PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 787 



Attempts to Manufacture Beet Sugar in the United States. 



Several attempts on a very small scale have been made, within 

 the last thirty years, to manufacture beet sugar in this country; 

 but with one exception, so far as I can learn, they were made 

 when the industry was in its infancy, and when prices were much 

 lower thfm they are at jDresent, or are now likely to be. 



Those attempts were not crowjied with commercial success; but 

 the results produced were such as to demonstrate, beyond the 

 shadow of a doubt, that beet sugar can now be made in this coun- 

 try with the most al^solute certainty of success. 



The attempt, of which there is now to be obtained the most 

 complete published account,* was made at Northampton, in the 

 valley of the Connecticut, in the years 1838-9, by David Leo 

 Child, and the "Northampton Beet Sugar Company," The com- 

 pany were the successors of David Lee Child, to whom the 

 Massachusetts 'Charitable Mechanic Association, at their second 

 exhibition, in 1839, awarded a silver medal. 



In their report the Association say, "The crude or raw sugar is 

 well made, dry, and of good grain. The refined shows that this 

 article can be made of as good quality as sugar from the cane." 



On the 5th of December, 1839, the " Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Society " awarded a premium of one hundred dollars to the 

 " Noi'thampton Beet Sugar Company," for beet sugar. 



On the 13th of November, 1839, Hon. Levi Lincoln, president 

 of the " Worcester County Agricultural Society," addressed a 

 letter to Mr. Child, who had sent him a box of sugar for exhibi- 

 tion. The box arrived too late; but the folio wins^ extract from 

 Mr. Lincoln's letter indicates the quality of the sugar: "Availing 

 of your kind permission, samples of the sugar were submitted to 

 the inspection of several gentlemen. The brotoii sugar was found 

 to be pure, very sweet, and entirely free from any bad taste, and 

 it« quality, in every respect, was highly satisfactory^. 



" The refined or lump sugar seemed not so well granulated as 

 is desirable. Still we are well satisfied that, as an experiment in 

 the manufacture, it is highly encouraging, and we all felt that the 

 countr}^ was largely indebted to your intelligence and enterprise 

 in demonstrating, beyond all question, how entirely this applica- 

 tion of domestic industry is at her command." 



In May, 1839, Mr. Child received a letter from Martial Duroy, 

 of Boston, confectioner, from which the following is an extract: 



* The Culture of the Beet, and Manufacture of Beet Sugar, by David Lcc Child, 1840. 



