The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1915-05-19
SUGAR BEETs AND CROP YIELDS
Great Increase in Productivencss o.
Land and Yield of Staple Crops,
Experience of American
Farmers

cally encouraged the upbuilding of
this industry for many years. They
have imposed protective tariffs on i'm
ported sugar. They have granted boun-
ties to their own producers. They have
directed the energies of distinguished
scientists and of practical experts to
TO developing the highest quality of
beets and the most effective methods
of cultivation. 1t is natural to as
sumo that some weighty reason lies
behind the policy so widely and per-
sistently followed. Why have the Eu-
ropean nations devoted such careful
and elaborate efforts to the beet sug-
ar industry? Perhaps the answer to
the question will throw some light
upon the proper solution of the prob
lem which now confronts the Ameri-
can people as to whether the beet
sugar industry of the United States is
worth preserving or not.
One reason for the pains which the
statesmen and economists of Europe
have expended in developing the beet
sugar industry to the point where it
now produces under normal conditions
nearly one-half the worlds supply is
to be found in the natural desire of
each country to provide its own sugar
supply and to become independent of
other nations for this essential COM
modify. Another and still stronger
reason, however, is the tremendous
value of sugar beet cultivation in
building up agricultural resources and
increasing the yields of crops grown
in rotation with beets. The most en-
inent agricultural scientists of Ger
many are agreed that sugar beet cul-
tivation has been the main factor in
the wonderful agricultural develop
ment of Germany during the past gem
Grafton, which has resulted in doub-
ling the yields of the principal staple
crops Of that country. Similar testi-
mony comes from beet growing dis
tricts of Austria, France, Denmark,
and other European countries.
So thoroughly understood is the ben
eficial influence Of sugar beet cultiva-
tion upon other crops grown in rota-
tion with beets that in the case of
many of the great estates Of Ger
many and Austria it is specifically
provided in the leases issued to ten
ants who cultivate the land that a GER
tain proportion of the titled area must
be sown to beets each year. Recently
when the agricultural authorities of
Germany contemplated issuing instruc-
tions to cut down the acreage devoted
to sugar beets in order to increase the
area of wheat, a strong protest was
raised by the farmers who brought
forward testimony to show that one
acre of sugar beets was more valuable
than four acres planted to wheat.
One Of the handicaps that attended
the establishment of the beet sugar
industry in the United States was the
widespread belief among farmers that
sugar beets as a crop were hard on
the land" Statistics collected by Tru-
man, G. Palmer, secretary of the
United States Beet Sugar Industry,
show, on the contrary, that beets are
the most valuable crops that can be
grown because of their influence in
increasing the output of other staple
crops grown in rotation with beets.
Investigations conducted by the
United States Government have led to
similar conclusions. The increase fol-
lowing rotation with sugar beets var
les from 52 per cent in the case of
barley to 27.6 per cent in the case of
corn, and averages 41.07 per cent. Of
what tremendous value the general
adoption Of sugar beet cultivation
throughout the United States would be
, can be gathered from the fact that on
the basis of the increase produced by
this crop, according to the investiga-
tions Of the Department of Agricul-
ture, it would have added more than
$3.50, 900, 900 to the total value Of the
corn and wheat crops of the country
in 1913 without any increase in the
acreage devoted to these two cereals.
The April, 1915, issue of Sugar con-
tains letters from large number OF