Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-10-09
0 furnish the bects for the work rests

The cultivation of beets requires. first
the right kind of seed. In Europe thu
original seed used made beets that yielded
only from to per cent. They have by
cultivation been SO improved that the yiel6
is II per cent, and in some cases up to "a
per cent. Next, after getting the right seed
The most important thing is to prepare the
land properly. Prepare it in the Fall and
with deep cultivation, SO as to get the high
est per cent. of sucrose. Loosen up the sol
SO the beet can get down deep in it. All
of the beet above ground gives only about
half the amount of sugar. 1 had a
Lane Imperial beet which grew above
ground and it only yielded s per cent. OF
sucrose while others deep in the ground
yielded - per cent. Long beets of one to
three pounds weight are the best sugar
beets. They should be planted in rows,
from IS to 20 inches apart. They should
be thinned out at the first leaf and thinned
out again at the fourth leaf. They must
be cultivated as you do corn until the leaves
cover the ground. After that they will
take care of themselves. When the Fall
comes you must put them in silos. Beets
increase in sugar from to1 per cent. after
being put into silo
And now gentlemen believe I have said
all I have in mind to say to you. AS told
you at the start, it is mainly book knowledge
accessible to all of you. I shall now be
glad to answer any questions in my power.
"How many seed does 1T take to the
acre ?'' was asked by member of the Al
lance.
''From Is to % pounds! -
cat what price ?"
ssFrom So to So a bushel. I shall Try
through our government agents in Europe
to get the best seed, and shall sell them to
you farmers at their original cost and take
my pay in beets. And unless We can get
the proper fertilizers that have heen tried
in Europe, shall also buy them and fur
nish them to you at from say to 10 per
cent. profit, and take my pay in beets.
I am willing to do something else. If [
find these beets turn out well, and you will
lease me some of your land I'll try to make
arrangements to cultivate it so you can see
there is something in it. [ am willing to
do this to give you confidence. 1 will in
vest more than any Of you in this enter
prise, as you would naturally expect me to.
l really believe you can raise from 20 to 80
tons to the acre. I have letter from
Nebraska in which is mentioned some
yields in that State as high as 80 tons to
the acre. In Nebraska they calculate the
cost of cultivation at $40 to SIS an acre.
They use no fertilizer there, but of course
the wages they pay there are higher. Esti
mating the yield here to be Is tons, at 81 a
Then allow $50 an acre for your seed, fer
tilizer, and cultivation, and you have $50 an
acre left as profit. If you have any other
crop which will pay that l don't know
of it.''
"What soil is best 20
GA soil that will grow wheat OIL corn, eth
Ell highland or lowland. will grow beets. A
loamy soil IS easier cultivated but don't
give SO large per centage of sugar.
"What is your soil?"
'sMainly clay, ndlittle sand; it is on the
Xaupee place!''
ibid you use ashes?'
81 used ashes, but not wood ashes. The
ashes [ used from the Tannic Acid works
had only per cent. of potash instead of 4
per cent. as wood has. But my ashes catch
the lime in the water at the works and they
have from so to 55 per cent. of lime, and
are something like mari. I don't think
the beet growers in Europe approve of ash
es; they depend more on phosphoric acid.
You can manage the size of the beet if you
plant them close enough"
"Will they interfere with our other crops?
What is the harvesting time ?''
''If you have grown any garden beets in
this section you can answer that question.
They are identical with the garden beet,
except they are planted closer together to
go down far into the ground and thereby
increase the sucrose. I wouldn't put all
my eggs into new basket, but think you
need new crop here and you can't lose at
this trial. Last year I fed them to cattle.
l bought cattle at to q cents pound,
fattened them on beets and sold them at 4
to Al cents pound. Beets are more fat
tening to cattle than turnips."
evil we be able to raise our own seed
after we start?'
Eyes, we can, but we would be very fool
ish to try it. [ was astonished to read
the care exercised in Europe to raise the
mother seed for beets. [ think we would
do best if we follow along lines that have
been tried
"What would be the necessary number of
acres to be put in beets to warrant the es-
Establishment of factory %
81 think l 800 acres would be the mini
mum. -Four times that quantity would be
better. I see $50 acres is put in by one
man in Nebraska, and in Germany indi-
vidual farmers put in large numbers of
acres. 1t is important that no barnyard
manure, no organic fertilizer should be
used directly on the crop. 1t may be used
the fall before, but not on the crop itself. y
Mr.. Lapham's address as well as his
prompt and clear answers, seemed to i'm
press the members of the Alliance strongly.
and the vote of thanks offered on behalf of
the Alliance by MI. Fulcher, the presiding
officer, for his instructive address and the
interest he showed in opening up new in
dustry, was adopted unanimously.
Closing for the Season.
The closing of the Sunday school of
Hebron church for the season, Sunday, was
marked by some very interesting services.
The room was crowded with over 200 chill
dren and many grown people, and Maj. Jed