Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-12-04
snaar Beet Culture AGAIN.

| At conference OF laIncsS auu Othtia
interested in the growing Of beets fol-
sugar, held in Staunton few days ago, a
great deal of valuable information was
elected, and the statistics showed beyond
| the question OF doubt that the farmers OF
the Valley can raise sugar beets at profit
so Tar beyond that obtained from the
usual crops grown in this section as to at
once strike and greatly interest them
Beets for sugar making are now raised in
Germany at large profit on lands that
cost 500 an acre, and since, by reason OF
this great increase in the profits of the
crops have increased to $500 an acre.
This same enormous increase in land val
ues has also been the case in sections of
the United States where factories for beet
sugar making have been erected and beet
raising commenced Persons who have
been prominently interested in the busl-
ness, and who are thoroughly posted in
regard to the results certain to be obtain
ed, say that the building of sugar fac
tories and the extensive raising of sugar
beets through the Valley must work
most gratifying change amounting to
perfect revolution in the financial con-
dition of the landowners and faTmers.--
The subject is surely wGtth the careful
attention of our people and especially the
farmers. In an article on this subject
published ii last weeks issue of this
paper, Mr. Lapham states that lands which
he saw in this county were as well suited
to the culture of beets as any he has ever
seen. Beets could be raised with great
profit in this county even if they had TO
be shipped TO factories at Staunton or
Winchester, but if they proved profitable
at these points, as they surely would, it,
would be but short time before they
would be erected at other points in the
Valley, and it is almost certain that this
would soon be one of the great sugar pro-
ducing sections of the country. Read
carefully the following from the Stanton
Tindicator, of last week:
ANOTHER CONFERENCE OK SUGAR MAKING
IN AUGUSTA.
Another conference was held by farm
ers at the Court House Monday, on the
subject of beet growing to supply n sugar
factory which Mr.. o. X. Lapham proposes
TO erect here if sufficient supply OF beets
can be guaranteed him. The attendance
was larger than at either Of the former
meetings though the outcome of the con-
ference was not more promising than that
of the other two.
Judge Charles Grattan was called to the
chair and made some remarks explaining
the situation.
Mr.. w. n. Wilson from the Railroad
Committee, reported that the b. IL Q.
offered the same freight rates on the
transportation of the beets as the &. d o.
MIR. Lapham spoke of the importance OF
securing the lowest freight rates at the be-
ginning. The rates offered by the two
roads mentioned were in some cases 10
cents or 20 cents ton higher than those
made by the roads IN Nebraska.
Mr.. Lapham in concluding said am 60
ING TO grow beets here or elsewhere. l
am going to make sugar here OF else
where. If | am not supported by the
farmers of this community, ! will 90 else
where for my own advantage, just as you
farmers would do for your advantage. Ii
seems strange to me that you farmers Will
continue to put in crops which barely
weld Won a sustenance. | know this, for
have put in crops in this county, aad
with the advantage of having my own
fertilizer from the bark works, and yet l
find that | can barely make both ends
meet. With my plan of raising beets
can make from $40 to $50 clear on an acre
of the same land that | have been able to
make nothing on with other crops. That
is also the experience of farmers IN Ne
braska. Abroad, in Europe, they grow
beets for sugar on land that costs ten
times as much as our land here and yet
make money on it. The farmers abroad
have improved their land, improved their
own mode of living, gotten more OF the
comfol Is of life by turning TO beet cnl-
ture. They don't want TO emigrate to
America they had rather grow beet sugar
there for us to pay for. What we want to
do here is to grow beet sugar and sell 1t
10 them over there. That Is the natural
course of American enterprise. Tint Is
what 1 want to do, and 1 want - know IN
reasonable time whether you are going
TO back up this industry by producing
and selling me the material will have to
work on.
Judge Grattan.-At Harrsonburg last
week, while Mr.. Lapham aud myself were
there, met a Rockingham farmer who
told me that of piece of Ind that cost
him s. an acre, he put one-siXtcentE Of
an acre in beets and got one and half
tons from that one sixteenth, which is
equal to twenty-four tons of beets to the
| acre. The farmer said that the product
of no whole acre of corn that he planted,
fattened his cattle as much as the beets
from this little sixteenth. This piece of
land was planted with beet seed that his
congressman sent him.
Mr.. w. II. Moorman-On pointe |
would like Mr.. Lapham to notice The
Commissioner at Washington has drawn a
line which he calls the beet growing belt,
and from that fact the Impression. has
grown that beets could not grow South Of
that line. Mr.. Lapham tells me the height
of our mi here was an Offset to the diff
ference in latitude, and wish be would
explain that here SO as to correct the i'm
preston.
Mr.. Lapham.-Mr. Wiley of the Depart
ment in Washington. the gentleman re-
ferred to, hunted through the districts in
Europe where beets are grown, for the
Temperature and rain fall. He found the
average temperature to be from 20 to Y
degrees and the average rainfall ? inches
per month. He then projected a map OF
the district in this country where that
temperature and rainfall prevailed, and
drew line giving 100 miles each side of
liz as the bset belt. But he did not say
beets could not be grown oatside of that
belt, but on the contrary that he felt sure
they could be. But the best test is actual
experience. We, here in Augusta, are
some 200 miles below that beet line, but
when tired beet growing bore l found
that the yield of sugar IN my beets ex
ceeded that of any part of the beet dis
trict except Nebraska With every 1906
feet of altitude we are carried North
degrees of latitude which neutralizes oui
distance, and we have, besides, the ad
vantage of earlier planting and later cul
Erar 10 our h.afa vioId.6 y moi