§ 60. Mr. LARDNERasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) the Regulations governing the growing of sugar beet in Ireland; what acreage is allowed for experimental purposes; whether any Grant-in-Aid is available to encourage the growing of sugar beet; whether any experiments or inquiries have been made by his Department with a view to deciding the suitability of sugar beet growing in Ireland as a remunerative crop; and whether his Department are in a position to provide any skilled instruction to persons who are prepared to make experiments?
§ Mr. RUSSELLThere are no restrictions on the growing of sugar beet in Ireland. Any person is at liberty to grow the crop. No Grant has been made for the purpose of encouraging the growing of sugar beet, nor have any special funds been set apart for the purpose. The Department are at present conducting experiments with a view to testing the suitability of this crop for growing in Ireland. The experiments were conducted in 1911 in eight different counties and have been continued during the present year in twelve counties. A Report on the results of last year's work has been published in a leaflet. The results of the 1912 experiments are not yet available for publication. The itinerent instructors in agriculture, who are employed in the several counties under the Department's scheme of instruction in agriculture, can afford instruction regarding the cultivation of this crop to persons who wish to experiment with it. It is, however, a matter I for private enterprise to provide capital 1441 for the erection of factories for the manufacture of sugar from the beet.