144 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



I will not take up your time by suggesting problems that confront 

 the practical agriculturist, farther than to refer to some that relate 

 to the new industry recently assuming gigantic proportions in the Pen- 

 insular State. The widespread attempt to raise sugar beets by farmers 

 who know nothing about the industry is going to call for the best 

 wisdom of the scientific men of the State, to prevent fatal mistakes. 

 It is going to call for a vast deal of original work in all phases of the 

 subject. The experiments we have already carried on have demonstrated 

 the futility of relying upon German dicta for our guidance. The whole 

 subject must be studied anew in this country. Let me illustrate: 



One of the most important matters that we shall have to attend to in 

 the development of this industry is the growing of thoroughbred seed. 

 This involves the careful selection of the mother beets by the polari- 

 scope, then the growing of the selected mothers under the best con- 

 ditions, the preservation of the seed of each separately and the selection 

 the next year of the strain offering the greatest number of rich beets 

 conforming to the chosen type. Thereafter the chemist must keep in 

 close control of the seed growing and thousands of dollars must be spent 

 annually in analyses of beets to prevent reversion to the normal low 

 content of sugar. American ingenuity is to be put to the test to ac- 

 complish the production of reliable seed without the cumbrous methods 

 now in vogue in Germany. The matter is of the most immediate im- 

 portance, the growing of seed must begin in 1899 or the immediate 

 future of the sugar production is in danger. 



A second necessity confronts us in this sugar beet business, namely, 

 the necessity of inventing some way of preventing waste of so much seed 

 in the beet field. The Michigan Experiment Station, which in 1890 

 and 1891 was the first to call attention to the growing of sugar beets 

 in Michigan, will conduct a series of experiments this year along this 

 line. I have visited some twenty-six counties in the State, lecturing to 

 farmers, who are wild with excitement, ready to believe anything in 

 regard to the method of growing the beets, and in constant danger of 

 being misled by interested parties and I have found one of the chief 

 dangers to lie in their willingness to accept second rate seed, because 

 they are ignorant of its quality and their anxiety to sow as small a 

 quantity of seed as possible. As long as the seed is imported from 

 Germany and we have no better guaranty of its germination and vitality 

 than the good will of the German Emperor to the American sugar in- 

 dustry, we will do well not to stint the amount used. A good stand 

 is absolutely essential and to secure it we must have enough seed sown 

 to produce a strong beet every two inches. 



A third problem presented by this new industry is the avoidance of 

 the excessive labor of thinning. How this is to be done is not yet clear, 

 but that it must be done is strongly urged and that it will be 

 done is manifest when one thinks that the problem is in the hands 

 of Americans justly noted for their ingenuity. A fourth problem 

 relates to a better' method of harvest, whereby the present excessive 

 labor may be dispensed with. 



Turning now to the side of the factory, we find our ambition to go 

 at inconsiderate speed into putting up factories confronted by the cer- 

 tainty, well nigh absolute, that within a couple of years our present 



