The Washington herald., 1912-06-09

ITO this end 1 have been preaching
for the past thirty years the gospel OF
the sugar beet.
The production Of the sugar beet re-
auires the highest style Of intensive
culture that science has been able 70
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 cul-
ture an agricultural experiment station
Of the highest type. A great extension OF
this farm industry Is entirely practicable,
for the soil and climate conditions In
the greater part OF the United States
are thoroughly favorable to beet culture
in the world.
'Tn the case Of me sugar beet. the
crops which are grown in rotation with
II yield very much larger returns than
when the old-fashioned system OF agrt-
culture prevailed. The culture OF sugar.
producing plapts thus creates a center of
influence which teaches its benehcent
lessons TO all surrounding agriculture.
The reflex action Of this influence be-
comes a benefit TO American agriculture
the value OF which 1t would. be dim
cult to measure In dollars and cents"
Beets Improve Land.
DR.. Wiley proceeded to give a graphic
picture Of how the sugar beet trans
forms, as by fairy wand. forming and
farm life -r ...r .-
Wherever the sugar beet is cult.
waited" he continued, the farmers are
all prosperous, no matter what kind OF
other crops they raise. The beet gen
orally improves the productiveness Of
the soil In all kinds OF agriculture. It
causes the employment OF more labor and
indirectly benefits commerce and trans
portation, and produces in every COM
munity conditions Of prosperity in agri-
culture which It would be dimcult to
bring about in any other way.
: The scientific principles Of agricul-
ture must be fully understood in order to
grow beets with success. These princi-
pies are essentially the same for all
kinds Of agriculture. BY teaching them,
the culture Of the sugar beet becomes
a general blessing to all. In beet grow
ing communities the farmers fields be-
come richer, weeds grow less numerous
ly, fences are improved, barns are
painted or whitewashed and kept IN neat
condition, bathrooms are built in the
houses, and farm life becomes more at
tractive and profitable to the farmer,
his wife and his children. The neces-
stiles Of transportation bring good roads.
Good roads bring visitors. The Increased
activity adds additional value to the
farm and in a few years the farmer
is surprised to find the land worth
double what It was before beet culture
was introduced.
THE culture Of the beet brings into
the neighborhood the large sugar fac
tory, using fuel and other raw material,
and with its complement Of laborers
and experts, thus giving a better and
more profitable market to the surround
ing farmers for all their proddcts- The
factory being close at hand, its opera
tors are likely to keep in friendly touch
with the farmers and work in close CO.
operation with them for general i'm
provementG
Fits in with DairyInE.
"one Of the best things about sugar
beet culture, from the point Of view Of
agricultural improvement, is that it fts
in perfectly with dairying and stock
growing It is. Of course, one Of the
elementary facts Of practical dsirying
that the rearing and keeping Of live
stock affords the easiest, cheapest, and
most natural means Of improving the
fertility Of the soil.
The residual pulp from the sugar beet
after the factory has extracted the sac
charine matter Is a valuable and whole
some food for cattle and other farm
animals, and the by-prodUcts OF mo-