SUGAR AND THE SUGAR BEET. 161 



ture. A large part of the United States has too high a temperature. 

 Where the temperature is high beets grow luxuriantly, but they contain 

 a small percentage of sugar. On the other hand, where frosts come 

 early in the autumn, the beets can not arrive at maturity. Other things 

 being equal, the farther north the beets can grow to maturity the greater 

 will be the sugar content. In 1897 the Department of Agriculture gave 

 as a provisional area a zone having a mean temperature between 69 °F. 

 and 71 °F. for the months of June, July and August. This forms a 

 strip across the country sometimes very narrow, sometimes quite wide 

 — in New Mexico and California running south of the thirty-third 

 parallel of latitude, in Dakota north of the forty-sixth, forming on the 

 map a serpentine band which, owing to its many folds and twistings, 

 has a length considerably greater than double the width of the con- 

 tinent. In addition to this belt there are a few outlying areas as for 

 instance a portion of Washington. The belt begins on the east in the 

 neighborhood of New York City, and on the Pacific it forms a long 

 strip stretching between four and five hundred miles, almost due north 

 and south, and extending to the Mexican boundary. Later investigation 

 has widened this area a little, chiefly on the north, but has not very 

 materially affected it. It must not be supposed that all parts of the belt 

 are equally favorable. For instance, though North Dakota and south- 

 ern California have the same average Temperature in June, July and 

 August, in the former place frosts come very early and the winters are 

 severe, while in the latter there is little frost at any season. 



The rainfall is a matter of importance. Warm rains in the early 

 part of the season and dry weather during the period of maturing are 

 best. In arid districts, irrigation may be resorted to, and has the 

 great advantage that the supply of moisture can be regulated. Irriga- 

 tion works are usually expensive and do not ordinarily pay in the 

 raising of cereals, but the sugar beet is a valuable crop and experiments 

 already made point to the probability that Colorado, Utah, New Mexico 

 and other similar states will become extensive producers of sugar beets. 

 Ten million acres of arid land could be irrigated comparatively easily 

 and that would more than supply the world with sugar. 



The growth of the sugar industry in Michigan is very interesting. 

 In northern Michigan lumbering has been carried on very extensively 

 for a number of years. The result is that the timber areas have been 

 rapidly denuded. The question as to the use to be made of the land 

 from which timber was removed became pressing. The soil was con- 

 sidered too sandy for ordinary agricultural purposes but it turns out to 

 be very suitable for beet culture and sawmills are being replaced by 

 sugar factories. 



The sugar is not the only valuable part of the beet. When the juice 



VOL. LXI. — 11. 



