The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-08
A HINT FOR A VIRGINIA CORPORA


Early in the last session Of the General
Assembly, bill amending the charter of
the Virginia International Land, Loan
and Immigration company, was presented
and muchiy discussed, for the reasons, that
the privilege conferred upon the incho-
ate company were novel, both in diver
sity and extent, ranging from bank to
beet patch, and including everything in-
termediate,-as osean steamships, pawn
brokerage, parks, cemeteries, &c., &c.
Horace Greeley, as one of the corporators,
must have contributed What l known
of Farming" hence, probably, the intro
duction of the clause in relation to "cultl-
walton of the beet" and on his return from
Texas,-if he does not puff up and explode
by reason of too much self-importance,
and K. X. laudation, he may perhaps pass
through Virginia, and inaugurate opera
tions under the "beet" provision of the
charter.
But, jestiug aside, the cultivation of the
beet, for manufacture of sugar, is an i'm
portant industry in Europe-the produce
ton of beet sugar reaching 689,500 tons
10 1869, of which 10000 tons is credited
to Holland, 10000 tons to Russia, and
10000 tons to Belgium. England has thus
far done little in beet growth for manufac-
ture into sugar, but the subjoined account
of operations now in progress, shows that
beet sugar making will be fairly tested.
The pioneer experimenter is Mr.. James
Duncan, who has built large works at La
venham, in Essex, where he consumes, or
converts into sugar and spirits, the beet
crops Of large surrounding area.
But the great undertaking is that of Mr..
Robert Campbell on his estate, Burcot
Park, in Berkshire. This estate of 5000
acres, is intended exclusively for beet root
culture, and several hundred acres are al
ready under this crop. A complete system
of drainage extends over the entire area
of this estate. The surface water supply
at different levels is obtained by pumping
water from the river which passes through
the estate into three large open reservoirs
placed at different heights, and communi-
eating with each other through an extern
sive system of water pipes. A narrow
gauge railway, worked by special and curl
ously constructed locomotives, runs all
over the estate and provides for all the
necessities of internal looomotion. The
blowing is done exclusively by num-
Der of steam plows, working with pair
of engines to each plow-
Mr.. Campbell prepares soil for his beet
root such as has hardly ever before been af-
forded to it on anything like practical
scale. He has raised crops of beets ex-
ceeding thirty tons to the acre, and he ex-
poets, by proper selection of plants, deep
cultivation, and suitable manuring, to
make forty ton crop the actual duty of
an acre of land.
Mr.. Campbell has not overlooked the
essential counterpart and complement of
beet-root cultivation-the feeding of stock
which is the main element of CONNER
cial success in this branch of industrial en-
terprise. A vast establishment for sta
bling and feeding 1000 oxen is in course
of construction upon the Burcot park estate,
end experience gained on the continent in
the management and construction of large
stables attached to sugar works or distille-
ries, will form an excellent school for imi-
tating and improving upon at Burcot
park, by Mr.. Campbell and his engineers.
Mr.. Campbell expects to realize as much
from an acre of land in beet-root, as is re-
allied from an acre of Ian d in sugar-cane.
If his calculations prove to be correct, a
large beet sugar interest will speedily be de-