180 



yield, but because of the profitable use that might be made of the leaves and 

 pulp after the pressure from it of the juice, and the manufacture into alcohol or 

 vinegar of the residues left of the sugar manufacture. - 



In 1799 he made the first sugar from a farm of sixty acres in beet cultivation- 

 A commission reported favorably, and in the same year the subject was first in- 

 vestigated in France, and the society of agriculture of the Seine awarded a gold 

 medal to Archard. The wars of the first Napoleon leading to a blockade of the 

 ports of the continent, sugar, in France, rose to $1 20 per pound. This forced 

 Napoleon to a consideration of the best ways of obtaining a home-made supply, 

 and he appointed a commission to examine and report on the matter. In 1810 

 they made their report in favor of beet-sugar. In 1812 Benjamin. Delessert 

 succeeded in producing refined crystallized white beet-sugar, for which the Em- 

 peror conferred upon him the Cross. Soon afterwards 1 J per cent, of sugar on 

 the weight of the beet Avorked was obtained, at a cost of 30J cents per pound. 

 In 1813, 3,500 tons of 2,240 pounds were made in 334 manufactories. 



The peace of 1814 raised the blockade from the ports, and the price of sugar 

 from $1 20 per pound fell to 14 cents, causing the stoppage of all the mauufac- 

 tories that had been erected for the production of beet-sugar. 



France at that time had as cane-producing colonies Martinique, Guadaloupe 

 Guyane, and Boulon, and in 1814, Louis 18lh, King of France, laid a duty of 

 80 dollars per ton on French colonial sugar, and of 200 dollars per ton on all 

 foreign sugar. In 1825 the manufacture of Keet-sugar began to revive, and in 

 1S28 there were 58 manufactories, yielding 2,685 tons of sugar. 



At that time, in order to encourage the refining of sugar in France, foreign 

 and colonial cane-sugar was admitted in its brown state only, and a premium 

 upon exportation of the refined sugar was allowed the refiners. These opposed 

 the manufacture of refined sugar from the beet, and combining with the shipping 

 interest in the foreign and colonial sugar trade, demanded an internal tax upon 

 beet-sugar. This demand was defeated, especially through the political events 

 of 1830, and the production of beet-sugar increased. In 1834 it was 20,000 

 tons ; in 1836, 40,000 tons, made in 436 manufactories. But the opponents to 

 this domestic production continued the conflict, and at last succeeded in having 

 an excise tax laid upon it of 832 88 per ton in 1838. The unfavorable influ- 

 ence of this tax caused a decrease of production, so that in 1840 but 22,000 

 tons were made, 1G6 factories were closed, and the manufacture of sugar ceased 

 in 17 departments. In 1840 further legislation was had, resulting in fixing a 

 duty on colonial cane-sugar of 90 dollars per ton, and an excise tax on beet- 

 sugar of 50 dollars per ton ; a discrimination of 40 dollars per ton in favor of 

 the latter. In 1842 the quantity of beet-sugar rose to 33,000 tons, but the co- 

 lonial opposition was renewed, and the government proposed to the Chambers 

 the entire suppression of the beet-sugar trade. It rejected this extraordinary 

 proposition, and the controversy was settled in 1843 by an equal duty and tax 

 of 90 dollars per ton upon colonial and beet-sugar. 



In that year the manufacture of beet-sugar was 28,000 tons; the import 



