Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1913-05-23
MILLIONS
CROP METHODS
VIII Add 40 Per CenttO States
Annual Farm Wealth,
Says Agriculture.
Expert

ShS ~ ~ |
1T may be interesting to note what
1t would mean in dollars and cents to
the farmers of Montana If they were
able to gather from their acres the
same yields as the farmers OF Germany
obtain. The official statistics OF the
two countries show that If they had
collected in 1910 the same number OF
bushels Of wheat, oats, rye, barley and
potatoes that the German farmers har-
vested. the higher yields would have
been worth to them at the prices then
prevailing SIG, 112, 900 instead Of $751;
TOG 5000, the sum which they actually re-
ceived. This is a difference Of $7,4O6,-
900 or approximately 40 per cent. II
Is obvious that in the long III 1t woul
mean a great advance in the general
prosperity of Montana If her m
could realize year after year an In
crease of 40 per cent in the returns
from their labor and their land.
How Is it that Germany. with far
fewer natural advantages. with infe-
rior machinery and a less intelligent
and less educated farming population.
has been able to outstrip even so virtle
and progressive a state as Montana in
the matter of improving her agricul-
tural production?
Several years ago l set out to an
swer this question. For this purpose
| made numerous trips to the impor-
tant agricultural countries of Europe.
| watched the farmers In their fields,
visited the famous model farms and
the principal agricultural institutions
and talked with leading agricultural
scientists, economists and administra-
tors.
"As a result of these years Of study
and investigation I have no hesitation
In saying that there is n principal
cause, and one only, for the improved
productivity of their farm lands. That
cause is the systematic cultivation OF
n hoed root crop an average OF n
year in four in rotation with cereals
and other staples. l find also a thor
ough agreement. both among agricul-
tural scientists and among practical
farmers, that the best of hoed root
crops for this purpose is the sugar
beet. The reason for this is that
wherever beet sugar factories have
been established the farmer can sell
the sugar content Of his beet crop and
receive q direct cash return therefor.
The pulp and tops Of the beets re-
naming after the sugar is extracted
form the finest Of stock foods, and II
these are fed back on to the land none
of its fertile elements are taken away.
German administrators early grasp
ed the great possibilities of the sugar
beet in increasing the productivity Of
their farm lands and have steadily en-
couraged the culture Of this crop in
all possible ways They have done
this not only by imposing heavy tariff
duties upon imported sugar, but also
by direct bounties upon exported sug-
ar of domestic growth. In the past
Germany has expended hundreds of
millions of dollars in export bounties
upon sugar to enable her manufactur-
ers to sell abroad at less than the cost
of production. She has done this sole
ly because of the benefits Of the sugar
beet in increasing general agricultural
production. AS a result of the sys'
tematic encouragement Of this crop
: Germany is not only the greatest pro
Queer of beet sugar in the world, but
/ she also has increased the collective
acreage yield of her staple crops an
average Of so per cent in the past thir
ty-three years.
American sugar beet farmers are
now rapidly learning to adopt proper
methods of rotation. Reports which
have collected from rs farmers scat
r tered from Ohio to California, who
e have kept records of their yields be
fore, and since taking up sugar beet.
s in rotation with their other crops
: show that they have increased theil
: average yield Of corn PIG per cent, o.
t oats 4S.1 per cent, of wheat 49.1 Pc
s cent and of barley SO per cent, a col
e ~lective average increase Of 4.6 pc
cent.
t 1.-THE great effect of sugar beet cul
ture, properly conducted, in increasing
: the acreage yield Of all staple crop
grown In rotation with beets is o
especial significance to the people O
t your state. The great valleys Of Mon
n tana present exactly the climatic an
soil conditions favorable to the grow
h ing of sugar beets. This is demon
strated by the great practical success
# that has followed the introduction O
p sugar beet growing among hundred
# of farmers in your state and by tn
l. successful operation of a beet suga
factory at Billings for the past fey
Is years. Montana is in a position. there
er fore. to profit more largely than man
m other members of the Union by appl,
IL ing the successful experience Of Ge
many in utilizing sugar beet culture I
IN advance her general agricultural pr,
20 duction. 1t only remains to exten
sugar beet culture throughout the stat
lie in order to turn these possibilities I'M
a actualities, but this cannot be done
es the tariff is removed or seriously r
ge duced because capital will not inve
de in new enterprises under conditions
-As- - Aftxwao