Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-12
FREESUGAR ANISSUE
Probable Removal of Tariff
Arouses Manufacturers.
FARMERS ALSO INTERESTED
Opposition to Measure in Both
Houses Anticipated.
VALUE OF THE BEET INDUSTRY
Comment by Truman Garrett Pal
mer, Recognised Authority, on
Effect on Soils.
FARMERS ALSO INTERESTED
VALUE OF THE BEET INDUSTRY

means committee ts to report out q tarifI
Dill carrying free sugar has aroused the
sugar manufacturers OF the country, both
those who manufacture cane sugar and
beet sugar, and the farmers who grow
sugar cane and sugar beets. Undoubted-
ly the free sugar item will find many
enemies when 1t reaches the floor OF the
House, and also when it reaches the
Senate.
Truman Garrett Palmer. recognized
authority in this country and abroad on
sugar economics, and who is particularly
interested in the beet sugar industry OF
this country, discussing the situation to-
day, said:
why do the WORKOUT soils of Europe
produce two bushels of grain. while the
virgin soils of the United States produce
only one? 1t seems incredible that such
state of affairs actually exists, but sta
tistics show this to be the case. To put
1t succinctly. Germany. France and Eng
land produce two bushels of grain to the
acre where we produce only one, because
their farmers plant sugar beets or other
root crops in rotation with grain and
other crops
Corrects Erroneous Impression.
For a number of years 1 was at loss
to explain why American farmers had to
be coaxed to grow sugar beets, while
European farmers were SO anxious to
grow them. The American farmers claim
ed that sugar beets injured the soil. !
went abroad and studied the situation. l
found that unlike the American farmers,
who grow beets on the same SOIL year
after year, and consider only the Deet
tonnage and the price received per ton,
the European farmer was growing peets
primarily for the increased yield secured
from the crops which followed the Deets.
and was growing beets on the same SOIL
but one year In four"
Mr.. Palmer said that the German and
French economists had learned the need
Of increasing the yield of crops II the
cost Of living was to be kept down. For
years the German government gave sub
sides to the producers of beet sugar. SO
that they were able to sell their sugar
in Great Britain below the cost of pro-
duction. 1t cost the German government
$3.50, O0O 600, 600 in export bounties alone.
but it enabled the German farmers to
increase their crops to double their former
size.
Crops in Rotation.
England has used other root crops
than the sugar beet said Mr.. Palmer,
Sin rotation with its cereal crops for
many years, and has thus improved her
crop yields. For a hundred years the
basis of British agriculture has been the
turnip. The farmers of England now
grow 100000 acres of root crops each
year in rotation with 100000 acres of
cereal crops. which accounts for their
heavy yield per acre.
with the cost OF living in this country
increasing rapidly, 1t seems almost GRIM
ina1 that the American farmers should
mot be induced to see the value of grow
ing sugar beets in rotation with other
crops. 1t would be possible by this means
to double the crops OF grain, corn and
potatoes. without increasing the acre.
age"
The Department of Agriculture, Though
DIR. w. A. Horton. has looked into the
matter, and DIR. Horton in a report on
the sugar beet in European agricul-
tural economy confirms the statements
made by Mr.. Palmer. The report says:
More attention must be given to the
influence on the fertility of the soil of
the crops used in rotation, as well as
to the production and utilization of by
products for stock feeding These points,
though long understood in Europe, have
not been understood in this country.
Truman G. Palmer has done more than
any one else to point out to Americans
the indirect benefits from beet culture
Tabulation of Results.
Mr.. Palmer has tabulated the results
obtained by 115 American farmers who
have adopted the rotation of sugar beets
with their other crops. and the results
show that the production has been almost
doubled.
Sugar beets can be grown in almost
the whole of the United States,'' said Mr..
Palmer. "Only in some of the southern and
southeastern states have they failed. Today
America is paying $1O0,OO0OOO annually
to foreign countries for sugar for con-
sumption here. There are about 100000
acres of land in this country planted in
sugar beets today, and there are 274,-
100000 acres of land upon which beets
can be planted with success"