THE Bi:i{T SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



During the past few years a new interest has been developed 

 throughout our country in the manufacture of beet sugar ; and 

 recent attention has been called to it in our State through the 

 message of His Excellency, Governor Connor, and from its having 

 formed the subject of two papers presented at the annual session 

 of the Board, held at Brunswick. One of these papers has been 

 given in previous pages, and the other, from the pen of Prof. H. 

 Carmichael of Bowdoin College, has not, in consequence of press- 

 ing College duties, been yet placed at my disposal. I hope it may 

 be received in season for its publication in a subsequent part of 

 this volume. Wishing to give all the information that can be 

 obtained on this subject, I devote a few pages to a re-publication 

 of a series of useful and practical papers originally published in 

 the Scientific Farmer, Boston, Mass., by Mr. E. H. Libby, one of 

 its editors. The several chapters well cover the points taken up, 

 and are worthy of careful reading. 



I. — In General. 



Slowly, gradually, an interest is being awakened among think- 

 ing farmers and capitalists, to the importance and resources of the 

 beet sugar industry as practiced in Europe. It has already grained 

 a foothold in this country, and, if we read the agricultural weather 

 signs aright, is destined to rank, within a few decades, among our 

 foremost farm industries. 



The fact that this country pays ammaWy over sevenly-Jive million 

 doUar.H to other nations for sugar, ought to be sufficient to arrest 

 thought and turn it into this channel. Sugar from the beet root 

 is identical in composition with that from the cane, and can in no 

 way be distinguished from it. Of the direct profits of the industry, 



