St Proceedings of Public Societies 



and copperas; tlie fixing upon woven 

 goods several culors whicli had been 

 previously considered as fugitive ; the 

 snbstitnlion of liie sugar of beet-root for 

 that of the sugar cane ; of woad in the 

 place of the indigo plant, and of madder 

 for the scarlet of cochineal. 



When France began to experience the 

 •want of sugiij-, we at first sougiit for the 

 means of supplying it in the syrups of 

 certain fruits, especially the grape, and 

 this manufacture has been singularly 

 improved. Large establishments were 

 formed in several parts of tiic kingdom 

 for the extraction of syrup, and tiiey 

 have been productive of two important 

 results, equally advantageous; first, of 

 causing the consumption of a great 

 quantity of syrup in the place of sugar 

 for several domestic purposes, and ex- 

 clusively in the hospitals; secondly, of 

 giving a value to our grapes which at 

 that period had scarcely any. A little 

 time afterwards a method was found of 

 extracting a farinaceous and solid sugar 

 from the grape, and this product was 

 more similar to the cane sugar than the 

 syrup; it was like t'le cane sugar in 

 having no smell, and could be employed 

 instead of it in every way, by using two 

 ©r three times its weight to produce the 

 same effect. This sugar is not suscep- 

 tible of crystalJizatioji. Nearly at the 

 same time, chemistry fuinished the 

 means --of decolouring honey and de- 

 priving it of smell, so that it could be 

 employed in the infusions of tea and 

 coifee, as well as the best syrup of sugar. 



All these processes were become do- 

 mestic operations, and very little pri- 

 vation was suffered from the scarcity of 

 cane sugar ; but it was reserved for Che- 

 piistry to produce in our climate the 

 actual sugar of the colonies, and this 

 WAS not long in coming to pass. Already 

 the analyses of Margraff, and the im- 

 portant labours of Achard had put us 

 in the way ; all now to be done was to 

 improve tlie processes, and form a suffi- 

 cient number of establishments to sup- 

 ply the demand. To efi'cct this, the 

 enoouiagemcnt was prodigious, and in 

 a single year we saw more than a hun- 

 dred and fitly manufactories arise, some 

 of which have piocceded with great 

 success, and have poured into the mar- 

 ket several million pounds of excellent 

 sugar. 



On the Culture and Presei-vation of 

 the Beet-root. — It should be sown to- 

 wards the end of March or in April, 

 when there is uo longer any fear of 

 fiost. 



[Aug. U 



The most proper soil for t!ie cultiva- 

 tion of the beet-root, is that which is 

 both light and rich, and of a good depth. 

 Poor, dry, and sandy soils are not at all 

 suitable, for the beet comes up in such 

 ground quite small and dry. Neither 

 is stiff' argillaceous soil proper for it. 

 The seed comes up badly, especially if 

 soon after it is sown a heavy rain hap- 

 pen to fall. RIcadows newly plouglit-d 

 and alkfvial earths manured, and for a 

 long time used, are very proper for th« 

 cuKurc of this root. Good giound will 

 furnish a hundrcil thousand of beet per 

 hectare; I have even gathered as many 

 as a huiidred and twenty from a mea- 

 dow newly ploughed ; but the mean 

 product is from forty to fifty thousand. 



Beet-root during its Vegetation.— 

 Perhaps there is no plant tiiat suffers 

 more from the vicinity of others titan the 

 beet-root; it remains small and without 

 vigour if the ground be not carefully 

 cleared of all the pliuts tiiat spring up 

 beside it. 



In general the beet is gathered in (he 

 beginning of October, and the operation 

 is terminated towards the fifteenth. 

 The time of gathering is not a, matter of 

 indifference; but every one knows that, 

 in the course of vegetation, there is 

 formed a succession of diiferent products 

 which replace each other; so that the 

 crystallizablc sugar is contained in the 

 beet-root only at a certain period of its 

 vegetation, and this period is the time 

 that must be chosen to gather it. 



It appears, that, when the beet hag 

 terminated its saccharine vegetation, if 

 I may so express myself, it forms »:,!trate 

 of potash, at the expense of tlie con- 

 stituent principles of the sugar: and this 

 formation takes place in the ground, 

 when it is assisted by the heat, just the 

 same as it does in tlie store-houses. 



As the beet-roots are pulled up, the 

 leaves should be stripped off and left on 

 the ground for manure, svhen there is 

 not enough of them for the consumption 

 of cattle. 



In order to keep beet in a proper 

 siate, it should be stored in a dry place, 

 of a temperature a few degrees above 

 zero of tlie thermometer. It must not 

 be stored up when wet ; and, if the wea- 

 ther vvill ])crmit, it is very desirable that 

 it sliould be left for a few days in the 

 fields to dry. It must not be covered 

 up until frost is expected, and must be 

 uncovered and left so as long as the tem- 

 perature is a few degrees above freezing, 

 provided it does not rain. It should be 

 often examined, and if it appears to be- 



coma 



