The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-02-28
Would Add $44,OOO,OOO to
States Annual Farm Wealth.
Consumers Would Ben
efIt Too.

"When one considers the advantages
Of soil, climate, implements. education
and wealth enjoyed ~ Ohio farwers
and compares them with the many dis.
advantages which confront German
farmers 1t would seem that these 6g-
ures should receive the earnest con-
sideration Of every person IN your
state. Not only do your low yields af.
feet your farmers, bnt they affect the
nonproducing. consuming public ~
we'll. All consumers nnast pay the
penalty OF high prices for food prod.
ucts which naturally 60 With low yields
per acre. and your superior conditions
count for naught II they are not 20 han
died as to result In Increased yields.
For many years American thinkers
on agriculture had been puxxied con.
cerning the two phases Of this most
important subject. First, they were
puxsled and chagrihed to nste the fact
that with our virgin son and superior
condition We were making littie or no
headway in increasing eur acreage
crop yields. while Europe In some man.
ner was rejuvenating her wernout soils
and making them yield two bushels
to our one. In Germany the acre
age increase in yield Of cereal crops
amounted to 80 per cent in thirty
years. while our Increase Of the same
crops during the same period amounted
to but &C per cent.
Second. they marveled that, while
American farmers declared that the
culture Of sugar beets injured their
soil and scarcely could be induced to
grow them. European farmers were
determined to grow them In ever In
creasing quantities.; even at much
less price per ton than was being paid
In the United States.
'These two conditions, seemed most
astonishing until few years ago
personal Investigation revealed the .rea-
son for both and also disclosed the fact
that the two were linked together In
diss0lubly. It was found that Eu.
r0pean farmers long since had learned
that the sine qua non Of heavy cereal
crop yields was to plant the fields to
a root crop. preferably sugar beets.
one year In four. The regulate deep
pl0wing. thorough cultivation and
heavy fertilization Of the root crop
freed their fields Of weeds and other
noxious gr0wths which we're sapplng
the vitality Of the soil and left the land
in such excellent physical and chemical
condition as to. increase the yield Of
other crops planted on the same land
during the following three years by 50
to 100 per cent They made their beet
crop pay for all the extra labor and
fertilizer applied In producing It. The
cereal crops which followed sugar beets
received no extra care. being farmed
In the customary manner. No won
der they wished to devote one fourth
Of their fields to sugar beets. the BY
products from which they hauled back
to their farms. fed to their stock and
returned to the soil.
"As the sugar which was extracted
came wholly from the atmosphere. the
use Of their beets for sugar making
purposes took nothing from the soil
Where sugar factories were not at
hand they raised sugar beets and fed
them to stock. sugar and all. Others
got to raising mangel wurxels. which
yield q heavier tonnage. though not
% rich. but all prefer sugar beets
where there is factory at hand.
for the money they receive for the
sugar Is clear gain. In any event
they must rotate their cereals with a
hoed crop II they would increase their
yield. and hoed crops In Germany oc-
cupy over one-f0urth Of the areas de-
voted 10 cereals. They declare that to
the introduction of the sugar beet IL
due all thS credit for their marvellous
yields.
Immediately the European methods
had been thoroughly analyxed and
proved the informn tion was spread
broadcast among 100000 American sug-
ar beet farmers Many Of them adopt.
cd the European method at once. aud
the effect was marvellous. The yield Of
the crops which followed on beet land
exceeded even the European yields. and
farmers increased their sugar beet
acreage. In four yeaFs the acreage
Ys~AAsuO ~ oUUsD s1SSOUaO0 kSVStt stsooO
to 1.i70 acres par factory. with the re.
suit that for several years past the do
mestic sugar output has increased ae
the rate Of 100000 tons year. and that
b the direct cause Of the present d.
mand BY tho cane rsflneru for a reduc-
ticn In the duty on our imports Of tor.
eign raw sugar.
sTsw there are in Aasesica who ssas-
psct that the culture or hack Of culture
u TIE humble sugar bsst has mers -
DO with the price Of food products than
has that Of any other farm product.
but such In the cNse, for whom We reach
the Anal analysis Il win be found that
the law Of supply and demand still y
doing duty At the old stand. Were We
to double the yield Of our zelda Of
cereal crops the BENEFITS accruing would
b shared By the consumer, for with
double the yield The price would b.
lower" 2