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chine shops all over the United States, giving employment directly to thousands, 

 and give a far greater impetus to our national prosperity than could be obtained in 

 any other channel. We will also give our farmers an opportunity to diversify their 

 crops, and we all know the advantage to be derived from that source. Under the 

 old tariff the industry never thrived, but with the stimulus of the bounty, within 

 the past eight months, beet-sugar factories have started or are about to be started all 

 over the United States. At least twenty States are, in my opinion, well adapted to 

 the sugar beet. We have the soil, climate, and capital necessary to become the 

 greatest sugar-producing country in the world, and as soon as we have acquired the 

 knowledge of the industry which will enable us to compete successfully with those 

 countries of Europe, with the aid of the stimulus given by our last Congress, we can 

 hope to lead the world in the production of sugar in the next fifteen or twenty years. 



But the supply of the home article is not the only advantage to be gained. I refer 

 to the effect of the beet crop on the soil. Properly carried on the cultivation of the 

 sugar beet is greatly beneficial to all other agriculture. The deep and careful cul- 

 tivation which the beet requires greatly improves the land, the soil becoming thereby 

 deepened and the disintegration and solution of the mineral constituents greatly 

 accelerated. The tap root of the beet descends to a great depth, loosening the soil 

 which most other plants fail to reach. The nourishment thus obtained passes partly 

 into the leaves and is left with them on the ground at the time of harvest, and to-day 

 in Europe the farmers are anxious to plant beets, as they find their next crop grown 

 on the same soil is increased 33 per cent. The pulp, after the sugar is removed 

 makes an excellent food for fattening cattle, and can be sold to the farmers for little 

 or nothing after paying them liberally for the privilege of extracting the sugar. 



We have in operation this fall three beet-sugar factories, each with a capacity of 

 300 tons of beets daily, besides which each factory uses about 50 tons of coal 

 and 40 tons of limestone daily, spending in the immediate neighborhood of the 

 factory each and every day upwards of $2,000 amongst the farmers for the beets and 

 laborers working in the factory, keeping that amount at home which formerly found 

 its way to the pockets of the European farmers and laborers. This large sum is dis- 

 tributed in the community immediately surrounding each one of our factories, and 

 the result has been to build up the towns where our factories are located as well as 

 the surrounding farming district; these towns in turn buildup the State. Since the 

 establishment of our factories in each community where situated the demand for 

 labor has so far exceeded the supply that not a single individual wishing to work 

 has lacked the opportunity of finding remunerative employment either in the field 

 or factory. The Oxnard Beet Sugar Company, located at Grand Island, Nebr., was 

 built and operated for a short time last year, working very satisfactorily. This year 

 our company has built two new factories, locating them at Norfolk, Nebr., and 

 Chino, Cal. Both of these factories commenced operations for the first time this 

 year and are now turning out a standard grade of fine white granulated sugar 

 which sells readily in competition with the sugars offered by the large refineries. 

 We expect to manufacture 9.000,000 pounds of granulated sugar in our three 

 factories this year. Besides ours there are three other beet-sugar factories at pres- 

 ent in operation, and the number will be largely increased next year, spreading all 

 over the northern and central portion of the United States. It is with pleasure that 

 I can inform you, after a very careful study of the subject and practical trial of same, 

 that a most brilliant future and speedy development awaits this new industry. 

 I remain, very sincerely and respectfully yours, 



HENKY T. OXXARD. 

 Hon. J. M. RUSK, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



