THE BEET SUGAlt INDUSTRY. 71 



cent more than on the same land not having been previously used for beets. Mr 

 Lapham " knows of no industry more needed in the south than this to improve the 

 land, while insuring a sure and profitable return to the farmer, and incidentally 

 benefiting all classes connected with it." 



In North Carolina, sugar beets have not been tested since '87-8, when the results 

 were discouraging. Director H. B. Battle of the experiment station at Kaleigh says : 

 "Should there be a demand for the produce for manufacturing sugar, the cultivation 

 could be rapidly and successfully developed." 



In Kentucky, Director M. A. Scovell of the experiment station at Lexington is 

 not hopeful of results, owing to the comparatively low sugar content, but H. Cordez 

 cultivated three kinds of sugar beets on an alluvial soil in Green River valley, west- 

 ern Kentucky, in '96, which showed 16 to 17! per cent sugar of more than 80 degrees 

 purity, and he is very confident that the crop will thrive over much of this state. 



In Tennessee, Secretary Vanderford of the state experiment station at Knoxville, 

 writes: "I am satisfied that there are areas of considerable extent in all divisions of 

 the state, and particularly in west Tennessee, where sugar beets of more than aver- 

 age sucrose content and of high purity can be grown at an average cost of $3 per 

 ton or less. Under adverse conditions, upon an unsuitable soil on our station farm, 

 we have demonstrated that sugar beets can be made profitable in Tennessee. ' ' 



The Arkansas station reports having grown sugar beets in three parts of the state 

 but the yield and sugar content were varying and unsatisfactory. "The temperature 

 is hardly suitable in this state, except perhaps in the northwestern part," say Direc- 

 tor Bennett, but we would suggest more exhaustive inquiry before accepting the ac- 

 curacy of this opinion. 



Prof W. C. Stubbs writes: "it is doubtful whether the sugar beet can be grown 

 south of the Ohio river with profit. Our experiments in Louisiana have clearly 

 shown that no reliance can be placed on the sugar beet crop in this state. This is due 

 to the fact that frequently beets are planted here in the fall and are grown throughout 

 the entire winter. It is with us more of a fall and winter crop than a summer crop, 

 and since sunshine is needed to elaborate the sugar, it is rarely that we find, beets 

 here rich in saccharine matter." 



No tests are on record as to the adaptability of the soils and climates of northern 

 Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia c\nd South Carolina to the sugar beet, although it is 

 probable that the crop will be widely tested all through these regions. 



In Texas rich beets are raised in the temperate climate of the semi-arid region 

 under irrigation, but in the warmer and more humid part cane does better, as beets 

 here are poor in sugar. 



Certain practical men, who have had large experience in sugar-beet culture and 

 manufacture in this country and who are also acquainted with European conditions, 

 are strong in the belief that the middle south, meaning especially Virginia, West Vir- 

 ginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, will yet prove to be a fine location for the beet sugar 

 industry, because of the long season, abundance of sunshine, nearness to market 

 and other conditions. 



