32 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 1 



In order to satisfy yourself concerning tlie authen- 

 ticity of my statemente, I subjoin documents ibr 

 your, perusal, when at leisure. 



The manulacture of su2;ar of beet has ceased 

 to be an object of ridicule; the advantages that 

 France draws li-oin it are palpable and great, and 

 the benefits which the matiulacturers derive from 

 it are now such that the French Minister of the 

 Treasury has pro])osed to lay a tax upon it. 

 France owes this new branch of industry to that 

 great man whom she will honor through all 

 times; for had it not been for his sagacity and 

 powerful assistace, it would have shared the fate 

 of many other improvements lying lor ages, or 

 dying m their infancy, once pronounced by ordi- 

 nary men visionary projects. 



The discovery that beet contains a perfect su- 

 gar, remained for over sixty years without any 

 useful application; many attempt?., however, had 

 been made to derive the benefit of it; but those 

 having made these attemjjts, being rather men of 

 science than men of business, having operated 

 only upon a small scale, with purely scientific 

 views, and havinjx made no calculations, either of 

 expentlitures or results, they had no ground to 

 proceed upon. I undertook to solve that problem, 

 and to that efiect made the first, in France an 

 experiment on a large scale, and by a sufficient re- 

 ward induced a chemist to assist me. 



The result of this experiment was transmitted 

 to Napoleon on the 19th of March, ISll, and by 

 his order rendered public; and though the birth of 

 his son took place on the 21st of the same month, 

 on the 25th l()llowing appeared the decree, a co- 

 py of which is among the subjoined documents. 

 By this decree, as you will perceive, he created 

 six experimental fiictories for the manufacturing 

 of sugar, he appoints me the director of one of 

 them, which factory he gives to me in property, 

 as a reward Ibr my labor, and for having (perfec- 

 tonne) improved the process for obtaining the su- 

 gar of beet. Such was my zeal, that my factory 

 in the fall of 1813 was prepared, and all the beet 

 raised by me or contracted for, so as to produce 

 1,500 lbs. a day of brown sugar, and the same 

 refined. The first entry of the allies into France 

 caused the total ruin of my establishment. Up 

 to 1816 political events were unfavorable for su- 

 gar making, but from that year this manufacture 

 was resumed, and has since never ceased to in- 

 crease and improve; it is now computed that over 

 300 such manufactories exist, producing together 

 yearly about from 18 to 20 millions of pounds of 

 brown sugar. 



Now, sir, since the making of sugar of beet 

 begins to attract the attention of some agricultu- 

 rists of this country, I deem it of interest for them, 

 and to gratify the curiosity of others, here to 

 etatc what were the calculations made in France 

 in 1832, (the latest dale of my infl)rmation) and 

 add a few obscrvjitions respecting the benefits one 

 may derive by the mere culture of beets in this 

 country. It is generally admitted, viz: 

 That one ton (2,000 lbs.) of beet deliver- 

 ed at the liictory costs ^3. 

 That the expenses to work one ton of 

 beet for obtaining its sugar, ^4. 



That 2,000 lbs. beets will yield 100 lbs. 

 brown sugar, costing ^7. 



Thus one pound of brown sugar, good quality, 

 costs 7 cents. 



By a comparison of the expenses of culture in 

 various parts of France, and on various soils and 

 situation, the average expenses of cultivating 

 there the extent of an American acre of land, are 

 as follows: Rent and taxes .^5.60; ploughing and 

 harrowing .^2.88; manure §1-93; sowing 50 cents; 

 weedings and hoeing §2.40; gathering ^1.60; 

 carting .'i^l.gG; farmer's profit %\. Making a to- 

 tal of .^21.40. 



The produce varies according to the quality of 

 the soil, the quantity of manure used, and tlie 

 care bestowed on the culture — as we fiave taken 

 the average of the produce, which is of 7 tons. 

 Some yield as much as 15 tons. 



The four dollars profit the French iiirmer de- 

 rives fiom this culture, on every acre, is far from 

 being the only one; the others are: 



1st. The good state in which the field is left af- 

 ter gathering the beets — no further manure be- 

 ing wanted Ibr the succeeding crop, which crop 

 experience has proved to be always more abun- 

 dant and of a belter quality when succeeding the 

 culture of beets; owing to the destruction of the 

 noxious weeds, caused by weeding the beets 

 when young, and prevented from growing, by the 

 thick foliage of the beet when strong. 



2d. The facility afforded the cultivator to apply 

 to the culture of beet, lands which he fiirmerly 

 let lie fallow, and consequently, without any ad- 

 ditional expenses of rent and taxes, deriving as 

 good a revenue from this land, as iiom any other 

 producing the most. 



3d. The advantages the cultivator derives by 

 the purchase fi-om the manufacturer, of the pom- 

 ace of beet at a price not higher than beets, when 

 experience has proved this pomace is worth for 

 him fifty per cent, more; for in fact it is after all 

 but beet — deprived of two thirds of water, and 

 consequently a more nourishing food for his cattle, 

 perfectly fitted for fattening them, producing won- 

 ders in that respect; which could not be expected 

 from beets in their natural stale. 



The f(illowing is a statement of the receipt and 

 expenditure of a sugar establishment, as reported 

 to the Society for the encouragement of manufac- 

 tures in France. The whole work was peribrm- 

 ed in 91 days. 



Purchase of 500 tons of beet de- 

 livered at 3 20, $;1600 00 

 1638 days' work of men at 20 



sous 455 do. of women at 12?. 



364 do. of children at 5s. 400 40 



Forextra work during the night, 109 20 



40 cubic feet wood for fuel dai- 



lv,(28 cords 3-100 at ^\Q 



7100 per cord,) 473 20 



Sundry materials for manufac- 

 turing purposes, 818 60 

 Food for IS oxen used in the 



mill, 103 CO 



Interest on $3,000 at 15 per 



cent, for wear and tear, 450 00 



Rent of buildings, 120 00 



S?;4130 00 



Total, 

 Deduct for molasses sold for ^320 



125 tons pomace at .^3 20 400 

 Value of materials lell, 30 750 



