350 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



of evaporation to escape. la the neighbourhood of a 

 factory whole fields may be seen covered with clamps, 

 the reserve stock of the manufacturers. There are 

 many sorts of beticraves, but the two sorts in general 

 growth are the white Silesian, and a variety of the Sile- 

 sian with a red skin and white interior. Tt exhausts the 

 land more than potatoes ; but though sold off the farm 

 it has tha good quality of returning to it as much ma- 

 nure, perhaps, as if wholly consumed on it (indeed the 

 latter would be iaipossible, as in its raw state it is a 

 dreadful scourer), as all the refuse after pressing— that 

 is the farinaceous part of the root — is eagerly bought 

 by the farmer at from 8s. 4d. to Vis. per ton for his 

 fattening bullocks, cows, and sheep ; to the first named 

 he gives 100 lbs. weight per day. Now, as we know a 

 bullock will eat 4 bushels of swedes in twenty-four 

 hours, we may calculate at all events that it stands as 

 2 to 5 superior in quality to raw roots. This refuse, 

 which looks like pressed rags, and is in flat pieces about 

 as large as the palm of the hand, has also the peculiar 

 quality of improving by keeping in clumps (well trod) 

 for two or three years, enabling the farmer to lay in a 

 store when a drop occurs in price, A great comtbrt to 

 a stock-keeper to know he has always a reserve of food 

 for all weathers and bad seasons. The crop that follows 

 is wheat ; hot summers suit it best. 



It was a long time known to be a saccharine root in 

 France, but its usefulness was not developed till 1812, 

 when the Government passed a decree permitting the 

 growth to the extent of 250,000 acres, and exempted it 

 from all duties ; in three years it ceased to give this en- 

 couragement to the growth, but its prosperity pro- 

 gressed; in 1827 there were 89 factories, producing 8 

 million pounds of sugar ; in 1836 more than 500, making 

 nearly 50 millions ; in 1837 they put a duty on it 

 of a half-penny per lb., and added another farthing in 

 1839. From thence to now it has continually advanced. 



I introduced myself, one fine morning, at a factory 

 about a league from Lille, as an English stranger, ask- 

 ing the favour of an inspection of it. The owner most 

 politely acceded to my wish, first making me partake of 

 his dejeuner, the usual eleven o'clock breakfast of chops, 

 coffee, and wine. This hospitality I felt the more, as 

 it was only the second time during my three months 

 stay I had the opportunity of enjoying it, as all classes 

 are alike unfortunate in their ignorance of our truly 

 English custom of inviting all who cross our threshold 

 to take something, from a glass of beer to a seat at din- 

 ner. He then showed me his sugar and his distilling 

 processes ; it took three hours to go over it, and a most 

 interesting mass of machinery it was. 



The commencement of the process is as follows : The 

 loaded waggons are weighed, as they enter, on a weigh- 

 bridge, and the empty vehicle deducted ; the roots then 

 well-washed by steam-power, and drawn into the ma- 

 cerating machine by an archimedian-screw : after this is 

 very minutely performed, the pulp is pressed in 

 hydraulic presses, and the remains in the press bags are 

 instantly ready for sale to the farmer. 180 pints of 

 juice are extracted from 2 cwt. betteraves, which goes 

 into a reservoir tolerably impervious to air (which is 

 detrimental) till wanted. It is then heated in boiling- 

 pans to CO degrees (I am not sure if this means the 

 same as 60 degrees in England) ; and a solution of lime 

 is thrown in at the rate of 1 part to 20 parts of juice, 

 and a little sulphuric acid to neutralize any excess of 

 lime. It is then filtered with animal charcoal, which also 

 reduces the colour, and then passes into boiling-pans to 

 evaporate; then a second evaporation and another con- 

 centration ; and then a third filtration with charcoal ; 

 then boiling, and at this stage it passes into coolers and 

 begins to crystallize. The remaining processes it would 

 be tedious to your readers to have described. 



£. 8. d. 

 O.ie ton of roots will produce 1^ cwt. sugar, brown, 



worth, duty iucludeJ 3 10 



Aq J also :j cwt. molasses, worth 2 



Aud 2i- cwt. of refuse for the farmer, worth 1 8 



And 17 cwt. of juice. 



£3 13 8 



The duty here is ^wo-pence per lb., and it is usually 

 sold at Gd. (not no^), which is considered a profitable 

 price. 



We undersell the frcnch in most manufactures ; so it 

 is fair to suppose we can in sugar, if we please. We 

 were told we were to have free trade, to be totally un- 

 shackled, whether it was sugar or tobacco we wished to 

 grow. 



The molasses are distilled, of course, and some potass 

 made from ihe refuse. 



Many distilleries are expressly for extracting spirit 

 from the root itself : a ton is expected to make 10 gallons. 

 The whole of the refuse from this is useless. 



Beet-root sugar-refining is also carried on to a great 

 extent ; the decrease in weight by the process is one-fifth. 



White sugar is retailed by the grocers now at 8d. to 

 9d. per lb. Reriiember I ahoays ivrite in English 

 measures and weights. 



It is allowed to be a most lucrative trade in all its 

 branches. It is carried on over the whole of this nor- 

 thern department. Valenciennes is the very heart of it ; 

 but much is also done near Paris, Marseilles, and on the 

 frontier near Switzerland. 



The alcohol is sold for mixing with the Geneva cognac, 

 and also for making eau-de-vie ; also for varnish, and 

 many descriptions of manufactures requiring cheap 

 spirit. It has been sometimes exported to England, 

 but is not allowed at this time. 



Spirits are sold by all grocers, Geneva and eau-de- 

 vie sit 6d. to 7d. per pint; the licence for which costs 

 £2 Is. 8d. per annum. 



I cannot finish this letter without remarking on the 

 cheapness of spirits here, and the general sobriety, 

 and comparing it with the contrary of both in Eng- 

 land. It cannot be that the climate is warmer, for 

 there is no hill between this city and the Polar Seas, and 

 it is indeed cold here. The unrestricted sale here, at all 

 events, does not produce drunkenness. 



An English Farmer in France. 



Lille, March ith, 1858. 



QUICKS (CRATG./EUS OXYCANTHA) Commoa 

 Hawthorn — for general, or, more particularly, for 

 agricultural purposes, are not to be excelled. Their cul- 

 ture is too well known to require any particular com- 

 ment, did we not see so often erroneous practices carried 

 out; for instance, the planting upon high banks, which 

 dries them up, and, when crumbled down, leaves them 

 exposed to the inroads of cattle, &c. No better example 

 is taught us than those planted by the sides of railways — 

 the Great Western, for instance. There you see them pro- 

 perly planted, well cleaned, and properly sheared — in 

 fact, hedges worthy our best attention. We have often 

 heard Mr. Sharp complain to the unfortunate nursery- 

 man from whom he purchased his few thousand Quicks, 

 that many of them died, when perhaps, as is very often 

 the case, no care was taken in the first place to give 

 them^ proper accommodation. First, then, the soil 

 certainly, in every instance, should be trenched ; and if 

 manured, the plants will repay it. Always plant, if the 

 nature of the soil will permit, upon the same level as the 

 field, not upon elevated banks. Place a fence — con- 

 structed with piles about eight or nine feet apart, 

 with two horizontal rails— for protection. Then select 



