MAKING SUGAR FROM BEET-ROOT. 199 



tent, as to enable him to enter to the fullest extent upon his certain 

 plan of making money. A large farm was hired in the neighbour- 

 hood of Arras (in Artris), and upwards of six hundred acres of excel- 

 lent land were planted with beet-root. This was in the latter part of 

 1811 and beginning of 1812. In the mean time extensive premises 

 were taken in the city of Arras, where a mill (such as it was), a press 

 similar to a common cyder press, boilers, tanks, coppers, coolers, 

 &c. were erected. But the most important point still remained to be 

 settled. Mr. Le Dreux, who thought that in suppling money he had 

 supplied every thing, found out that his ignorance of the chymical part 

 of the process must be supplied by the assistance of some person 

 competent, from his knowledge, to conduct that part of the operation. 

 Enquiries were made, and after a little time, a young (C gentleman" 

 from Lisle was engaged, at a large salary, for that purpose alone. 

 His office was to be a sanctum sanctorum, beyond the threshold of 

 which not even the anxious proprietor himself was permitted to enter. 

 Thither the materials were conveyed. They consisted of large bot- 

 tles of vitriol, a quantity of slack-lime, large pails of new milk, and 

 some chalk ; but in what proportions these articles were mixed toge- 

 ther remained the secret of the young chymist. Things being thus 

 prepared, the beet-root was carefully dug from the ground, and the 

 tops were removed, and it was conveyed in large quantities into the 

 store-house ; other portions were deposited in deep pits, dug in the 

 ground, which were carefully covered over to prevent the frost from 

 reaching it before it Was required for use. When the process of making 

 commenced, the beet-root was placed in large tubs of water, and 

 scrubbed with hard hair-brushes, in order to remove every portion of 

 clay from it. It was then left to drain for a short time, and the 

 water having run off, it was placed beside the rape or grinding- 

 machine, by which it was to be reduced to a pulp. This machine 

 was a cylinder of iron, having teeth set in diagonal lines from 

 its upper to its lower surface. It stood in a vertical position, and 

 was inclosed in a wooden case, fitted almost closely to its shape, 

 which case had two holes in it, each of about four inches square, one 

 a little above the other. To these holes there were wooden plugs 

 attached, which fitted them exactly. The rape was set in motion by 

 a very clumsy arrangement of machinery, which was worked by a 

 winch, having double handles, one at each side ; these were acted 

 upon by four men (two on each side.) One or two pieces of beet- 

 root, according to their size, were placed in each hole of the frame, 

 and forced against the rape by the wooden plugs, a man pressing 

 forcibly against the handles, one of which he held in each hand. As 

 the beet-root was reduced to a pulp, it fell down under the frame- 

 work in soft masses, and was from thence removed by other persons, 

 and placed in hair bags, in which it was spread evenly, and the 

 mouth of each bag being folded over, it was placed in the press, a 

 piece of basket-work of the breadth and depth of the press being 

 placed over each bag, to secure the free passage of the juice. It will 

 easily be seen that during this process a certain portion of the juice 

 must escape ; to prevent its being lost, lined grooves were con- 

 structed, which inclined gradually towards a large leaden tank, sunk 



