ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT 45 



rado, and Washington, but not until recently has any serious 

 attempt been made to raise it from pedigreed roots, or in accord- 

 ance with the scientific methods found to give the best results. 



EXCELLENCE OF AMERICAN-GROWN SEED 



" During the last three years the Department of Agriculture 

 has been conducting extensive experiments in testing American- 

 grown seed in comparison with the best grade of imported seed 

 procurable. These experiments have shown a marked difference 

 in sugar content, purity, and yield, and in these qualities the 

 American-grown seed compared most favorably with the im- 

 ported. This is remarkable, as the American-grown seed was 

 grown by seedsmen who had little knowledge and made little 

 use of the scientific methods practiced in Germany. If it is 

 said that the superiority of American-grown seed in these trials 

 was due to the fact that the imported European seed was of 

 inferior grades, then it is high time we gave up depending upon 

 Europe for our supply, as every effort was made to secure for 

 these comparative tests the best grades of seed procurable in 

 Europe, and the prices paid were as high as those paid by the 

 most critical factories there. If it be said that the soil and 

 natural conditions were responsible for the superiority of the 

 American-grown seed, it makes more evident the desirability 

 of growing our own seed and emphasizes the importance of our 

 doing it according to strictly scientific methods." 



As a result of the above and other warnings, Ameri- 

 can purchasers of sugar-beet seed have become. more 

 discriminating from year to year and gradually they 



