40 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



VOL. 1. 



1 Refined sugar, 187 !bs. worth 210 francs. 



2 Middling do. 60 lbs. worth. 67 50 c. 



3 Trimmings, 1,000 kilogrammes, 



(fed) worth 2 50 c. 



4 Marsh, (fed to stock) 12.50 

 kilogrammes, worth 30 " 



5 Molasses, worth, 12 " 



322 francs. 



Equal to about .$61 on the product of one- 

 fourth of the hectare, or something more than 

 half an acre of land. The expense of culti- 

 vating an acre is stated at 133 francs, about 

 $25, which includes 40 francs for rent and 10 

 for taxes, and leaves about ,f 15 75 tor culti- 

 vating, digging, transporting and storing the 

 crop. He stales the expense of cultivating 

 and manufacturing 10,000 lbs. roots, includ- 

 ing all charges, at 192 francs, about 36 dol- 

 lars, leaving as a profit on this quantity of 

 roots, about .$25, say $35 the acre, clear pro- 

 fit. Upon 1,200,000 lbs. of roots, tlie ave- 

 rage produce of three hectares, he estimates 

 a nett profit to the manufacturer, after deduct- 

 ing interest on capital, repairs, &c., of 66.30 

 francs, about $1,260. 



After penning the above, we received the 

 interesting letter of M. Le Ray de Chaumont, 

 showing the importance of beet sugar as a 

 household manufacture. 



Paris, April 15, 1836. 



" My Dear Sir, — A long space of time has 

 elapsed since my last communication to the 

 State Agricultural Society. Meanwhile I 

 have not had a moment out of mind the pro- 

 mise I made in it, to resume the pen as soon 

 as I should have something worthy of being 

 recommended to their attention. It is long 

 since I have been convinced of the vital im- 

 portance for France of raising the beet root 

 and manufacturing it in sugar. Some time 

 afler my arrival in the United States, some 

 of my friends wanted me to encourage it in 

 America; one of them, chiefly, who had seen 

 my successful establishment at my estate in 

 France, and who knew I had received from 

 the French government the gold medal offered 

 for the best making of the best sugar; — but 

 I could not recommend it for the United 

 States, when I had witnessed how few had 

 succeeded in this country, even during the 

 reign of Napoleon, when sugar was four times 

 the price it is now. Indeed, after that time 

 the working of the beet sugar was entirely 

 given up in Europe, except in France, where 

 even I was almost the only one who would not 

 give up so easily the hope of the great advan- 

 tages that discovery was to offer one day or 

 another, to a great part of the world. The 

 benevolent monarch who succeeded the great 

 Enjperor, was soon persuaded that there 

 would be a great benefit for France in en- 



couraging this new branch of agricultural in- 

 dustry. However, nothing more was found 

 neces.=ary to accomplish the object than a 

 simple honorable reward for the most suc- 

 cessful; tor if the making of beet sugar was 

 really useful, it would soon be proved by the 

 benefits the manufacturers would make. 

 The price of sugar had fallen more than one- 

 half, and many who had invested great capi- 

 tals in the undertaking, met with very seri- 

 ous losses. However, several continued, and 

 new improvements were keeping pace with, 

 and even overbalanced the disadvantages of 

 the constant lowering in the price of sugar. 



But, sir, I could not give any encourage- 

 ment in the United States to similar under- 

 takings before the improvements in the manu- 

 facturing of beet sugar were made. I am 

 persuaded that it would have been the cause 

 of complete failure in the attempts made by 

 any one till very lately, though it had given 

 profit to some great establishments in France 

 for a few years past. This I will demon- 

 strate when I enter into more detail. 



For the present moment, what I have said 

 above will be sufficient to answer the double 

 purpose of justifying my reserve upon this, 

 so interesting subject, and deserving at the 

 same time the confidence 1 wish to attain 

 now, when I recommend the cultivation in 

 the United States of the sugar beet, without 

 any further hesitation, for the purpose of man- 

 ufacturing it into sugar. I am convinced 

 that it will be a very advantageous agricul- 

 tural pursuit in all parts of the United States, 

 and chiefly in the middle and northern states. 

 The great difference in the price of labor 

 between France and America, which in the 

 account of profit and loss, has produced a bal- 

 ance against the United States in the contem- 

 plation of this operation, is now overbalanced 

 by the new discoveries and improvements in 

 the fabrication of the beet sugar. To them, 

 add in favor of the United States, the cheap- 

 ness of the soil for the cultivation of the beet, 

 and of the fuel for manufacturing the sugar. 

 These advantages are to be found in all the 

 new states, and some considerable parts of 

 Pennsylvania and New York. There, alsc, 

 they will have on their side, in uncommon 

 abundance, the fine water powers, which more 

 than any thing else remedy the difference in 

 the price of handwork between Europe and 

 America. 



But, sir, while I was admiring here, in the 

 splendid establishments of this new industry, 

 their fine machinery and their improved che- 

 mical processes, I was lamenting that the 

 small proprietor or the farmer could not em- 

 ploy directly his produce by manufacturing 

 himself. I am but just now perfectly satis- 

 fied that he can do it, and that with very in- 

 considerable expense, and without hiring any 



