§ MR. O'DOWDI beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he is aware that the Central Chamber of Agriculture have recently reported that beet grown in Ireland yields as much sugar as that grown in Germany; and that beet has been successfully grown on inferior bog land in the counties of Sligo and Mayo, as ordinary crops, such as mangold and turnips, are grown; and, if so, whether the attention of the Board of Agriculture will be called to this matter, with the view of establishing experimental plots for the purpose of ascertaining how far this crop can be profitably grown in Ireland.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe Department are aware that the Central Chamber of Agriculture issued a Report in June, 1901, dealing with beet sugar experiments carried out in 1900 in several counties in Ireland, as well as in other centres in Great Britain. They are also aware from their own experiments, a report of which appeared in the Department's Journal for February, 1901, that beet of a good quality can be grown in Ireland. They cannot, however, feel justified in recommending beet as a general crop in this country for the reason mentioned in my Answer to the hon. Member's Question of February 24th.† The obstacles to the successful establishment of the industry in Ireland are more detailed in a memorandum which I have communicated to the hon. Member.