the Beet-root in-Prance. #>:> 



This price is, however, below what the article generally costs 

 in the manufacturers of France, which are -mostly*, on a much 

 smaller scale ; that of M. Grespel, near Arras, is stated to cost 

 about 62 centimes, or 3d. per lb., that of M. Cailer, of- Douay, 

 7 a 8 sous per lb.,the former working on a scale of 2 millions, and 

 the latter of 1 million kilograms of roots, in 150 days. 



M. Dubrunfaut states, that there are actually in France at pre- 

 present no less than 100 manufacturers of beet-root sugar, which 

 may, he states, furnish altogether from 4 to 5 millions pounds of 

 raw sugar (2000 to 2500 tons) which is not a twentieth part of the 

 consumption of France. The largest manufacturers generally pro- 

 duce 40 a 50 tons per annum, some few more ; but the average 

 quantity, from his statement, appears to be only v 20 a 25 tons per 

 annum. He says the manufacturers are increasing in number 

 but if these data be correct, we are led to woncher why the manu- 

 facture has not been extended much more considerably in France, 

 for in that country the duty on imported raw sugar is about 15.s. 6cl. 

 per cwt., or rather more than He/, per lb., from which duty -the 

 makers of beet-root sugar are exempted; if they, however, can 

 produce their sugar at 3d. or 3d. per lb., the manufacture must 

 be, a very profitable one, as the selling prices are actually 4d. a 

 &d. per lb., duty paid, and the article cannot be produced inHhe 

 West Indies, and sold, duty paid, in France for less. Dubrun- 

 faut acknowledges this, and states it as a fact, which ought to 

 .encourage the extension of the beet-root manufacture.^^^r' 

 however, it has now been carried on in France to a greatefor 

 less extent for above ten years, it seems reasonable to conclude 

 that it does not yield so great a profit as to encourage its~gTe~a^ 

 extension, in preference to other commodities, and, conseque"nfTy7 

 that it cannot be produced (according to the mode of producing it 

 now adopted) so cheap as is represented by Dubrunfaut. < 



In England the beet-root, I believe, could be produced nearly 

 as cheap as in France, weight for weight ; and as the cost of fuel 

 for the manufacture would be much less, (in France it amounts to 

 about l-6th part of the whole cost of the manufacture, including 

 the price of the roots,) it might be supposed that it would be a 



