CULTURE OF THE SUGAR BEET. 21 



manufacture of beet-root sugar, and describes the method he had finally 

 devised for extracting the sugar, and in this description we find the 

 first mention of the use of carbonic acid for separating the excess of 

 lime remaining after purification of the juice. He proceeds as follows: 

 The juice is heated to 65° B.; milk of lime is then added (295 grams 

 quicklime per 100 kilograms of juice, or 295 parts in 100,000); the whole 

 stirred thoroughly and heated to 80° E. The coloring matter, &c, 

 forms in soluble compounds and makes a flocculent precipitate. A solid 

 scum forms on the top. The latter is skimmed off and the liquid de- 

 canted. The clear juice is then freed from lime, and for this purpose an 

 acid which forms an insoluble compound with the lime is the best, sul- 

 phuric or carbonic acids preferred. Alum may be used according to 

 Derosne's method, but this only acts by the sulphuric acid it contains, 

 and while for equal weights sulphuric acid costs more than alum, it will 

 neutralize more of lime. 



M. Barruel considers, however, that carbonic acid is the most econom- 

 ical of all, and for his purpose he prepares it by passing air through 

 burning coals. 



In the conclusion of his note he says: "This process, which is very 

 simple and not costly, always succeeds. I guarantee its exactness and 

 success." 



Maumene" states that about this time Napoleon visited a factory at 

 Passy, where Benjamin Delessert had succeeded in producing white 

 sugar from beets, and after having given him the cross of the Legion of 

 Honor (the same which ornamented his own breast) as a recompense for 

 this splendid initiative, the Emperor caused to be inserted in the Moni- 

 teur of the following day the grand evolution that had been consummated 

 in French commerce. But of this circumstance we are unable to find 

 any record in the Moniteur or the Journal de V Umpire of that period. 



On January 15, 1812, Napoleon issued the following decree, in all 

 probability a result of the report made by Count Chaptal : 



Section I. — School for manufacture of Beet-Root Sugar. 



Article 1. The factory of Messrs. Barruel and Chappelet, plain of Vertus, and those 

 established at Wachenheim, department of Mont-Tonnere, at Douai, Strasbourg, and 

 at Castelnaudary, are established as special schools for the manufacture of beet-root 

 sugar. 



Art. 2. One hundred students shall be attached to these schools, viz : 40 at that of 

 Messrs. Barruel and Chappelet, and 15 at each of those at Wachenheim, Douai, Stras- 

 bourg, and Castelnaudary ; total, 100. 



Art. 3. These students shall be selected from among students in medicine, phar- 

 macy, and chemistry. 



Section II. — Culture of Beets. 



Art. 4. Our minister of the interior shall take measures to cause to be sown through- 

 out our empire 100,000 metrical arpents of beets. The conditions of the distribution of 

 the culture shall be printed and sent to the prefects previous to February 15. 



