The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-11

vey w. Wiley is now a farmer and his
various activities as a contributing
editor, lecturer and pure food expert
are merely subsidiary to his main oc-
cupation Of tilling the soil. The oc-
casion for the late chief of the bureau
of chemistry's official designation Of
his present vocation is a protest which
he has just filed with the senate fl
name committee against the free SUI
gar bill now under consideration and
which he makes "as a farmer engaged
in practical agriculture and one who
has been interested during his whole
active life in the sugar industry"
Whatever the accuracy of DR.. Wiley's
claim to be a practical farmer, and
those who know him best declare that
he takes more interest in the operation
of his Virginia farm than in any of
his other pursuits and that the farm
itself is a model of its kind-there is
no doubt of his interest in the Ameri-
a sugar industry for he was one Of
the men mainly responsible for the in
PRODUCTION of the sugar beet into the
United States and its successful culti-
walton here, having directed the early
experiments of the department of agri-
culture in beet growing. In his state
ment as to the effect of the destruc-
tion or injury of the domestic sugar
industry upon the other agricultural
regarded therefore as an expert. Aside
from the agricultural advantages of
this particular industry he points out
that the farmers of the country have
enjoyed far less benefit from tariff
duties than other interests and that the
action proposed in dealing with this
important farm industry is more dras-
tic than in any other case where it
has been proposed to lower duties.
From my point of view" says DR..
Wiley, "the sugar industry has a very
expensive relation to agriculture aside
from the fields which are planted to
cane and beets. The threat of ex-
tinction of this industry also threatens
to a great extent the other agricul-
tural interests. The production of
sugar, whether it be from beet or cane
requires the highest style Of intensive
culture that science has been able to
suggest. The principles of feeding the
sugar crops, the methods of culture
and handling, the attention and skill of
the workers are such as to create in
every field and factory devoted to
sugar culture and. production In agri-
cultural experiment station Of the
highest type.
''The production Of the sugar cane
and the sugar beet exhibits the highest
type Of applied agricultural science
that has yet been created. Old-fash-
toned slip-shod methods of producing
wheat and cotton and corn are still
in vogue in over s5 per cent Of the
country devoted to these industries.
The growing of these crops until with
in a few years could not have been
ranked as agriculture but rather as
highway robbery of the soil. AS a
result the average production, per acre,
of these crops has fallen to a minimum.
1t would be impossible for farmers to
cultivate sugar M and sugar beets
in this Objectionable way. They are
driven by the necessities Of the case to
scientific methods of culture and fer
tilization.
"In the case of sugar beets the crops
which are grown in rotation yield very
much larger returns than when the
old-fashioned system of agriculture
prevailed. The culture of sugar pro-
ducing plants thus becomes a center Of
influence which teaches it's beneficient
lessons to all surrounding agriculture.
The reflex action of this influence be-
comes a benefit to American agricul-
ture the value of which it would be
difficult to measure in dollars and cents.
To paralyze the sugar industry means
to withdraw this splendid example and
to leave agriculture to struggle for
decades yet to come with the problems
which without the aid of sugar cul-
ture it has been unable to solve.
'1The blow which free sugar would
deal to the agricultural industries of
this country will be only partly felt by
those directly engaged in the culture
and manufacture of this product. Its
staggering and numbing influence
would pervade all branches of agri-
culture and put back the era of de-
velopment for years to come.
'Tn the past it cannot be said that
the farmer has been the chief bene-
ficiary of the protective tariff. In fact.
I believe, he has never had his full
share of its benefits. If adjustments
are to be made, and / would not say
for a moment that such adjustments
are not necessary, let as much as pos
sible be saved to the farmer. His eff
forts to make both ends meet are be-
coming more arduous each year. He
does not accumulate great fortunes and
most frequently only a mere compet-
ence. His voice is not heard in any
organized protest against threatened
danger. Even If he be the first to feel
the injury which legislation may work
he is usually the last to protest.
while there has been a general
tendency toward the reduction Of du-
ties, this tendency has not reached in
many cases the extent of the abolition