MARK OF MAUSER MFG. CO., NEW YORK, CIRCA 1911

The American Land and Irrigation Exposition was a massive agricultural exhibition held from 3 November to 12 November in 1911, the first of its kind to be hosted at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A New York Times article published 11 September 1911 explained that "the purpose of the exposition is to exhibit the products of American soil, giving people a complete demonstration... regarding land opportunities in America and to depict the progress of American agriculture from prehistoric times to present-day methods of scientific cultivation." Representatives from the eight major American railroads as well as farms and agricultural organizations of various states hosted booths touting the high quality of their produce, the exotic new species they were growing, the quantity of their exports, and the cheapness of their land in attempt to convince farmers to move West, or alternatively to return to the abandoned and available farms in the East. Over $11,000 worth of prizes, or about $350,000 today, were donated by "men of national prominence" for various competitions, including the present lot which was awarded to the best sugar beets.
The magnificent trophy offered here, created by the New York firm of Mauser Mfg. Co., was donated by Horace Havemeyer (1886-1956), son of Henry Osborne Havemeyer (1847-1907) and Louisine Havemeyer (1855-1929), early collectors of Impressionist art in America. By the mid-19th century, the Havemeyer family were titans in the sugar industry, controlling over half the sugar interest in the United States. The family's refineries were incorporated as the American Sugar Refining Company in 1891, before becoming known as Domino Sugar in 1900. In 1910, Horace resigned from the company and devoted himself to developing the sugar beet industry, as well as the cane sugar industry in the Caribbean.