PREFACE 
Suear, which was once a luxury, has become a necessity 
in modern dietaries. The civilized nations have become 
so accustomed to its use as an important food that great 
inconvenience is experienced if it cannot be had or if the 
supply is reduced. This has made sugar-producing plants 
almost as staple as those from which bread is derived. Asa 
result, sugar-beets, in the past century, have won an im- 
portant place among the profitable crops of the temperate 
zone. In most of the European countries they have been 
raised extensively, whereas in America their growth has 
been confined to a comparatively few localities. In re- 
cent years, however, the area has been greatly extended, 
and increased interest has been taken in establishing a 
domestic beet-sugar industry. 
Much has been written about sugar-beets in America 
within the last thirty years, but most of this material is 
scattered through numerous bulletins and reports of ex- 
periment stations and the United States Department of 
Agriculture, and is not easily available. For some time 
a book containing the important facts regarding sugar- 
beet production has been needed. This has become more 
apparent since the beginning of the European war, which 
caused a sugar shortage in western Europe and America. 
In response to this need the present volume is prepared. 
It is hoped that it may be useful to farmers who are rais- 
Vv 
