The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-11
A LACK OF INFORMATION.

The speech of Representative Smith, Of
Michigan. against reciprocity, in the House
on Wednesday, is based upon the assump-
ton that all the territory of the United
States is suited to the production of sugar
beets in quality and quantity that will
make their cultivation profitable. Proceed
ing upon this assumption, Mr. Smiths Wig
orous imagination 0eholds and his tongue
declares that every farmer in the country
is intent on raising sugar beets. Indeed, it
may be inferred from the statements of
the eloquent Michigan man that the farm
ers are talking of nothing else; that they
meet in the schoolhouses and talk sugar
beet, and that this cold-blooded vegetable
is a more fruitful cause of excited and all
night talks in rural communities than was
the greenback when that craze was on.
Doubtless Mr.. Smith is sincere in all this,
but, unfortunately, sincerity is not always
accurate information. As debater Mr..
Smith is open to criticism because he has
not the information of an official charac-
ter which destroys his assumption that the
cultivation of sugar beets is generally
profitable. The Department of Agriculture
has rendered the beet-sugar industry great
service, so that whatever it's experts say
in reference TO the subject, if unfavorable,
may be accepted as truth. Not long ago
the department issued a circular declaring
that hundreds of samples of sugar beets
had been analysed, coming from every part
of the country. The analyses show that
the soil of a limited portion of the United
States is adapted to the profitable cultiva-
ton of sugar beets The best locality in
the country is Michigan. Colorado and
parts of Utah and California are we'll suited
to the production of beets for sugar, and
in portions of other States the industry
may be indifferently successful, but in the
greater agricultural area Of the country
sugar beets cannot be cultivated success
fully. A little corner of Indiana in the
north can raise good beets, but otherwise
the soil of this State is not suited to the
industry. These are the conclusions of the
experts in a department which has used it's
influence to promote the beet-sugar indus
try. n few years ago an imaginative
statesman in the House, when the Dingley
sugar factory in every congressional dis
trict. At that time such belief prevailed,
although as long ago as 1890 report of
the Department of Agriculture presented a
map which put nearly all of Indiana in the
nonsugar-beet territory. Better informa-
ton has shown the fallacy of a beet-sugar
plant to a congressional district. 1t would
be nearer the statement of the latest Off
cial opinion on the subject to say that per-
maps sugar beets may be proftably cult
waited if there shall be sugar mills in forty
or fifty congressional districts Now there
are 557 districts.
Attention is called to this report because
about every champion of the beet-sugar
combination assumes that the whole coun-
try is suited to the production of sugar
beets, and that farmers in every part of
the country literally wrought up to the
point Of desperation over the proposition
to cut the duty on Cuba's sugar 20 per cent.
There are not hundred farmers in this
State who have any interest now in the
sugar beet The Indiana farmer has had
his experience with it.