Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-13

I'm the near future. This Is the only co''-
promise the people will make-it the'
servants are faithful.
Bcet-sugar Production I'm Virginia.
(Southern P.anter)
one of our city contemporaries has bee
devoting considerable space TO DISCUS
sion of this question, Initiated Dy ~
ter from an esteemed subscriber oil ours'
We have followed this discussion win IN
teres,. as II is a subject (which We nave
had under consideration for several years,
with the view. il possible. OF giving IL an
the aid in our power. Some three or iour
years ago we wrote several articies III
this journal strongly advising eNoerimeh-
tai work in beet growing. we regret "
say that little attention was gwen 10 o..
suggestions. Had this advice been heeued
we might now have been in position 10
say definitely whether IL was possible ~
make the business a success mere, II cdy',
tai enough was invested In II. Inc lh''l"i
difficulties are serious ones The hrst one
that confronts US is that Virginia Is out
side the sathermal lines Of the pest tenn
pcrature for the production Of sugar peets
in this country. Whilst sugar beets. II -
conceded can be grown OUTSIDE theSe
lines. yet il has yet TO be demonstrated
that they can be produced with suiicieh'
certainty of a crop every year OF sum
GENTLY high sugar content TO make 40
practicable to run a factory proN''DiS
every year. Again, there is the diiicuiS
Of securing the growing Of an acreage o.
beets sufficiently large every year WITHIN
a short distance Of the factory. which
factory 10 be operated Drontabiy, must
be a large and costly one. small beet
I
profit. The machinery is very costly ana
can only be run for a few months IN the
fan and early winter Ii must during
this time be kept running day and nlsht
to it's full capacity If it is to be operated
so as TO make return on the great Gust
Of it's construction.
Now. so far as we can gather from the
reports of the factories in operation, the
least area of beets for which II VIII be
possible 70 put down q factory 10 ope-
rate proitably is 5000 acres; and TINS 5'VD
acres must lie adjacent 10 the factory as
beets are so bulky a crop thai they can
not at tho price at which can De given
for beets with high sugar content. bear
any heavy freight charges 10 the factory.
This 5000 acres Of beets means at least
1900 acres of land i'm a sufficiently hlsh
state OF cultivation TO produce beets at
the rate OF from twelve TO fifteen tons
TO the acre over the whole area. Beets
cannot be grown year after year upon
the same land. To produce the crop
prohtably. at least a three-course rota-
ton is necessary. hence the necessity FOR
5000 acres Of suitable land upon whlch
TO raise a minimum crop OF 1900 acres.
Again. the beet crop requires rich lanu,
and land highly fortified with special
fertilizers. Can we i'm any section OF
I rar,ffiFnmanfEV
iii all these initial difficulties are over
come. it Is useless to ask capitalists 10
invest 10000. which is the least amount
Eor which a factory can be built ana
equipped with the necessary machinery TO
! give a reasonable prospect OF success
They are not going TO do IT. 1t may rea-
| sonably be asked, Do we, then, as
| courage further attempts 10 arouse IN
terest i'm this State? BY no means. We
are very anxious TO see steps taken TO
| solve as many of these initial dlflcultles
| as possible as we look for time not
far distant when competition with Eu-
ropean beet-sugar production will be
/ much less severe. and the margin OF proht
/ i'm it's production here much greater, and
| AT that time We ought to be ready 10
/ step i'm. II il is possible for us to do so.
/ Farmers throughout Virginia should
! plant a small area in sugar-beets as
! an experiment. When grown, send q
/ sample to the Department OF Agrlcul-
ture at Washington TO be tested Tor
! sugar. and then, If the test be satisIac-
tory. we can stand on firm ground wheh
! asking CAPITALISTS to invest their money
in a plant for working up the beets.
Such a course will also demonstrate the
interest of farmers in the question, and
give some data wherein 10 calculate the
area which could. and would be devoted
TO the crop. 1t may be asked why We
think il possible that competition VIII
be less severe in the near future. we
answer because we believe that the peo-
ple in Germany and France viii not
| much longer endure the speclal TAXA
ton which is imposed upon them 10
! foster the beet-sugar industry. This IS
AT present a heavy burden, and yet the
sugar-producers, like all other sub
sidized Industries, still cry out for more
help. In France, under the heavy
| bounty paid. the sugar-produced Is SUI
| fcient to meet the sugar requirements
of the nation. Now the sugar-producers
| ask for a further tax TO De imposed III
order to enable them TO export beet-
sugar with profit against the production
| of other nations-that is to say, the consul
| mers of sugar at home are TO De maue 10
| pay a higher price for their own sugar
| in order 10 enaDle lhc S"s.i'
supply cheap sugar 10 pther natlons'
Such a policy is bound 10 work It's own
ruin and be reversed, and then nations
will compete on equal terms ana the
! hest will win. In this contest we De
! Ueve this nation can hold its own, ana
hence we look for better future for
this business of beet-growing and beet
sugar production. Let us in virginia
take the initial steps now in order that
we may be ready Gf it be posslbie) Tor
/ this time.