As might well be expected from the small yield, the farmers in gen. eral were dissatisfied with the season's work. It is not reasonable to expect satisfaction from a crop of so low an average when the labor of growing it is so great; but while the farmers are dissatisfied it must be confessed that a great deal of this dissatisfaction must be attributed to their own lack of knowledge of the subject or to their disinclination to put upon the beet fields the proper amount of labor and culture at the proper time. Instead of being therefore deterred from continuing the production of sugar beets, it would seem wiser on the part of the farmers to study carefully the methods of agriculture pursued by those who made a success of beet culture, and to imitate those methods during the coming season. The fact should not be forgotten, however, that even with the poor results obtained the beet crop was uniformly better than the average of other crops in the same locality.

It would be useless to hold out to the farmer the hope of financial reward from a beet crop which would average only 3 tons per acre; but if from this acre he could produce 10 to 15 tons of beets then his venture would prove financially successful. In order that the manufacture of beet sugar should become an established commercial success, the factories and the farmers must work in harmony. The method pursued in France and in Germany would probably be best suited to bring about this result. In those countries the beet growers themselves are usually shareholders in the factories, and thus participate in the profits. It is probable that the annual dividends of German and French beet-sugar factories do not fall below 10 per cent net on the capital invested. The farmer, therefore, who has even a small interest in such a factory secures a handsome profit on his invested capital. At the same time he has a vote in the board of directors and is personally interested in the success of the factory. In many factories of Europe the stock is thus held by the beet-growers. If, on the other hand, the whole of the factory be owned by the capitalists, then there is a cause for continual conflict between the interests of the farmer and the interests of the manufacturer, although this conflict is perhaps more in theory than practice. Even if the factory be owned exclusively by the capitalists, it is to their interest to work in harmony with the farmers, in order that they may secure a crop of sufficient magnitude to render the operation of their factory profitable.

It perhaps, however, would be unavoidable at the beginning of the industry that a feeling of animosity should exist between the beetgrower and the manufacturer. After a few years the prices to be paid for beets and other agreements with the farmers will doubtless be adjusted on a scale of equity and satisfacton to all concerned. In case farmers have no money to put into beet-sugar factories they might take shares of stock and pay for them with beets during the first and second years; in this way they would secure a financial interest in the company, own their shares of stock, and pay for them from the proceeds of the field without investing in ready cash. By adopting some such plan

as this it might be possible to get every beet-grower within reach of the factory to become himself interested as a stockholder.

ANALYTICAL DATA RELATING TO BEETS GROWN FROM SEED PURCHASED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

The samples of beets which were sent to the Department in response to the request already noted were immediately analyzed and the results of the analyses communicated to the growers of the beets. Returns were received from a great many States, but principally from Nebraska and Minnesota.

The data obtained follow arranged alphabetically by States and counties: