Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-07-21
Communicated.

Editor Register, Dear Sir; Our county
has been visited the past week by gentle
men who are connected with some OF the
largest beet sugar factories in this coun-
try. One of them. Mr.. Halfway, is per-
hapS the best informed and most success
full Of beet sugar men in the United
States. Careful inquiries disclose that it
is intended to establish factory in Jef-
ferSon County, provided the farmers will
raise the beetS. They do not ask people
here to put up money and take the risk
OF success as failure, the sugar company
comes before us and IS ready to put up a
half million dollar plant and take the risk
OF the business itself. All that is asked
is that each farmer will agree to raise
some 4 or 5 acres of beetS. Long before
seeding time, il the acreage can be Sc
cured the factory will be well on toward
completion. The sugar company will
put experts here to give full attention to
preparing ground, seeding and cultivation
Of the crop. The advantages 10 the far
meTS from growing beetS as one OF their
crops is, we are assured, very ConSid-
cradle. The land increases in fertility
and larger crops OF other kinds are
grown. Tests have already been made
for the past two seasons proving that
beetS grow we'll here, and compare ia
vorably in sugar content with the very
best sections in the country. As beetS
are usually paid for according TO sugar
content those who plant can be reaSona-
bly, certain of better returns from the
crops grown than from any other crop
on the farm. SO that all that is required
TO secure this industry for our county is
Just little enterprise and go-ahead -itiye-
ness. This surely will not be wanting If
we only bear in mind the unusual advan-
tdgeS this particular enterprise brings to
a community. II really benefits all class
eS, land owner, tenant, merchant, banker,
mechanic and working man. II sends no
money away for raw material, this il gets
at home. Hundreds OF local people are
engaged in work connected with the pro-
duCtion OF beetS and making OF sugar.
Then the bulk OF the sugar is shipped
away and the proceeds from sales return
to be circulated here at home. Where
ever sugar factories have been established
farming becomes more profitable and
land advances in price. This crop actu-
ally adds TO the fertility OF the soil, as
where the pulp is returned, as il usually
is, to the farm, the sugar takes nothing
whatever from the soil, IT is derived en-
trely from the air and moisture. No
other industry combining so many ad-
vantages and so few drawbacks can be
found, nor that affects so fayorably a COM
munity throughout. This is why the Ag-
ricultural Department at Washington has
a special department devoted to this in
duStry and in every way assists in the
extension of beet culture for making OF
sugar. II we want a good thing like this
let us give il most careful consideration
investigate it, for il will bear investiga-
ton. and not let an enterprise fraught
with so many advantages for our COM
munity slip away from us by neglect. II
has been stated publicly that the COM
pany will actually locate here if the far
mers will plant the beets and in this they
take no risk as it has been proved the
crop is a success here, wherever tried II
has proved profitable, this is vouched for
by experts OF the Agricultural Depart
ment. 1t is scarcely TO be believed that
the farmers Of this county will fail when
the agents OF the sugar company call on
them in showing willingness TO give
this crop fair trial. CITIZEN.