Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-01-19
At $40 AN ACRE AND BETS
Ar SkO AN ACRE

-
! WHEAT Also -4NACRE AND BETS
AT so AN ACRE.
1t seems to rs that the time has come fol
the Augusta county farmer to look to some
thing else besides wheat, and we believe g
! good many Of our Augusta farmers share
that opinion. Twenty bushels OF wheat te
the acre bringing Oh the market $40. is a
poor return tor the capital the Intelligence
and the labor invested in the farms OF this
Valley. For nearly two years the VINDI
GATOR has been advocating the trial OF
sugar beet culture in this section. We
have been able to point as an object lessor
to the beet farm Of MI. .. K. Lapham neal
Staunton; but it seems as hard for far
mer to change his crop as it is for me
chanic to change his trade. And it is moi
| unnatural; when man knows how to dt
thing and do it well, that strikes him a
the thing to do in his business. So natura
is this feeling, and so strong, that we are
not sure that we should continue our efforts
to disturb it, if the time had not come upon
us when the choice is given Augusta coun
| ty to go into the beet raising business Oh
give up the chance for good and all. We
learn that Mr.. Lapham has received sever
al proposition to move his sugar factory to
the West. where he is guaranteed supply
of beets. OF course if that is done that
section, and it is likely it may be done, fol-
it costs the sugar factory as much to work
up 200 tons OF beets as it would to work
up 2,O00-the same force, the same machin-
cry and the same capital is required. This,
Of course, makes the smaller quantity too
costly to afford any profit.
| We have just been reading in the Chino,
California, Valley Champion, published i'll
town built on the Chino Ranch, review
Of the history of the sugar beet industry
| there for the three years ending January
Isl, last. The town was begun by the
building of the sugar factory three years
ago and the planting Of afew hundred acres
| in beets. Now, there is a handsome town III
| the centre Of some ten thousand acres
planted in bcets The land has increased
ia value, as it has done wherever beet cul
ture has been started, from the ordinary
price of IS to $40 an acre, to 500 and Often
as high as 5000 all acre. The average YIELD
of beets to the acre is Is tons and the aver
age price received for them is $3.50 ton
| making over $67 an acre, and from $35 to
| $50 net. Not only is beet growing valua-
ble in the money received for the beets. but
there is a large value in the pulp remaining
after the sugar is taken out, and which is d
! wonderful fattener of cattle. We read in
The Field and Farm of January 9th, Of a
herd of Shorthorn and Hereford steers that
gained three pounds q day for fifty-two
day OH thirty pounds of beets and twenty
five pounds of hay daily. Some Of those
who raise stock around Staunton and who
have been buying the beet pulp and the
|. beets from Mr.. Lapham, have had expert
euces with their stock fully equal to the
above.
The improvement of the land by the
growth Of beets and the Improvement Of
cattle by feeding either beets OF the pulp to
them, are fsets so well established as to
need little to lie said Oh that score What
needs to be said is to devise some way that
our farmers of Augusta can be induced to
take hold of this industry. In some Of the
localities in the West where there are fac
tories, the fertilizer men and other mer-
chants to induce the farmer to go into it,
guarantee him-that is, the fertilizer man
furnishes fertilizer payable out of the beet
payable the same way. 1t seems to us that
this would be a safe and good plan to be
followed by fertilizer and other merchants
here. If there could be some consultation
among them resulting in cooperation in
this matter, the thing could be accomplish
ed. March, the month for planting beets
is nearly here; if by then, a disposition to
furnish the factory with beets sufficient for
its capacity, is not shown we have little
hope Of holding the factory here. Mr.
Lapham cannot afford to keep the capital
invested in it's establishment idle, and if it
cannot find material to work up here, he
must move it where material will be fur
nished. 1t is very important matter and
We trust our farmers, fertilizer men and
merchants will make some move. lost
certainly a crop that will give $50 net pro-
fit to the acre and for which there is a cash
market right at QUE door, is far preferable
to putting all our land in wheat and mar
keting it at SIS cents bushel