862 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Juiie 5, 18-29. 



with apples, is much esteemed. In conlectionary 

 it forms an excellent marmalade and syrup. — 

 When apples are flat and have lost tlieir flavor, 

 Forsyth observes, a quince or two, in a pie or pud- 

 ding, will add quickness to them." Dr Willich 

 observes " Quince trees are highly esteemed, as 

 stocks on which pears may with great advantaije 

 be grafted or budded. This operation greatly im- 

 proves the taste and flavor of those pears, which 

 arrive at maliirity in the summer and autunm ; but 

 is by no means proper for winter fruit, which is 

 thus rendered hard and stony. This fruit is gen- 

 erally boiled and eaten with sugar, in which form 

 it may also be usefully employed in cases of dys- 

 entery five gallons of the juice of quinces, mixed 

 with twenty-five pounds of sugar and fermented, 

 afford a delicious wine. By boiling the kernels of 

 quinces in water, a mucilage is extracted, which 

 is often used in medicine, as a proper substitute 

 for that of gum arable. Quinces are excellent in 

 apple pies, in the proportion of one-fourth quince 

 to three-fourths ajjple, with some thin slices of 

 candied lemon peel or citron." 



so- 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL 

 CIETY. 



The Standing Committee on Ornamental Trees, 

 Shrubs, Flowers, and Green Houses, beg leave 

 respectfully to report the following subjects for 

 premiums, viz. 



For the most successful cultivation of the 

 American Holly ; the number of trees, not less 

 than four, which have been transplanted at least 

 three years, the sum of ten dollars. 



For the four best flowering jilants of the Mag- 

 nolia Glauca, which have been transplanted at 

 least three years ; the sum often dollars. 



For the most successful cultivation of the Rho- 

 dodendron Mnxirnmn, the nuiTiber of plants not 

 less than four, which have been transplanted three 

 years, the sum of five dollars. 



For the five best plants of the Kalmia Latifo- 

 lia, which have been transplanted not less than 

 three years, two dollars. 



For the best seedling [-.lants of either of the 

 above, not less than ten in nimiber, of three years 

 growth, and upwards, five dollars. 



For the best specimens of Chinese Chrysanthe- 

 mums, not less than *ive varieties, three dollars. 

 For the best half dozen of Tulips, 



flo do Hyacinths, 



'lo do Ranunculus, 



For the best pet of Auriculas, 

 do do A;icmonies, 



do flo Piiik.'i, 



■ «!o do Carnations, 



For the best half dozen cultivated native flow- 

 ers, 

 For the finest Roses, not less than five va 



rieties. 

 For the best bunch of dou!)lo and single 



Dahlias, 2,00 



For the greatest number and finest kinds of 

 the Camellia J;iponica, ;5.00 



Discretionary premiums to be awarded on 

 plants, or flowers, not enumerufed above, but no 

 p.remiums will be awarded mitil the year 1S30. 

 Of the times when, and the places where, due no- 

 tice will be given by the Committee. 



la the selection of objects for premiums, your 

 Committee have had chiefly in view, the introduc- 

 tion into our gardens of some of those indigenous 

 shrubs, whose rare beatity (in their ojiinion) de- 



serve, and which they confidently hope will ob- 

 tain the notice of the Society. They have no 

 doubt that our own country is rich in ornamental 

 trees and shrubs, which if more generally ktjown 

 and cultivated, would be as generally admired and 

 a])preciat.ed ; and they cannot but regret, that 

 while so much labor and care have been bestowed 

 upon exotics inferior in beauty, our native plants, 

 have literally been left " to waste theh fragrance 

 on the desert air." Feehng confident that many 

 if not all the indigenous shrubs abounding in our 

 vicinity, may be naturalized to an upland soil, and 

 even improved by cuhivation, they have been in- 

 duced to ofler premiutns for such as they think 

 will well repay the labor of cultivation. All which 

 is resjjectfuHy submitted, by order of the Com- 

 mittee. R. L. EMMONS, Chairman. 

 May 29, 1829. 



M. Achard. 



From the Boston Courier. 



SUGAR .FROM BEETS. 



It is with pleasure that we lay before our read- 

 ers the annexed Memoir on the JVIaimfacture of 

 Sugar from Beets. It is from the pen of a French 

 gentleman, now residing in Brighton, and was po- 

 litely sent to us in consequence of a suggestion 

 which appeared in the Courier about a month 

 since. M. Isnard is now chiefly engaged in chem- 

 ical pursuits, and was extensively so in France be- 

 fore be took up his residence in our neighborhood. 

 He has still some interest in the making of sugar 

 from beets in France ; a fact which we learned 

 from several letters which he placed in our pos- 

 session from the French Minister of the Interior, 

 and from the Minister of Manufactures and Com- 

 merce. 



Memoir on the Sugar from Beets. Bij the Sieur 

 Max'n Isnard, chemist ; formerly direclur of one 

 of the four imperial sugar manufactories, insti- 

 tuted by JVapoleo7i. 



