sugar manufactured therefrom. This. how
ever. does not show that Kansas will be able to
compete with more favorable States in the pro-
ductlon OF beet sugar. In connection with this
point the report states:
IF the sugar beet Industry should succeed
IN the country the success must come from
older countries, where Its conditions are better
understood and where the localities suited to
| a. have baan aplnptad nv long md nffan nnaflu