Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-01-15
FOR SUGAR BEET CULTURE.
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT
NEAR ROANOKE.

iHiS SAN BE MADE A PROFITABLE IN
DUsTRY-VIcg- PRESIDENT EDDY, OF
TIE NoRroLK IL WESTERN. DIsTRID.
UTING SEED AND SUPPLYING INFoRMA-
TIoN.
The cultivation Of the sugar beet
is q subject of much interest at the
present time to the farmers in the
Shenandoah and Roanoke Valleys,
i'll view of the proposed location of
beet sugar mill at Staunton, and
the probable erection of similar in
dustries at other points, should the
venture prove the great success
which now appears assured.
Vice President Eddy, Of the Nor
folk and Western railroad, last
spring secured and distributed a
quantity of seed to various parties
with the understanding that sam
pie bcets should be forwarded to
him at the close of the season for
analysis. Michael Lowman, whose
farm adjoins the Roanoke Devel-
opment Company's property, south
west of the city, recently left a
number OF beets at Mr.. Eddy's Of
flee grown from imported seed fur
nished by him. These samples
were sent to the Department of
Agriculture at Washington for
analysis with the following sur.
prising results: Per cent. of sugar
in beets, calculated from per cent.
of sugar i'll juice, 9.97; per cent. of
sugar in juice, 100; ratio of sugar
to the other solids in the Juice of
the beet, 71.3; probable yield of
sugar from crop of twenty-four
tons per acre, 3,0S2 pounds.
The above analysis demonstrates
the fact that the land in the vicin
ity of Roanoke is we'll adapted for
the development of the saccharlne
matter in the beet. The French
and Belgian products average
from 10 to 10 per cent. in sugar,
with which percentage Lowmsn's
samples compare very favoyAbly,
Analysing 10.5 per cent.
The seed were, Received and
planted at least a month later than
the usual time, but, notwithstand-
ing this disadvantage, tho bects
attained a large size, averaging
% ounces each.
Mr.. Lowman is confident that
they would have been much larger
had the seed been planted at the
proper time. Even with tho dis
advantage of late planting, the
average yield per acre would he
about twenty-four tons of beets,
Judging from the results realized
from the comparatively small
space of ground devoted to the ex-
perimental crop.
Some time since the projectors
of the Staunton sugar factory of.
fered to pay three dollars per ton
for beets containing a suitable per.
ccntagc Of saccharine matter de.
livered at the mill. On this basis
the farmer would receive for the
labor of cultivation and hauling to
the mill seventy-twO dollars for
Every acre of his land employed in
this branch Of agriculture, a most
excellent return for his toll, when
compared with the average crop OF
twenty-five to thirty bushels oil
wheat, for which he receives an
average price of about one dollar
per bushel.
The testimony of experts is that
"the soil best adapted to the pro
duction of wheat and rye, in a due
proportion Of strong straw and
perfect grain, will suit this beel
weil.n
The description applies exactly
to the soil of the Roanoke Valley
and the establishment of beet
sugar mill at Roanoke would place
within the reach of the farmer a
ready market for one of the most
valuable products Of the farm.
Vice-President Eddy has taken
a great deal of interest in this
question of sugar beet culture. and
will take pleasure in supplying
1 II Il