The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-16
SUGAR BEETS.
The Crop That Will Bring Our Far.
mers Prosperity.

TO all those who.know anything of the
general condition of the farming interests
in our State it is 100 we'll known that
this all-important industry presents any
ching but an encouraging aspect to day.
The staple commodities that have been
the source of revenue to the farmers in the
past arc now bringing the markets but
little beyond the bare cost of prod uction,
and that appearance of thrift and econ
omy that demo ties prosperity of IL State or
community is sadly lacking Only by
the closest economy and most laborious
industry can our farmers. under present
conditions, hope to effect even small
saving beyond their expenses.
If this ne true, they should then diver
sify their crops,and use only such as will
bring them adequate returns for their
labors There is one crop which, if cul-
tlvated properly, will change these condi-
tions and cause our lands TO blossom as
rose with property and add millions
of dollars to the wealth of our farmers
and our State; and that is the sugar beet.
That it is we'll adapted to larger part
of the soil of Virginia has been thor
oughly demonstrated.
Last spring the State board of ngricul-
ture cent sugar l,eet seed to more than
one hundred farmers in different sections
vi VIC Clute. de DeetS We're grown ana
returned to the board, and under care
full analysis the majority Of the samples
submitted were found TO produce more
than the standard percentage of sugar
There is no crop so suitable to the soil of
this STATE that will bring the same re
turn to the farmers as will the sugar
beet. TO form an idea Of It's value, the
average price paid for beets in Germany
and France and in California and Ne
braska is 81 per ton.
The quantity CT beets usually produced
per acre is from II to 20 tons, which re-
turns to the farmer from S4S to $50 gross
per acre. The usual estimate of cost of
cultivation per acre in the West. where
labor is high, is from $50 60 $50 per acre,
leaving a. net profit of from $50 to 500 for
each acre grown.
What has the sugar beet industry ac-
complished for the communities where
factories have been establisheds Ia 1890,
the State of Nebraska offered bounty Of
per cent. per pound IN -all beet sugar
produced within her borders The result
WAS that two factories were erected for
producing refined sugar from tue beets,
and although fer the first four wears they
were heavy loss to the promoters (even
with the State bounty, on account of the
small crops of beets furnished by the far
v
in cultivation and $4,000 tens of beeis
were raised, for whic1 the farmers re
ceived more than $500, 000. a bout five
years ago. special inducements and con
cessionS We're offered for plant at Chino,
Cal, ana factory costing aoOut 5000, 900
was erected there AT thst time, the
lands about Chino were unbroken pra-
ries where horses and cattle roamed
Last year this factory paid out TO the far
mers in the community nearly S400, 600
for heets and Sl50.OU0 for labor; over
81 WOO tons Of beets were glown; lands
around there are renting at from 500 to
$40 per acre per.annnm, and Chino is IL
thriving town of 4 ,000 people with !, 200
children in it's public schools.
AT Watonvilie, Col, is located the lar
gest fsc'ory in the United States. This
factory last year crushed 100, 300 tons of
beets, for which the farmers were paid
more than $3.50, 600, and within a few
years it has paid to them for beets and
labor n ore than 50. 900, 600 Just think
what this would mean for our State 1t
is said that the hard times that we have
felt were unknown in that community.
Before we can attain these conditions,
ard the beet sugar Industry is firmly es-
tabli shed with us, two things are abso
iutely necessary: First, that we have es-
'hpi'ohSN - iHCtNiJ INC lHTIIlerS GILL
at all times market their beets, whether
the crop lie great or small. The cost Of
such n factory is not less than $500, 600
TO secure the erection OF such factory
in our midst, it will be an mpossibility
unless adequate concessions are made, or
considerable encouragement rendered it
by the State. in the way of bountes or
otherwise. The great State of New York
passed n law last year encouraging The
industry, and he result is, that cne .fnc-
tory has just made its first run this fall,
at Rome. \. Y. The State of New Jersey
is now contemplating paying bounty of
one cent per pound on feet sugar, and
Nebraska new pays fiYe-eighths cent per
pound In Wisconsin, one county gave
bonus Of 10000 acres of land to secure
the location of n factory; and if this in
dustry, that will bring more prosperity
to our farmers than anything else they
can undertake, is to be established
with us, and our State made TO prosper,
our Legislators should pass some bill that
will insure beyond n doubt that the in
tlustry will he started.