The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-12-12

quler, Rsppshsnnock, Westmoreland
northumberland, Richmond, Essex,
King William, KING and Queen,
Lancaster. Northampton, Elizabeth
City, Warwick, York, James City,
Prince George, Chesterfield. And
samples of beets made from II to II
per cent, grown IN the counties OF
Norfolk, Nansemond, Surrey, Din
widdie, Accomac, Mddlesex, Glou'
cester, New Kent, Charles City
Hanover, Caroline, ning George
Spotsylvania, GoOchland, Fluvanna'
Buckiughsp, Allegheny, Roanoke,
Craig, Montgomery, Giles, Bland,
Buchanan, Carroll, Culpeper, Page,
Shenandoah and Frederick.
Experiments made the same year,
the beets made from II to l6 per
cent. grown in the counties of Madi'
son, Orange, Aloemarle, Nelson,
Henrico, POwhstsh, Cumberland,
Amelia, Prince Edward, Nottoway,
Sussex, Greenvllle, Brunswick, Meek
lenburg, Luuenburg. Charlotte, Hall
fax, Plttsylvanis, Henry, Patrick
Floyd, Pulaski.
Specimens from Rockingham Msth-
ews, and Southampton gave 10 per
cent. aud over in sugar These ex-
periments show plainly that Virginia
has a lager area adapted to growing
sugar beets of high quality than any
State in the Union. As an entire
State, there is none in the Union bet
ter adapted to growing sugar beets
of higher average richness in sugar
than right here in Virginia. There
are other advantages in favor OF Vir-
ginia. Our climate is better suited
for the safe maturing of the beets.
The warm days and cool nights in
October forces the rapid development
of the sugar in the beets. The long
season does not hurry our farmers to
take the beets out of the ground and
bury them, as is necessltated IN the
West. We have no sudden severe
freezes in the fall Of the year. Our
mild falls and winters will allow the
factories 10 run as long as they have
beets to work upon.
Sugar beet growing should be done
by our farmers in connection with
their other farm crops. The same
ground should not be put in beets
more than two years in succession,
the two heavy dressings the land
receives from fertilizing the beets
will grow the largest crop Of grain or
grass thereafter the land ever pro-
duced before. Clover or peas should
be grown on the land before beets are
put in the same land again. Beets
are not as hard on the land as the
grain crops.
The farmer in selling beets is sell
ing large quantities OF water.
Virginia can easily grow enough
beets for half a dozen factories.
Sixty per cent. of the sugar consumed
in this country is made from the
sugar beet. The cultivation Of the
beet requires but little new mschin'
cry. The seed can be sown by q
Bickford & Huffmsn Sinch wheat
drill, closing every other tube. The
rows in Nebraska are planted from
IA to IS inches apart; the beets are
thinned to from to 10 inches apart
in the row.
The farmers in Nebraska use a
light spike disc cultiyator for the first
cultivation, then a bull tongue or
morrow shovel the last cultivation a
SHOVEL that will throw the DIRT to the
beets so as to keep them covered. A
puller is used to loosen the beets in
the ground. This implement costs
$40. A good blacksmith can make
one for half this amount.
The residium or pulp is used by
some of the farmer who feed it to
all kinds ef stock, but it is especially
valuable for calves, cows, cattle and
sheep. | visited a feeder who was
feeding 400 head of cattle on beet
pulp and straw. He has been feed b
ing it for FIVE years; he feeds the cat
tie all the pulp they will eat, and
they have access to wheat straw
These cattle are fed in the open lots,
and have no shelter during the win
ter. They gain some flesh during the
winter under the exposure OF hard
winter weather in Nebraska, and,
with the addition Of two pounds OF
meal upon the pulp, the feeder can
make beef of his cattle.
The pulp in Virginia would be a
valuable feed, and our farmers would
appreciate it. In growing beets 1t
would enable them to keep stock,
and consume all the forage grown on
the farm. which is highly essential
in improving the land,ss we'll as more
profitable.
II our farmers within reach OF
Fredericksburg, either by road
or railroad, will grow the beets, be-
lieve there is willingness on the
part of capitalists to build the fac
tory.
A fair trial will convince those
who will grow the beets that it is q
much more profitable crop than any
other now grown. 1t is ready
cash crop; leaves the land in a fine
condition for seeding down to grass,
and enables the farmer to keep more
stock at greater profit,
A creamery could be proftsbly
operated in the same neighborhood
with beet factory, and more cattle
and sheep feeding and pork raising
by using the pulp from the factory
This is algolden opportunity, be,
lieve, and trust our farmers will
avail themselves Of it and secure the
erection of factory at Fredericks'
burg. and show to the world thai
Virginia has advantages over Other
States in growing sugar beets at less
cost and more profit.