CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. 



6 9 



hundred and thirty-two acres, the sales of produce 

 from which amounted to $8,000. In 1859 ^ produced 

 $41,200. M. Dargent, who took the first prize in the 

 Department of Seine Inferieure, cultivated only fifty 

 acres. He so increased the production of this farm 

 that he obtained 154,000 pounds, or 68 tons and 168 

 pounds, of beets from a single acre. His yield of wheat 

 was 43^ bushels, and of oats 59^- bushels, to an acre. 



M. Hary, Pas de Calais, obtained from two hundred 

 and ninety-five acres 5,225 bushels of wheat, 2,500 

 tons of beets, and fattened 150 head of cattle. 



The culture of the beet involves the necessity of 

 deep ploughing, heavy manuring, and thorough weed- 

 ing. The pulp from which the juice is extracted in 

 the manufacture is an excellent food for cattle, the 

 number of which has been increased, in the districts 

 devoted to that industry, from eight to ten fold since 

 the introduction of sugar making. 



The cattle furnish an immense amount of manure, 

 which, applied to the deeply-ploughed and well-weeded 

 beet lands, enhances their productiveness for the cereal 

 crops. 



In 1853, when the emperor and empress came to 

 Valenciennes, a triumphal arch was erected, with the 

 following inscription : 



SUGAR MANUFACTURE. 



Napoleon /. who created it. Napoleon III. who protected it. 



Before the manufacture of beet 

 sugar, the arrondissement of 

 Valenciennes, produced 695,750 

 bushels of wheat, and fattened 

 700 oxen. 



Since the manufacture of beet 

 sugar was introduced, the arron- 

 dissement of Valenciennes pro- 

 duces 1,157,750 bushels of wheat, 

 and fattens 11,500 oxen. 