The existence of sugar in the beet was discov- 

 ered by Margraff, a Prussian chemist, about sixty 

 years since. Some time after, 31. Achard, an- 

 other Pnissian chemist, resumed the investiga- 

 tions of M. Margraft", and announced, that by 

 means of a process of his own invention, there 

 could be obtained from the beet a sugar equal to 

 that of the cane, and at the price of only six cents 

 a pound. A fa^t so important, and announced 

 by so distinguished a chemist, induced the first 

 class of the Institute to make an exi)eriment of 

 the process of M. Achard, and a committee was 

 chosen for that purpose. .According to the report 

 of this committee, it appeared, that a great quan- 

 tity of sugar could be obtained from the beet ; that 

 the process of M. Achard had not entirely suc- 

 ceeded ; and that everything induced them to 

 believe that M. Achard had been deceiveil, in say- 

 ing that the sugar could be made at six cents a 

 piiimd, but that it could be made for eight. Al- 

 tliciugh this price was yery low, this first experi- 

 mei:t was nut the cause of any immediate under- 

 taking. 



In the year 1311, while at Paris, engaged iji 

 researches in c'.iemistry as applied to the arts, I 

 conceived tlie idea of examining, more thorough- 

 ly than had ever been done before, into the ques- 

 tion concerning sugar from beets ; and, with this 

 design, I associated myself with M. Barruel, pre- 



The result of our labor was a great 

 <piantity of refined sugar, which his Majesty Na- 

 poleon was pleased to accept, as also the memoir 

 we comjiiled upon the subject. Our endeavors 

 were rewarded far beyond our expectations ; two 

 Inqjerial Manufactories were erected under our 

 direction, at the expense of the government, and 

 one given to each of us, as property. 



Such was the first and real origin of the manu- 

 facture of sugar from beets in France ; and, if 

 hereafter, as everything induces me to believe, 

 this fertile branch of industry shall be cultivated 

 sntficiently to turnish the sugar necessary for the 

 consumption of this country, it will be one of the 

 benefits, which it owes to the genius of that great 

 man, whose penetrating eye looked into the future, 

 and whose liberal hand left nothing without its 

 reward. 



The first entrance of the allied troops into 

 France injured the sugar manufactories, and es- 

 pecially those called Imperial ; but the impulse 

 was given, and peace only was needed, that this 

 kind of industry should be resumed with profit. 



CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. 



The beet is sown in April. It is better to sow 

 it crosswise, (en quinconx) than at random, being 

 on this account more easy to be weeded and root- 

 ed up by the plough. A light and even sandy 

 soil is preferred. The beet, far from impoverish- 

 ing the soil, as some seem to think, causes it to 

 fiuiiish crops of vegetables, in greater abundance, 

 and of better quahty. Tlie expenses for culti- 

 vating an arpent in France (equal to one and a 

 quarter American acre) are as follows. Rent, 8 

 dollars ; taxes, 1 dollar anj 60 cents ; 3 laborers, 

 7 dollars and 20 cents ; seed and sowing, 1 dol- 

 lar and 60 cents ; twice weeding, 4 dollars ; ma- 

 nure, 8 dollars; ploughing up, 4 dollars and 80 

 cents; total, 35 dollars and 20 cents. 



The produce of a French arpent varies between 

 12,000 and 48,000. The average is considered 

 20,000 ; the average price of beets is 2 dollars 

 per 1000 lbs. So that the cultivators received a 

 net profit of 4 dollars and 80 cents per arpent, 

 which is a great deal, if those lands oidy are sown, 



which would otherwise remain uncultivated. 



One can already perceive how profitable the mak. 

 ing of this sugar will become to France, in this 

 respect alone. 



0|)i]iions are yet divided concerning the best 

 kind of l)eet ; the nature of the soil, and the qual- 

 ity of the manure, seejn to have the greatest influ- 

 ence in advancing the sugar qualities. Manure 

 too fresh and too abmuiant renders ii difficult and 

 sometimes even impossible to extract the sugar. 



PRODUCE. 



One thousand jiounds of beets, just from the 

 fields, lose about 15 per centum, by the cutting off 

 of the tops, necks, and shoots, and iiy being wash- 

 ed. From 100 lbs. of beets are obtained from 55 

 to 60 i)er cent, of juice, and consequently from 

 45 to 40 residue. The evuj)orated juice furnishes 

 from 5 to 6 of syrup, from v/hich are made from 

 2 to.2i of raw sugar, and from 3 to 3,} of mo- 

 lasses. Thus, the mean produce of a French ar- 

 pent, consists in 1000 to 1200 lbs. of syrup, equal 

 to good molasses from the colonies, if the sugar 

 be not extracted ; or 400 to 500 of raw sugar fit 

 for refining, and the different uses of raw sugar • 

 besides 600 to 700 of coarse molasses, inferior in 



FAiiATEUR of the school of medicine, who had taste to that of the colonies, but susceptible of a 

 been charged with repeating the experiments of] fermentation like wine. Finally in 8000 to 9000 



