472 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



until the experiments of Mr. Smith, on the Lois- 

 Weedon system, drew their attention to the cir- 

 cumstance. It was a generally-received fact that 

 the soil did take up ammonia from the air; and the 

 only difference of opinion was as to the quantity. 

 He was sorry that Mr. Fowler had left the room 

 before he made these remarks. With respect to 

 burning the stubble and couch, or taking it away, 

 he did not dogmatize on that ])oint ; for he was 

 aware that some were in the habit of burning it, 

 while others made use of it in different ways ; and 

 during the last autumn, he himself had taken it 

 into the yard, leaving it as a bed for the manure, 

 and also mixing it up with dung, in heaps, to 

 decay. After again returning thanks for the eulo- 

 giums that had been passed upon him, Mr. Darby 

 submitted the following resolution : 



"That the more general adoption of autumn 

 culture for the root-crop is highly desirable ; that, 

 in comparatively clean stubble, the couch grass 

 may be forked out with manual labour, and in all 

 other cases the land should be scarified or surface- 

 worked as soon after harvest as possible, and the 

 whole of the refuse either raked off for future use, 

 burnt, or, if wholly killed, allowed to remain, as 

 might be deemed desirable ; and that afterwards, 

 where the land is not sown to a green crop for 

 feeding oft' in the succeeding spring, it should in 

 the generality of cases be deeply ploughed, and 

 remain in that state during the winter." 



This resolution having been carried without a 

 dissentient, the formal proceedings of the evening 

 were brought to a close. 



DISTILLATION FROM BEET ROOTS AT THE RUDDINGTON DISTILLERY. 



For some time past the subject of distillation of 

 neutral spirit from beet roots has occupied the at- 

 tention of many of our most eminent agriculturists. 

 The invention of the system is of French origin, 

 and the practice has been and continues to be suc- 

 cessfully carried on across the channel. At first 

 its introduction into this 'country was strongly 

 opposed by existing interests, and prejudice con- 

 tinues strong against it, especially in the minds of 

 those who enjoy a lucrative monopoly. But a 

 spirit of progress animates many of our leading 

 agriculturists, which is not to be resisted, and, after 

 the most urgent representations, the Government 

 were induced to relax their prohibitive policy so 

 far as to permit twelve stills to be established in 

 the United Kingdom. Among those who have 

 taken a most lively interest in the matter. Sir T. 

 Parkyns, of Ruddington, near Nottingham, is 

 fairly entitled to rank among the foremost. One 

 of the first to avail himself of the permissive in- 

 dulgence of the Government, he entered into an 

 arrangement with Messrs. W. Dray and Co. for a 

 complete apparatus for the object he had in view, 

 and being determined to spare no pains or expense 

 to ensure the complete success of the undertaking, 

 he engaged the services of M. Croiard, an eminent 

 French distiller by the new system. This dis- 

 tillery has now been in operation about a month, 

 and a few days ago we had the pleasure of in- 

 specting the premises and witnessing the process, 

 the details of which the respected and spirited 

 proprietor explained. 



The distillery occupies a favourable position on 

 the farm on the outskirts of the pleasantly situated 

 village of Ruddington, and the buildings have a 

 very neat and compact appearance. They consist 

 of a rectangular block, comprising the distillery 

 proper, and the Receiving and Bonded Ware- 

 houses, the latter being kept under Government 

 lock-and-key by an officer of excise, who has an 

 office adjoining. The distillery is about 80 feet in 

 length by 40 feet in width, and has a spacious and 

 lofty appearance. Here we have t?ie machinery 

 for the entire process, from the washing of the 



roots to the production of the spirit ; and our ob- 

 ject is now briefly to describe its appearance. On 

 entering the distillery by a pair of large sliding 

 doors at the east end of the building, the first oliject 

 which attracts attention is an upright steam engine 

 of six-horse power, with a cylindrical boiler of 

 most compact appearance. To the right of the 

 engine are placed the washing and cutting 

 machines, both of which are propelled by steam. 

 The former of these has the appearance of a large 

 wooden trough, stands about five feet high, and is 

 some nine feet in length by 2 ft. 6 in. or 3 feet in 

 breadth. In this trough or cistern is placed a re- 

 volving washing or brushing apparatus, which 

 effectually cleanses all dirt from the roots as they 

 pass through from one end, into which they are 

 thrown by a boy, to the other, from which they are 

 delivered by the action of the machine. The roots 

 vary in size, probably from 3 or 4 to 6 or 7 pounds 

 each, and if kept constantly at work the machine 

 will wash about twenty tons per day. The cutting 

 machine is of small size, and equally simple in 

 construction with that for washing, and it is also 

 worked by steam power. As the roots come from 

 the washer they are thrown into the cutter by a 

 boy, and from there are reduced into thin slices. 

 The cutting machine is calculated to keep pace, as 

 regards quantity of work, with the washer. In fol- 

 lowing the order of the process of distillation, the 

 next objects of interest are the fermenting vats. 

 These are twelve in number, each capable of hold- 

 ing 200 gallons, and they are arranged round the 

 opposite end of the building. On the first prepa- 

 ration of these vats they are filled about two-thirda 

 full of water, which is heated by steam to some 

 120 degrees. A quantity of sulphuric acid is 

 added, and the heat is then allowed to subside to 

 about 84 degrees, when the sliced roots are put in 

 to undergo the process of fermentation which is 

 induced by yeast. While that is going on the 

 " still-proper" attracts one's attention. To a per- 

 son perfectly unacquainted with such matters this 

 seems to be an exceedingly complex affair, and the 

 process of distillation is certainly most delicate 



