Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-05

from the seeds sent out map was pre-
pared from this data which showed the
area of the United States suitable for the
planting of the beet, and as final re-
suit DR.. Wiley succeeded in extracting
sixty pounds more sugar from a ton than
was ever done before. The establishment
of the beet sugar industry which has
grown to be one of the greatest industries
of the country, Is the ultimate result of
the ten years experiment.
From the small building at 14th and
streets in 1898 the division moved to a
larger building on 18th street, and in
1910 third and last move was made
into the new building specially con-
structed for experimental purposes on
18th street near b. The division of
chemistry started with but twelve en-
chemistry carries on its rolls SEQ en-
ployes. This is striking illustration of
the growth of the bureau
DIR. Wiley built up the bureau from al
most nothing to its present position. He
has been with the bureau since its in
ception and is perhaps the man best
qualified to speak Of it's work In a talk
of the past and future work of the
bureau the doctor said
When the organic act establishing the
Department of Agriculture was passed
by Congress in 1862 it provided first of
all among the scientific divisions of the
department for the appointment Of a
chemist. The first chemist appointed was
DR.. Wetherell Of Philadelphia. There
was no laboratory and no appropriation
for one at that time. SO DR.. Wetherell
brought with him his own laboratory
"At the time l took up the work
April Q. 1ss3Lt was then called the d.
vision of chemistry. Our first activities
were confined largely to the promotion
of the sugar industry of the country, and
the study of the possibility of making
sugar from sorghum. Congress made
some liberal appropriations for this pur-
pose, and experiments were made prin-
cipally In Kansas and New Jersey. with
some of less Importance in Virginia and
Indiana, from 1883 to 1890.
I'VE first tried to breed a variety of
sorghum having a high sugar content.
This was really the first plant-breeding
experiment undertaken by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. The late A. A. Dem
ton of Kansas, who was a wizard of the
Luther Burbank kind, In his modest way,
was associated with me in this work
After eight years experiment and study
we established several new varieties of
sorghum Of great value, and succeeded in
growing field crops containing from 10
to IA per cent of sugar. which was from
to 4 per cent better than the mother
variety with which We started
AT the same time experiments were
started in the Improvement, manufacture
and introduction In this country of new
process in the manufacture of sugar
which resulted in great improvements in
the sugar mill. AS result of the ex-
periments conducted in Louisiana we sue
ceeded in making over 200 pounds OF
sugar to each ton of cane, which was
about sixty pounds more per ton than
ever made before. This stimulated the
planters OF louisiana to introduce better
and more improved milling processes, so
that the percentage of sugar obtained in
Louisiana has been permanently increased
until now II is forty to fifty pounds per
ton greater than when the experiments
began.