The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-04

success the use of water by irrigation,
Something untried in Europe. BY ir-
rigation the best results in Europe
have been surpassed. (2) In twenty
years, Germany has reduced the cost
of making beet sugar over fifty per
cent. The cost will. probably be large
~ reduced in America The American /
designers have already introduced i'm
provements for cheapening and short
ening the work. The field work is also
being cheapened.
(S) Taking the average of all the
factories, the cost of production has
left only small margin of profit, per-
haps loss. But during the last ten /
years the older factories have reduced
the cost 25 to SO per cent. ca The
cost of producing beets is, on the aver ,
age, $50 per acre with an average yield
of u tons to the acre. But the aver
age should not be considered, as wheat
growing in Illinois would not be profit
able il the average yield is consid-
cred. With irrigation the cost is rafs-
ed to $40 per acre with more than
corresponding increase in yield In
Iowa many of the farmers have found
in their first experiments that beets
pay better than cereals. go The high
; cultivation of the land in beet raising,
by deep blowing, narrowing and weed
ing, improves the land so that in
I proper rotation of crops, the fertility
| increases and all crops are larger This
method avoids chemical manures. In
| Europe, trained scientists with large
experience determine the methods of
rotation on each farm, and supervise
the cultivation. Such scientists are
now in demand by the American farm
erS but it will take. time to supply them.
(5) One of the most important factors
in this industry is the utilization of the
pulp, the weight of which is about As
per cent of the beet. It's value as cat
tie food is well known in Europe, but
the American farmers have not discov-
cred it, though some have done so. In
few places the farmers are eager To.
get it. In Lansing. Michigan, 4200
sheep are to be fattened on pulp DUR
ing the coming season, under scientific
direction, and the results will be pub
lished next spring. The pulp will be
an important factor in increasing the
meat supply of the country. Cd The
American farmer has learned much but
he has much more to learn, as he is
dealing with a peculiar crop, for the
principles which govern it are in some
things the reverse of the principles
which govern the cultivation of other
crops. Experience will show the best
methods. (S) Better seed is now pro-
duced in this country than in Europe
and large capital is being invested in
seed farms. The seed largely deter
mines the yield. It costs less to ex-
tract sugar from beet which yields a
high percentage of purity than from
one of low percentage. Much progress
has been made in this direction. (9
The question of labor is stated to be a
serious one. But it way be solved in
several ways. In the thickly settled
parts of Europe, men, women and chill
dren are easily obtained from the cities
and towns. With the cheapness of
transportation in America, plans will
in time be made to take from the cities
and return to them at little expense
the labor which is required, to the
great profit of the poor. A commence
ment has been already made in this
direction. Boys are taken from Denver
to the beet fields. This supply may be
inexhaustible when the ways of doing
| It are perfected. Q0) The best prod
uct is obtained by irrigation. When the
plans, proposed by Congress, are exc
cuted, and great reservoirs of water
are built in the arid lands this indus
try will be established where it now
cannot exist. QD In this industry the
Americans have heretofore followed
the Europeans But they are now I'M
proving over them rapidly
The report describes in detail the cul-
tivation of the beet in the different
States. 1t is a compendium of most
valuable information. 1t is stated that
on careful estimate, it IS found that
the annual increase of consumption OF
sugar is 4.45 per cent
The relative cost of cane and beet
;, sugar is not discussed. Nor is the Gu
ban sugar supply alluded to.
); While it is evident that the sugar
: beet industry is soon to take it's place
! as one of the great staple industries or
the country, there is no reason to be-
! lieve that it will kill the cane indus
try of the American tropics. The pro-
Queer of sugar will in the long run OBJ
tain fair and reasonable profit Such
!. is the history of the staple crops But,
, it is apparent, that the Hawaiian
planters must gradually reorganlze
: their system of labor, which no doubt
: will he done. The spur of necessity and
: the pluck of the race which never lies
down will find ways to maintain pros
, perfty in the Territory. The fact that
Hawaii is a large importer of food is
: the most serious menace to its pros
: perity. Enormous as has been the IN
; come of the Southern States from cot
ton growing, during the last century
the people remained poor by reason of
their Importation of food from the
, West. This is fully accepted as the
: cause of it, aside from the lack of econ
omy in slavery. In Hawaii, the inn
, ported food pays the toll of several
| profits before it reaches the consumer.
On the mainland. the food goes directly
: from the producer to the consumer as
q general rule.
1t is rather unfortunate for Hawaii
/ that the tariff protection, which seems