33 



stance of which would afford aourishment to the strange larva, though of 

 course it would itself be destroyed. 



A paper by Mr. Legrand, on "The Land Shells of Tasmania," with a 

 list of new species recently discovered by him was read by Mr. Stephens. 

 At the conclusion of the paper Mr. Stephens passed a high eulogium on 

 Mr. Legrand, for the great zeal and devotion with which he had pursued 

 this branch of natural history, at a cost he could ill afford, and with little, 

 if any, direct benefit to himself. If they had some kindred spirits to 

 work out other branches of natural history, valuable specimens would 

 rapidly accumulate, and their museum would soon be rich indeed. 



Mr. Barnard read the following letter from Mr. John Walker to Mr. 

 Nowell, the Government statistician, and its enclosed communication 

 from Mr. Arnold Baruchson, on the manufacture of beet-root sugar : — 



32, Lansdowne Road, 



Notting Hill, W., London, 



19th March, 1870. 



My Dear Sir, — I suppose that long ago you heard of my intended trip to 

 Tasmania, and my unfortunate voyage, as the vessel was wrecked about 100 miles 

 from Rio de Janeiro, and eight of the passengers lost and my wonderful 

 escape, without any serious detriment to my health. I am, however, at 

 present determined not to attempt to take another voyage at my period of 

 life. 



I see by the newspapers the subject of beet-root sugar has engaged the 

 attention of some of the colonists, and that James Barnard, Esq., has taken 

 an active part, so that the members of the House of Assembly have voted a 

 gratuity to any one who would first produce 200 tons of sugar from beet-root 

 grown in Tasmania. 



In some of the letters I wrote on the subject, I took a different view, and 

 stated that an Act should be passed to protect the i^rodacers from any duty 

 for a stated number of years. I think I sent a letter from Mr. A. Bariichson, 

 of Liverpool and INIagdeburg, from whom I received part of the seed I sent 

 out, but I regret to say few tried it, and as it was a very dry season, those 

 who did, did not succeed. I tried a little in my garden here, and it answered 

 well. I let some grow, and it went to seed better than I expected. 



I now send you a letter which I received from Mr. Baruchson on the 7th 

 instant, and you can use it as you think best. I see by an Act of Council 

 distillation is to be allowed. I do not think it would pay if made from malt, 

 as one bushel of malt would cost from 8s. to 10s., and would only produce 

 two gallons of proof spirit ; and the price of the rum exported from London 

 is from 2s. 2d. to 2s. 4d. per gallon. 



As there is a considerable quantity of molasses from beet, as well as from 

 other sugar highly refined, it might be used for distillation ; but when I 

 wrote I was aware that no distillation was allowed. I suggested that the 

 molasses should be mixed with hay, made into chaff, as all kinds of cattle 

 are very fond of it. 



I was at Mr. Duncan's beet-root manufactory on the 3rd Maich, 1869, and 

 saw his machinery at work, but as it was the first season, and the machinery 

 not ready in time, the root was deteriorated, it should have been all used 

 in January. The machinery was very inferior to what I saw in France and 

 Germany. 



At one "fabrick," as they call it in Stuttgart, in Germany, they rent land, 

 and produce all, or nearly, the beet-root they require, and never dispose of 

 the pulp, but keep it in large pits, 150 feet long and 20 feet broad, and cover 

 the pulp with the stalks of maize, and then with earth sloped like the flat 

 roof of a house, and sow maize on the earth, as the pits are all adjoining each 

 other, and as the pulp ferments, the heat forces on the maize, and they get an 

 excellent crop at an early season. They keep 200 buUocks and about 140 

 milch cows, and feed them with the pulp and maize stalks, and get a large 

 quantity of excellent manure to keep tlae land in good order. "When five or 

 ten of the bullocks are fit for the butcher, they are sold, and their places 

 filled up with lean beasts, purchased at a low price. The milk is sold to milk- 

 men in the town, and as Stuttgart is a large place, there is a good demand. 



