for the Purpofe of affording Sugar. ■ 239 



carried on with profit from the runlcelriibe, every thing depends on its proper culture. For 

 It is bv this means only that the increafe of its faccharine contents can be promoted ; and iti& 

 only from the quantity of this laft product tliat fugar can be made with profit from that root 

 in the large way. 



That this root contains fugar, has been long fince proved by my celebrated predeceflbr 

 in the Royal Academy of Sciences, the late DiretSlor Margraaf. But it was then unknown 

 and unfufpefted that it could be obtained from it in the large way, and fo cheap as 2 grajhes 

 (about three pence Englifli) for the pound of cryftalline raw fugar*,and in fome trials ftill cheaper, 

 as I have demonftrated to be praiSicable, by the experiments made in the prefence of the 

 committee, feledled for that purpofe, by the king's command. This refult is different from 

 all trials hitherto made in this repedt, by the moft able chemifts. The caufe is limply, that 

 the great influence which the culture of the runkelriibe has, with regard to the increafe of 

 its fugar, has not been fufpefted, and that the different modifications of that culture were 

 .unknown ; though, in fa£l, the quantity of faccharine matter may, on the one hand, be highly 

 augmented, while, on the other hand, the proportion of thofe conftituent parts, which pre- 

 vent the feparation of the fugar, are greatly diminifhed. 



6. From the method before defcribed, of producing the runkelriibe abundant in fugar by 

 means of a proper cultivation, and from my other obfervations on the moft profitable ma- 

 nagement of this root, the following inftrudtions may be taken for its cultivation : 



A foil upon which wheat has grown is to be chofen, and kept in good condition. A low 

 Ctuation, not expofed to great or lafting drought, yet without being moift or fwampy, is to 

 be preferred. It is better if manured the year before than recently; which, however, muft 

 be done, if the former manuring has been omitted. This ground is to be ploughed thrice o^'er, 

 und as deep as the nature of the foil will admit. It is alfo very advantageous to perform, if 

 poffible, the firft tillage in Autumn. Immediately after the third ploughing, which /hould 

 be done in the middle of April, or, at lateft, about the middle of iVlay, the ground is to be 

 fmoothed by the harrow, as much as poflible ; and by means of a rake, whofe teeth are diflant 

 from 9 to 1 2 inches, lines are to be traced along the furface, and by drawing the rake in 

 lines acrofs thefe the ground becomes divided into fquares, meafured by the diftance of the 

 xake's teqthf. 



• In this computaiion the labourei's wages are taken at 8 grofhes per day, and the fuel at the price of the 

 royal Berlin wood-market. Bcfides, in my prefent experiments, a circumftance occurs which greatly en- 

 hances the expences of particular operations : namely, that the proceffes cannot be cvxcalenaifd, or conncfted 

 with each other. Notwithftanding this, the pound of raw fugar will coft,; at the highcft, only i groHies, and 

 by fome methods ilill lefs ; bccagfe the manufacturer will not pay th« day wages at higheft rate, nor chufc 

 .Berlin, the deareft place, for ef.abliftiing his manuf^ftory. Thus, alfo, he will not buy his fuel at the greateft' 

 or retail price, but will take all the advantages refulting from the conneftion of the feveral proceffes, which 

 do not take place in fingle trials, as they mull in carrying on the buHnefs at large. 



f As I have not fpoken with precifion of this diftance, but have only given it from 9 to 1 1 inches,' I itwft 

 here remark, that it muft be regulated by the goodncfs and richnefs of -the foil. On the beft ground, the 

 diftance of 1 foot i» moft fuitable : on » 4eaner foil, lefs manured, it ii better, to contra£f it to % incKet. 



I « a 7- I'Jts 



