of Sugar in France. 387 
’ covering it with earth and enveloping the whole by a bed of heath 
or broom, so that water cannot penetrate. 
But whatever method may be adopted in storing beet, there 
are some general precautions to be attended to which are indis- 
pensable in all cases. In the first place, it must not be stored 
up when wet; and if the weather will permit, it is very desirable ~ 
that it should be left for a few days in the fields todry. Se- 
condly, it must not be covered up until frost is expected, and 
must be uncovered, and left so as long as the temperature is a 
few degrees above freezing, provided it does not rain. Thirdly, 
it should be often examined; and if it appears to become heated, 
or decayed, or germinates, the heap must be opened, the in- 
jured roots separated from it, and then it must be made up 
again, 
On the Extraction of Sugar from Beet-root. 
The extraction of sugar from this plant has given rise to a 
course of operations which I shall successively describe. During 
four years that it has been praetised in France, many different 
processes have been employed, and great modifications have 
been adopted in each of the operations. I have examined and 
compared them all, but shall confine inyself to the description 
of that which has constantly afforded the best results. 
The beet in the state in which it is taken out of the fields is 
more or less clogged with earth, and the surface is more or less 
covered with radicles; before it is operated upon it must be 
freed from these incumbrances and the top cut off, which does. 
not sensibly contain any sugar, 
{n some establishments the dirt is taken off by washing, and 
the top and radicles by a knife; but washing is tedious and ex- 
pensive; it requires a great quantity of water, and the operation 
is difficult to perform in the severe cold of winter. The most 
ceconomical mode of washing is to put from 100 to 140lbs. into 
a cylinder composed of thick iron wire, half the cylinder being 
immersed in water contained in a trough under it; the cylinder 
is kept constantly turning round. Ina little time the beet is 
freed from the dirt, the cylinder is then raised ahove the trough, 
a door which it contains is opened, and the beet slides down an’ 
inclined plane, which carries it beyond the trough. / 
1 have no washing in my establishment; but I have the top 
and radicles cut off, and the surface of the roots cleaned, all 
with a knife. This operation is executed with facility by wo- 
men, and costs twelve sous or sixty centimes per thousand. 
The sugar is extracted by two successive operations. Ist, 
The beet is reduced to a pulp by means of graters; the best of 
Vol. 47. No, 217. May 1816, Y these 
