Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-11-25
Another Meeting about sugar.Beet Gull
tura,

At IL o'clock last Monday another meeting
was held In the Courthouse to consider the
question of the sugar-beet culture. Judge
Charles Grattan was called to the Chair and
the editors of the Staunton papers were re-
| quested to act as Secretaries.
Judge Grattan explained the object Of the
meeting, which was to consider the propriety
of pledging 1850 acres to be planted in sugar
beets so as to secure the establis hment here OF
| a sugar-beet factory by Mr.. o. K. Lapman. who
agreed in that went to establish one, and to
pay "a per ton for the beets and to furnish the
seed at cost to be paid In beets. He said that
the farmers could raise from IL to 80 tons per
acre-that the tops were useful in feeding and
fattening stock, and that the pulp could also
be utilized. He said the farmers OF Augusta
should conclude prom pity what they will do
that Rockingham and Shenandoah were
knocking at the door, and II Augusta did not
act promptly they would get ahead other. and
that the first to contract would be allowed the
preference in the sale OF their beets.
Mr.. w. N. Wilson, Chairman on the Railroad
Committee. reported that the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad Company would charge the same
rates for freight on beets as the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway agreed to do. as reported at the
last meeting. and as published in the papers
Mr.. Lapham said that these rates were some
what higher than thoee charged in Nebraska.
That 1t was necessary to start right and to get
as low rates as possible-that If they started on
higher rates, 1t would be difficult to secure a
reduction. Mr.. w. Il. Norman having stated
that some persons objected to the condition Of
requiring certain percentage of sucrose In
the beets. Mr.. Lapham said, that he was not
surprised at 1t. as 1t was something new to
MT yUQ tt o Ia
beet.grower than to the factory that the beets
should contain the percentage Of sucrose re-
q1ired, and that they should conform to GER
tain conditions.
He stated that the cost of raising beets was
not an unknown quantity-that with proper
appliances the cost was from SO to Sill per acre.
Including the cost of the seed, and by hand
labor about SIS per acre. The last season In the
West was very dry, and yet the beet crop was
q success, the yield being from to Is tons per
acre. There they sold for from $3.50 to $3.50 per
ton, and he proposed to pay 81 per ton. The
difference in the price paid here would more
than compensate for the difference in the cost
OF transportation.
He was surprised that the farmers here
would continue to cultivate exclusively these
crops that barely paid expenses. He found
that on his land, the grain crops did not pay.
and yet on the same land he can raise from 10
to 30 tons OF sugar-beets per acre. He expects
the coming season to raise q thousand tons Of
beets Wherever the beets have been properly
cultivated the farmers have made money. In
Europe they find 1t better to raise beets and
to buy their wheat with the proceeds Of the
beet crop. In reply to Mr.. Norman as to the |
sugar.belt as indicated on the map in some of
the circulars, he said that the elevation here |
brought this section within the beet>belt, |
every 800 feet of altitude being equal to one |
degree of latitude. It required a temperature |
Of " degrees with rainfall OF 2 inches per |
month. But it Is not necessary to speculate
about the beet-bet. for the experiment here |
shows that beets have been raised here with |
success containing more than the required |
of sucrose. He said that, except for |
the bounty on sugar, he could not afford to |
a sugar-beet factory. and that he !
hardly thought sugar would be any lower than |
it is now. Now is the time, during the term of
the sugar bounty, to 60 into the business, for |
when that time expires 1t would not pay to do
30. By the farmers present at this meeting, /
which was small in numbers, 80 additional
acres for beet>oulture were pledged. after which
he meeting adjourned.
The indications tor securing the 1900 acres |
required in this county are by no means fav-
orable, and we fear our farmers will let the |
golden opportunity pass without being avail |
ed OF. and that they may regret it in future.