582 Report of the Department of Field Crops op the 



(2) There is danger of regarding exceptional yields as repre- 

 senting the average. An average of 12 tons of beets an acre for 

 the first few years may be regarded as a fair average, if we are to 

 judge by results secured in other places. 



(3) There is danger that capital may be inefficiently directed 

 in the erection of factories, as this is a line in which our eastern 

 business men have had no experience. Beet-sugar manufacture 

 should be entered upon with great caution and only after exhaus- 

 tive study of the problems involved. Farmers should be cautious 

 about taking stock in factories, unless the men who control the 

 enterprises are personally known to and trusted by them. 



(4) The question of home and foreign competition must not be 

 ignored. Strong competition will come from the Pacific States 

 until their soils become exhausted. We shall be brought into 

 competition with the lower wages paid in Europe, if at any time 

 the strong sentiment existing in favor of free sugar comes to find 

 expression in tariff regulations. 



Taking all facts into consideration, farmers may not expect to 

 realize unusual profits for any long period of time from the grow- 

 ing of sugar beets. The crop promises to become one which will 

 give satisfactory returns to those who learn to grow it success- 

 fully. 



FAVORABLE CONSIDERATIONS. 



The forecasting of the future of any new industrial enterprise 

 is a difficult matter. This is so because the conditions affecting 

 production, manufacture, competition and market prices, which 

 are sure to prevail for any length of time, cannot be definitely 

 known; and the discussion now going on throughout the entire 

 State of New York relative to the establishment of beet sugar 

 factories in our midst deals with the usual number of indefinite 

 factors. 



The situation is such, however, that all who attempt to influ- 

 ence the public opinion should take a conservative position in 

 this matter, one that will be justified by future events. 



There are some facts which are regarded as favorable to a suc- 

 cessful production of beet sugar. The experience which has been 



