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Show Should the United States Produce its Sugar? , "EHoits aio bomg made in the United States," eaya Secretary' of Agricultur0 .Wilson in the Maicb Forum, "to extend the glow th of Btigai-producing plant8 by ascertaining through tclentilically conducted research at stato ex)Ciiiuent stations, and by private outerpiise, under the diruetiouoof the Federal and State C!oveinnionta--where such nluuts will flutirisli best, to tjiu end that we may as a nation become independent ot other (.outlines in this legaid and dhitributo among our own people the Immense sum of money that is now sent abroad to pay for sweetening matoiiala. This subject should be'discusvd fiani the standpoint of tho farmer r.tthei than that of tho political e'conunit'it. The farniera of our country prl)ducu trom the soil grains, cotton, tobacco, "otablus, fruits, hotses, hogs, cattle, sheep, ariotla animal products and tho like; and if wo can add to our fiirm frytem, any crop that fields an article of cuiiiinou iho, ia not exhauslivo fofplant food, add whoso by-product n 'vitliuihlo in making meat and dairy prddttcts, It will Hud favor with pto. ducei-j, tlieio are very K-w crop.') or manufacturera of them, of which this vcun be said bo jinphatienHy as tt.c.ul bo said of sugai beets. The giains nr well ft uown soil robbers They carry from the soil nitrogen, potash, phosphoilc acid, lime, tuagntsefcia and other elo-melits elo-melits of plant food. Tobacco is peeul.arly seveieiu this regard, because noneof tits bv-nicncta are tit for pjuut ' food that tn3t soils yaro sobn exinuisted if no- replinished by cotn-n.erclal cotn-n.erclal fertilizers, the question of which fa out of the qiK'siiou in many parts of tbe United States. Meats tal:o away comparatively little plant food f.om the soil, compared with their money valu "Tho writer grew beets by tho acre for stock feed from 1301 to 1800 at the Iowa Agricultural College, anil found the enterprise profitable. All domest c, animals are benefited by daily unions of roots in winter whtSn they lutvu no access to pasture tho young animal, the breeding animal and- the fattening animal alike find them grateful. After the sugar ia extracted tho pulp contains all the plant food furnished by the soil and is pubPtantially as valuable as fodder fod-der for domestic animals as the beet is before the engif is extracted. The fod-dem fod-dem of our mtkma aio nearly all to citiboiiaceoue and rcquiio mixtuiesof nitiogenoiH by-products to make 'hem sultablo for animal growth or milk production. pro-duction. Here, then, wo hayo a plant that, aside from the nugar it contains, makes a valuable food for our domeatio animals uud is capable of succe-sful cultivation in many of our States. It fits intq qur farm system conveniently, because its planting beafcoii is eailter and Its harvest lime later than that a' con, and not only seives a doable purpose as ,un animal nutrient, but holda out the liveliest hopes that its adoption will keep at home iflM.OOO.OOO iiHOtigh the value ofitsfcugar content alone." llrnd-stuet's. |