CHAPTER XV 

 PRODUCTION OF SUGAR-BEET SEED 



In obtaining sugar from the beet there are three dis- 

 tinct enterprises : the production of seed, the raising of 

 beets, and the manufacturing of sugar from the beets. 

 In America, only the last two have been given special 

 attention ; America has depended on Europe for seed. 

 The time has now arrived to forge the third link in the 

 chain necessary to make the American beet-sugar in- 

 dustry secure. The uncertainty of a foreign supply of 

 seed during war times, endangering an enterprise having 

 a hundred million dollars invested, has demonstrated that 

 all three phases of the industry must be developed at 

 home. 



IMPORTANCE OF GOOD SEED 



To say that good seed is desirable is simply to re-state 

 one of the commonplaces of all sound agricultural teach- 

 ing. In the case of sugar-beets, however, this doctrine 

 has a special significance. All the reasons for good seed 

 with any crop apply to beets; in addition the entire 

 success of the industry depends on having seed that will 

 produce beets of a standard quality. With wheat, if the 

 quality of seed is poor, the worst that can happen is that 

 the yield of the resulting crop may be reduced by a few 



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