The evening times., 1899-11-17
BEET SUGAR PRODUCTION.
This Country VIII Soon Grow
Enough to Supufx IT, Oem.ud

4
Enough to supply it's Demand.
| The Agricultural Department is interest.
ing itself particularly aud systematically
in the possibilities of the beet sugar indus.
try in this country. Ten years ago the De-
partment expressed the hope that in ths
course of time the country would produce
all or nearly all of the vast quantity oil
sugar consumed by it! II is said now by
, the experts that this hope soon be re-
| allied.
The consumption of sugar In America is
| larger than anywhere else in the world
! larger in the actual number of pounds and
| in the per capita number of pounds. Low
prices are one OF the reasons for this, and
, another is the habit of the American peo-
pie to allow themselves more luxuries thar
others do. great amount is also used in
/ the arts and sciences. it is said. Despite
the immense amount used, however, the
production is rapidly gaining on the con-
sumption. This is largely due to the in
creased cultivation of beet sugar.
1t has long been realized by sugar grow
ers that excepting in certain limited por-
tions of the United States sugar cannot be
successfully produced from cane, but that
there are large areas. comprising millions
of acres, where sugar beets could be profit
ably grown to such an extent as to supply
the demands of the country.
The theoretical beet sugar belt of the
United States has been carefully mapped
out along an isothermal line extending
across the United States from the Atlantic
to the Pacific. While beets may be grown
in other parts OF the country experiments
and observations by the Department of
Agriculture go to show that in the zone
indicated greater success attends the cul-
ture of sugar beets
While the arid area on which beets can
be grown without irrigation is probably
confined almost exclusively to the coast
valleys Of California. the successful COM
mercial production OF sugar beets in Utah
and New Mexico has opened up a new and
extensive field for the extension OF the
sugar Industry over large areas suited TO
irrigation in the Western and Southwest
ern regions of the United States.
1t is certain now that Colorado. Utah
New Mexico, Idaho, and Arizona may be-
come great sugar reproducing States, not ex-
Guiding other areas in the arid region.
California has already set the pace of
progress, and the other arid States will
not be slow to follow. The high cost of
good irrigation renders it imperative that
the areas under culture be devoted to
crop which is capable Of producing more
valuable yield than is afforded by cereal
culture. OF all the home markets for our
domestic agricultural products there Is
none so insistent nor so expensive as that
for sugar With an annual consumption OF
1900. 900 tons. and with a certainty of rapid
increase, the demand for sugar promises
TO be the salvation of American agricul-
ture.
The northern parts of our Eastern and
Middle States and the States of Oregon and
Washington have at least an equal chance
for the successful production of beet sugar
with the fields of Germany and France.
The irrigable parts of the great Southwest,
it is believed, have advantages of soil and
climate which will enable them to enter
into competition even with the Hawaiian
Islands and Cuba. To be, able TO control
the moisture in the soil lis a matter Of
prime importance to the beet grower.
In the arid region the beet can be left
to nature at the proper time by withhold
ing the water. Subsequently, there is no
danger Of loss due TO second growth, so
easily induced by late warm autumnal
rains. In a dry soil the beet can endure
without damage low temperature, which
would prove quite disastrous in wet eli
mate. More complete maturity may be thus
obtained and a more leisurely harvest. In
fact, there Is no staple which can COM
pete with the sugar beet in demanding the
favorable attention of those interested in
irrigation.
In general ii may be said that any soil
which will produce a good crop of Indian
corn. wheat or potatoes win, under proper
cultivation, produce a good crop of sugar
bee;s. The soil on which sugar beets are
grown, however. should be reasonably level
and this being the case, it should be well
drained. Natural drainage on level soil
being somewhat deficient, il is advantage
Gus that tile drainage be practiced II
would he diffirult hapfS
level land without good drainage. especi-
ally In a rainy season