The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-17
THE SUGAR-BEEI
OUT IN THE WEST
Commissioner KOiner Thinks Vir-
ginia Can Easily Excel Nebraska.
DUR CLIMATE AND SOIL BETTER,
Head or the Agricultural Department
Talks IN an Interesting Way
About His Trip West to In
vcstigatc the Industry

Commissioner OF Agriculture Kolner
found the sug.r-bect industry, as it Is
conducted In Nebraska. exceedingly IN
torcstlng. ana returns from his trip deep
~ impressed with the possibilities In store
for the successful raising Of the beet BY
Virginia farmers. adjacent to factories yet
10 be established in the state. but one Of
which is practically assured row. The
Commissioner who was accompanied TO
Nebraska by Colonel C.. G. Taliaierro an
eN-member Of the legislature and an
asricuturist known beyond the borders OF
MS native county o. Orange, returned 70
ltichnond saturday nignt IhaJ only the
Two gentlemen named composed the party
j. que to unavoidable postponement OF 'le
trip. which was projected for the middle
OF September. The busy farm season pre-
vented the other Nirginians from making
the trip at this time.
Commissioner k0iner spent most Of ms
time famlliarizins himself with the details
OF the industry as he found II conducted
ia Norfolk. Nebraska and vicinity.
large factory Is located i'm Norfolk, a
town OF 500 people and the farmers VINO
raise the bccts for the factory live IN
radius Of thirty or forty miles. Opporlu-
nifty was thus afforded the Nirginans 10
study both sides Of the industry-that OF
the manufacturer and that Of the farmer
IN a BIG FACTORY.
'"rhc Norfolk factory cost $4,000 10
build and equip" said MIR. Koiner TO a
Times man last evening and employs 80
hands Tho plant must be kept going
night and day and on Sundays. the nature
of the industry requiring 1t to be constant
" IN operation. II was established nine
years ego. and has passed the experiment
al stage. I was surprised TO find that Inc
mice Of The beet is extracted not by press
ing as one might suppose. but by sys-
tom of washing The beets are cut up.
placed I'm reccptacles and water forced
through the mass by hydraulic pressure.
found TOO. that a limekiln IS an indis-
ponsable adjunct of n beet factory. Lime
IS burned 10 obtain carbolic acid gas.
which is used I'm purifying the sugar
Juice When the juice finally reaches the
centrifugal kettle II Is Of the consistency.
and very nearly Of the color OF thick mo-
laesoe The motion Of the kettle throws
the sugar. as 10 is rendered in,o SOLID
state aeaint the sides Of thu vessel, from
which 70 is removed from time TO time.
Emergening from the graduating process
the SUGAR d. put mp i'm 2e-pound SACKS
The quality Of the sugar compares win
the whitest and purest I'm the world. inc
standard graduated sugar
4 VALUABLE BY-PRODCCT
Mr. Koiner saws the pulp Of the beet rs
I'm great demand as food for stock. cat
tie. hogs and even horses eat 1t. The
pulp from the Norfolk factory Is FED 10
800 head Of cattle. which require little
else I'm the way Of food. The pulp is dis
posed of at the rate Of nifty cents a ton.
This pulp. Mr.. Koiner says. would be OF
greater value I'm Virginia, because in the
West there are other cheap cattle foods
that compete with he pulp and bring the
price down.
"Beets for The Norfolk factory" said
Nlr Koiner addressing himself To the
farmers side of the industry. I'm which he
Is more particularly Interested, ARE
grown on 33oo0 acres of land I'm the
Elkhorn valley. i'm which Norfolk Is sit
uated. The land Is rich. but not so we'll
adopted ~ surar-beet raising as the soil
OF Virginia. The season. too is shorter.
In Virginia the climate is much more
favorable 10 The iull growth and ma
turing of the beet. While over three thou
sand acres are in the beet cultivation, the
size of the plat each farmer devotes to
beet raising Will not average more than
fifteen or twenty acres. Very often they
raise only one crop on the same ground.
transferring 10 almost invariably after
the second year. certainly, 10 new ground.
But land devoted To beets one year Will,
~ properly MANFRED. be better the next
year for other crops than IL was originally.
HOW RAISED IN NEBRASKA.
"Beets are grown and cultivated much
like corn. Virginia farmers by remov-
inr every other point. could use the or
binary drill for sowing The Nebraskah
farmer gives mis- beets three plowings
and ends with either hoeng the crop with
peculiarly-shapcd implement aptly
named "A goose-foot or by blowing IL So
mat the earth Is thrown plentifully about
the beets, which must be completely COW
cred When harvested the beets are
kilned and very often in that harsh
climate, the original covering of earth has
60 hc Increased as the weather increases
In severity 60 prevent them from freezing
Tie cop is hauled 90 market from time
?" tiihc. as the factory calls for them the
farmers taking their turn al marketing
In rotation. The factory gives notice of
rom a week or ten days in advance 10
sch farmer.
IN Nebraska 70 costs from SIS TO $50 an
acre u produce beets. In Virginia they
can he raised for little more than hair
that sum. ] am confident. Many of the
Nebraska farmers. ] was told. nay five
dollars per acre rent FOR their land Most
Virginia formers would save that. Again
I'D Neplhski iarm labor Us paid at the rate
OF one dollar per day.
Much OF the work. such as thinning the
plants. when they are young. and topping
the beets. when they have been pulled
could as wen be done by half-grown men
and women. who receive iu Virginia from
twenty-five 10 nifty cents a day That
would Dc another considerable item IN our
favor. Then the climate and the SOIL
am convinced. would give Virginia farm
ers an advantage.
\ READ MONEY CROP
I'm Nebraska said Mr.. Koiner in con-
clasion. chose who have embarked i'm
heet-sugar cultivation lind il their prin-
cipal source ~ ready-monoy. the factory
paying in cash. Occasionally | was told
farmer omits 90 raise beets a year. but
Invariably he returns 10 its cultivation
rext year he finds that IL r. his best
paving crop. after an"
air koiner enjoyed his trip. but says