104 



[The World's Commercial Products 



DIFFUSERS IN A BEET-SUGAR FACTORY 



In 1797 Achard, a French refugee and 

 pupil of Marggraf, took up the work 

 where his teacher had left it, and after 

 much research was able to extract sugar 

 from the beetroot on a considerable 

 scale, and two years later he presented 

 a sample of this sugar and gave a 

 description of his methods to the Insti- 

 tute of France. Achard estimated that 

 the cost of' production should not ex- 

 ceed 3d. per lb. In spite of the doubt 

 raised and the ridicule cast on his work, 

 a considerable amount of interest was 

 aroused and a commission of chemists 

 was appointed to investigate his 

 methods and repeat his experiments. 

 In the report presented by the com- 

 mission a summary is given of investi- 

 gations on other sugar-containing 

 plants, and attention is directed to the 

 failure of experiments to introduce the 

 sugar-cane and the sugar-maple into 

 France. As to the beet itself they found 

 a little over six per cent, of sugar in the 

 roots, and by repeating Marggraf's 

 methods they succeeded in producing a muscovado or raw sugar, of a dark brown colour, and 

 disagreeable taste, at an estimated cost of about 9d. per lb. In concluding the commission 

 state " that admitting the result of the experiments it remains to be demonstrated that 

 the beet may up to a certain point supplant the sugar-cane." 



The scene of activity was once again transferred to Germany, where in 1805 Baron de Koppy 

 built a factory in Lower Silesia capable of dealing annually with 525 tons of roots. Achard 

 also founded a factory of his own. 



World politics furnished the next impetus. Napoleon I issued the decrees of Berlin and 

 Milan, establishing a continental blockade, the object of which was to shut out all English 

 products and manufactures, and in particular the products of the English colonies, among 

 the most important at this period being sugar, indigo, and cotton. The actual results were 

 that Achard's and Koppy's factories showed an increase in their profits, search in France 

 for possible substitutes for English colonial produce was greatly stimulated, and also the 

 French wine trade suffered great loss. Grapes even were seriously considered as a 

 commercial source of sugar, and the government gave financial help towards rendering this 

 possible. 



A few years later, from about 1810 onwards, attention was again directed to beet-sugar, 

 and the experimental work was once more repeated, and not only muscovado but white sugar 

 was prepared, the cost of the former being estimated at Is. 3d. per lb., and of the latter at 

 Is. 8d., although there seemed a reasonable hope that these prices might be reduced to 4d. 

 and 6d. respectively. The Emperor gave practical assistance to the new industry, and in 1811 

 ordered about 80,000 acres of sugar-beets to be cultivated in the French Empire. 



Curious means were resorted to to discredit or encourage the industry, as the case might 

 be, and amongst the -caricatures of the day was one of the Emperor Napoleon and the 

 young King of Rome, the latter sucking a beetroot, with the legend beneath " Suck, dear, 

 suck, your father says it's sugar." 



