270 BEETKOOT SUGAE IN FRANCE. 



alkaline salts isolated and made available for use when the 

 fermented molasses from which alcohol has been distilled are 

 burned and lixiviated. Beetroot molasses may be taken as 

 furnishing about one-fourth its own weight of pure alcohol, 

 and of the residue some 10 or 12 per cent are niade tip of 

 the salts adverted to. Evidently this saline mass has been 

 extracted from the ground, and can be returned to the ground 

 if such disposal be deemed most economical. 



To these remarks may be appended some notice of the 

 employment given by the manufacture. Twelve years ago 

 it was calculated that in the beetroot factories not fields 

 40,000 men, women, and children found occupation. This 

 number has not since increased proportionately to the increase 

 of result, owing to the more perfect adaptation of machinery. 

 The conclusion may, however, be accepted, that each existing 

 factory gives occupation to a number of workpeople be- 

 tween 180 and 200 of which three-fifths are men, one-fifth 

 women, and the remaining fifth children. The aggregate 

 pay of this staff may be taken at 24,000,000 francs. As 

 regards beetroot culture, the annual wages expenditure for 

 the whole of France may be set down as from 10,000,000 to 

 11,000,000 francs. 



From the outline of particulars already given, it will be 

 seen that the art of sugar-extraction from beetroot has at- 

 tained a high grade of perfection ; indeed, I know of no 

 manufacture in which the refined indications of science have 

 been in practice so nearly brought up to the mark of labora- 

 tory absolutism. Still something remains to be accomplished : 

 mostly in respect to obtaining the amount of crystallisable 

 sugar that is known to be in the molasses, but which cannot 

 practically be extracted. It is to be remarked, that beet 

 molasses is so offensive, that it cannot be used as food or con- 

 diment like cane molasses. Disposed of some other way it 

 must be, otherwise the margin of necessary profit on the 

 general manufacture fails. 



