Evening star., 1914-08-23
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

will the European war stimulate the
growing Of sugar beets and further the
| movement to make
American Beet the American market
less dependent upon
S~S~A foreign sugar produc-
ers?" This is a question which is today
interesting the experts of the United
States Department of Commerce and OF
the Department Of Agriculture. both OF
which are conducting Investigations OF
the beet sugar industry in the United
States.
More than eighty pounds of sugar are
consumed each year by the average
American, according to estimates made
under the direction OF former Secretary
James Wilson Of the Department Of Agri-
culture a few months before he left Office
in 1913 or this large per capita sugar
consumption only ten pounds, or one
eighth. are now produced in this country
and a plan worked out by Secretary Will
son which would make It unnecessary for
Americans to buy any foreign sugar has
Just been recalled by government officials
interested in the condition Of the Ameri-
can sugar market, which has been de-
moralized by the war of the European ma
tons.
Former Secretary Wilson estimated that
in the nineteen states adapted to the
growing Of sugar beets there are about
two and one half million farmers and
nearly SSOoUOOOO acres Of improved land
He estimated that If one farmer in every
Tour In the nineteen states where sugar
Deets may be easily grown would plant a
tnree-acre patch and give 1t the care that
couid De readily bestowed upon such a
small plot 1t would be unnecessary for
Americans to buy single pound Of for
eign sugar.
The former Secretary estimated that
two-thirds of l per cent of the improved
land In the nineteen states adapted to
sugar beets would accomplish this result
and he said that more than this acreage
lies idle in these statesLabsolutely un-
used-every year. The Secretary's esti-
mates took into consideration the normal
amount of cane sugar which is produced
in the south each year, which would aug
ment the beet sugar supply in meeting
the demand of the American market.
Less than 100000 acres of land are now
planted to sugar beets in the United
States, and it Is estimated that it would
require at least 100000 acres to produce
the amount of sugar which Is now i'm
ported from European countries. Experts
erer rne ngaftent sg fha. It. Of Agriculture how
acres OF land to the production of sugar
required for home consumption would
nave an utterly insignificant effect in re-
aucing the acreage of other crops. and. in
1act the growing of sugar beets would
actually increase the total yield Of other
crops. The growing of sugar beets i'm
proves the land, because the cultural
methods include the thorough working of
| the sol! and increase the yield of every
thing else grown in the same ground in
succeeding years. In Germany and other
foreign countries where the sugar beet
culture has reached its highest develop
or to .tok{N
with other crops for the purpose of i'm
proving the soil as well as to produce q
direct profit from the sale of the crop.
ine United States at the present time
| seven-eighth Of its supply of raw sugar,
put also for its supply of sugar beet
seed For many years a more or less
general idea prevailed both in this coun-
beet seed could not be grown in the
| United States. Experiments made by
government experts have shown, how
ever. that good sugar beet seed could
be grown in this country, although at
the present time the growing Of beet
seed in the United States is still in the
experimental stage. It requires two
years to grow the roots for sugar beet
seed The adverse conditions which pre-
vailed in 1911 in nearly all of the beet
| seed producing countries of the old world
| resulted in a shortage of the seed crop.
increased the selling price several fold
and made 1t almost impossible for grow
ers in the United States to get a supply
of good seed adequate for their needs.
More than two years ago. Dr. c. o.
Townsend. one Of the governments su-
gar beet experts Of the bureau of plant
industry. pointed out that SO long as the
farmers Of the United States relied upon
the importation of beet seed the beet
sugar industry in the United States
would be dependent for success or fall
ure upon the seed crop of the other
kh0A
other partial failure of the seed crop In
Europe similar to the one in 1911 would
perhaps SO deplete the worlds supply
Of beet seed that the beet sugar industry
would be badly crippled II not entirely
destroyed in many sections OF the world
for period Of years at least. Now
that millions of European farmers are
engaged in the war and leaving the Tor
eign beet crop largely neglected, depart
| ment experts say that 1t is purely mat
ter of guesswork at the present time to
tell how much the American crops OF fu-
ture years will be affected.
| The yearly recurrence Of forest fires
with increasingly large losses of val
uable timber has
Warning Against stimulated the in
| terest Of private,
| ToIess 1Aes' state and federal
authorities in public education on fire
prevention. Forest fires which have just
been reported by Chief Forester Henry
F. Graves have cost the government many
| thousands of dollars to fight. and forest
officers say that each year the heavy
| losses prove that what is needed is pub
lie education on fire prevention as much
| as more forest rangers and proper fire
| fighting equipment.
During the last few years a revolution
| in methods Of warning campers. sports
men, woodsmen and others against for
| est fires has been carried out. Up until
| a few years ago, over many parts Of the
forest sections owned by the national
| and state governments and private prop
erty, the trees were plastered with long
and wordy fire notices printed in small
type and requiring five or ten minutes
| Of a persons time to take in their mean
i ing. To read the notice easily 1t was
| necessary to stand a few feet away from
the tree, and because of this fact per-
sons passing by on horseback or walking
along the roads or trails seldom stopped
| to read the so-called fire signs"
Now all is different Fire notices are
| printed in a few words in large type.
and a number of cards which have been
sent to local officers of the United States
| forest service illustrate just what is
xA f~1 = L.