iv PREFACE 



to decline and a lower cost of production became im- 

 perative, if the industry were to survive. 



Prior to the war in Europe the price of sugar was 

 less than one-sixth of what it was when the beet-sugar 

 industry was first established and, although great im- 

 provements have been made both in field work and in 

 factory processes, the ability of the industry to produce 

 sugar at present prices is due to the painstaking efforts 

 of scientific seed breeders who have quadrupled the 

 original sugar content of the beets. However valuable 

 have been the results of study in other lines of devel- 

 opment, it must be conceded that the quality of sugar- 

 beet seed is the keystone of the arch upon which rests 

 an industry that annually provides the world with 

 one-half of its total supply of sugar. 



So important seemed the objective sought by the 

 seed breeders, that for many years the experiments 

 were conducted with the utmost secrecy, and even yet, 

 the growers' methods are treated as trade secrets. 

 The result is a dearth of literature relating to this 

 subject. 



The observations made in the following pages are 

 based upon information obtained in 1908, 1910, and 

 1911, while visiting sugar-beet seed farms in Europe. 

 For information and courtesies extended on these 



