The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-24
TO MAKE SUGAR CHEAP.
Several Ifs In the Way of the
Schemes AccompIishment.

Several Ifs In the Way of the
Schemes Accomplishment.
Philadelphia Record.
Beet sugar at cents pound. This is
the pace set for agriculturists in this coun-
try by the governments experts. At the
present time sugar sells for a fraction over
Az cents per pound To reduce the selling
price to cents means the cost of growing
and the cost of manufacturing processes
must be cheapened and the beet yield per
acre increased. The field labor and the
yield per acre can fortunately both be at
tackled at the same time. To produce an
ideal beet by cross breeding, plant selection
and similar lines of improvement is a COM
paratively certain operation. The govern
ment's experts have already done much
more wonderful and less probable things in
the matter of plant modification. The seed
less navel orange might be mentioned as
one such achievement. Drought resistant
wheat is another.
Beet growing is declared to be one of the
most profitable agricultural industries that
the American farmer can undertake. 1t has
its difficulties, however, and is by no means
a universal crop. Labor is an important
factor in the total cost of production. IN
less an abundance of cheap labor can be
depended upon at the right moment the
chances Of success are not very great Sugar
beets require about as much care as truck
gardening. The careful labor is necessi-
tated in a large measure by the peculiar
character of the beet seed This is known
as beet ball." 1t consists of a group of
from one to six seeds. each entirely separate
and disconnected from the others, but all
incased in an irregular-shaped woody cover
ing about the size of a French pea. These
beet balls are drilled in rows, and upon
termination a group Of seedlings appears
corresponding to the number of seeds in
the ball. 1t is the labor of thinning out
the superfuous plants and keeping down
the weeds that makes the crop so expensive
to grow. The field laborers get down on
their hands and knees and carefully pull up
Dy hand all the plants except the most
thrifty one found every eight inches. II all
the seedlings were allowed to mature the
crop would be very small and of low sugar
standard seed.
Truman G. Palmer, one of the depart
ments experts, recently suggested the pos
ball, and experiments are now under way
looking to his end. This seems a compare
lively easy matter to the initiated. The
first step is the selection of sing1e-germ
seed already in existence and then to plant
and grow these, carefully selecting seed or
the plants that most nearly approach the
ideal desired. until the characteristics are
found. When this is achieved the reduc-
ton in the price OF production is logical
consequence. The seed can be planted by
machinery at a proper distance apart to Sc
cure the best results; thinning will hardly
be necessary, and pulling and topping can
be done by machinery; wedding can be
done with hoe instead of by hand and
the tonnage per acre can be increased. as
the remaining beets will not be injured by
careless thinning or not thinning at the
proper time, work dependent on the amount
of available labor.
1t Is TO be presumed that the govern
ment will secure, along with the single
germ seed. beet that will be of average
two-pound size and of high sugar content
Granted that these improvements can be
made, those versed in the industry are able
to figure economies that will bring the price
of graduated sugar down 10 cents per
pound -