264 BEETKOOT SUGAR IN FRANCE. 



Notwithstanding the manufacture of two loaves for pre- 

 sentation to the Emperor, the quality of these loaves was not 

 very good. The usual result which manufacturers had aimed 

 at hitherto was the production of raw or yellow sugar. Now 

 it happens that, whereas raw or yellow sugar produced from 

 the cane is not disagreeable to the palate is more agreeable 

 even than white sugar to some palates yellow beetroot-ex- 

 tracted sugar is disagreeable to the taste, not to say offensive. 

 It follows, from the very nature of the case, that the sugar of 

 beetroot must be absolutely freed from all colouring matter 

 before it can compete on equal terms with sugar from the 

 cane. Now, and for a long time past, that complete purifica- 

 tion has been accomplished : which accounts for the fact that 

 a traveller may go through the whole of Belgium and France 

 without once meeting with a sample of yellow sugar. 



It was about 1812 that Monsieur Benjamin Delessert com- 

 menced a series of experiments, having for their object the 

 production of beet sugar in a state of absolute purity, in his 

 factory at Passy. On the very day that success had crowned 

 his efforts, Chaptal the chemist made it known to the Emperor, 

 who without delay made a personal visit to the Passy refinery 

 to assure himself of the fact. 



On the day following, an official announcement appeared 

 in the Moniteur, the purport of which was to state that a great 

 revolution in French commerce had been effected. How great 

 the revolution was, may be inferred from an announcement 

 in the Moniteur, that the French beet-sugar produce of the 

 season 1865-6 amounted to no less than 274,000,000 of kilo- 

 grammes, a quantity more than enough to emancipate France 

 from dependence on the colonies in the matter of sugar pro- 

 duce. 



It will be seen from the purport of what has been stated, 

 that in this interesting manufacture the promises of scientific 

 men have been fully borne out. France, in possessing the 

 beetroot, has become the rival of the most flourishing sugar 



