268 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 5 



Actual Situation of that industry in France, &c." 

 It was pub!i:^Iied in the early part of this year in 

 Paris, by M. de Donibasle. That gentleman 

 was for many years concerned in a large establish- 

 ment, for the manufacture of beet sugar, but he is 

 now the Superintendent of the National Experi- 

 mental Farm, which is a highly valuable nppen- 

 ilage to the Royal Agricultural Society. He has 

 long been well known, as one of the ablest writers, 

 and most intelligent experimentalists, on rural af- 

 fairs, of modern times; being equally as conspicuous 

 lor his practical illustrations, as for his great scienti- 

 fic attainments, in whatever relates to the advance- 

 ment of the useful arts, and the tillage of his 

 country. 



I have made several extracts from his very in- 

 teresting and instructive work, with the view of 

 presenting, in a succinct manner, the progress 

 which has been made, and is now making in Fu- 

 rope, in this important branch of industry. 



it appears, that the manufacture of sugar, from 

 the beet, was first attempted in Silesia, by Mr. 

 Achard, in the early part of the present century, 

 but was soon abandoned. In 1810 successful ex- 

 periments were made in France, by MM. Andre 

 and Isnard, which having been made known to 

 the Emperor Napoleon, under the auspices of the 

 radiant and mighty genius of Chaptal, lie issued 

 an imperial decree, for encouraging the manufac- 

 ture, on a large scale, and establishments were 

 commenced at the village of" Point-a-Mousson in 

 Lorraine, in 1811 and 1812. It is not a little re- 

 markable that the first was erected under the su- 

 perintendence of Mr. Isnard, and is still in full and 

 successful operation, after a suspension of q, year 

 ,or two, 



M. de Doinbasle observes, '-This industrj', al- 

 though so powerfully favored by the imperial go- 

 vernment, seemed to expire with it; and it was 

 not until 1820, that but very ihw people believed 

 the manufacture of sugar from the beet, was any- 

 thing more than a ridiculous attempt to achieve 

 ■what u'as impracticable, and had been induced by 

 the long and rigorous continental blockade, which 

 had enhanced the price of sugar to 90 cts. per 

 pound. Still the sparks of this industry were pre- 

 served in France; it has maintained its position 

 amid moderate duties, which were imposed on 

 foreign sugar, for the mere purpose of revenue. 

 So that, in truth, it may be said, that it has pros- 

 pered, not only without the aid of the govern- 

 ment, but in spite of it; for nothing is more re- 

 markable tljan the disdainful manner in which it 

 was treated, until 1830, by the national adminis- 

 tration. It appeared that the Bourbons could not 

 jlbrget the stigma of its imperial origin. At last 

 );he government has been compelled to notice its 

 existence: for it has become so important, fi'om the 

 great results which have been produced, that it 

 can no longer be disregarded. From the ten to 

 twenty millions of pounds of sugar, which were 

 brought into market, some five or six years since, 

 the quantity which will be made this year, will 

 amount to 60,000,000 of pounds." 



"To judge properly of the importance of an in- 

 dustry, which has for its end the creation of a 

 product, Avhich has hitherto been furnished by our 

 colonies — to appreciate the degree of encourage- 

 ment, which it merits, on the part of those public 

 men, whose province it is, to watch over the pros- 

 perity of their country, and to hasten the increase 



of national wealth, it is necessary to glance at the 

 situation, in which France is now placed, with 

 respect to her colonies. The present generation 

 are the observers of a most grave and important 

 spectacle. It is that presented by the I'all of the 

 gigantic colonial edifice, which the Europeans had 

 reared in the new world. The English colonies 

 of North America commenced the march of this 

 grand trans-atlantic revolution; and France, her- 

 self, by aiding them in their separation from the 

 mother country, laid the axe at the base of the 

 colonial structure; for it was easy to foresee, that 

 as soon as a single one of the xVmerican nations, 

 broke the fragile bonds, which placed a whole 

 country under the dependence of a government 

 situated in another hemisphere, all the moral pow- 

 er of the colonial system was annihilated; and the 

 independence of all the other colonies would soon 

 be the inevitable consequence." 



"The enfranchisement of all the people on the 

 American continent has now been consummated. 

 Can it be seriously believed, that a few Islands, sit- 

 uated in the vicinity of that continent, will long 

 remain dependent upon the people of Europe. In 

 the slave colonies, a very evident cause has tend- 

 ed to retain the people as dependent upon the pa- 

 rent country. There, no revolution was possible 

 in favor of the whites, and if any occurred, it must 

 be like that of St. Domingo. The colonists, there- 

 fore, dare not attempt any enfranchisement, in fa- 

 vor of themselves, in the West Indies, for their 

 only reliance against a servile revolt and war, was 

 on the parent country. But now the parent coun- 

 try has commenced the abolition of slavery, in 

 those countries, and it is very certain, that the 

 emancipation of the blacks, strikes a fatal blow to 

 the cultivation of sugar, and will ultimately ex- 

 tinguish it. This is a truth, which no one can 

 doubt; and it is highly probable, that if no ac- 

 cidental cause strips us of our West India colo- 

 nies, we shall soon be obliged to forego their pro- 

 ducts of sugar; for it'cannot be reasonably believed 

 that France can long maintain slavery in her colo- 

 nies, when the blacks are emancipated in the 

 neighboring English Islands. 



"It is under these circumstances, that Provi- 

 dence has ofTered us the means of replacing the 

 richest product of our colonies, by a vegetable of 

 our own country, and which at the same time in- 

 troduces into our agriculture a plant, whicli favors 

 its progress in an eminent degree, as it forms a 

 most productive element for fattening cattle, and 

 enriching the land." 



M. de Dombasle, is of opinion, that in the 

 Biitish government, there Avas a profound priciple 

 of political economy concealed under the apparent 

 spirit of philanthrophy which sanctioned the abo- 

 lition of slavery in the West Indies. That it had 

 in view, the ultimate monopoly of the sugar trade 

 of the world, as her East India colonies could sup- 

 ply the entire demand of Europe at least; and her 

 policy has ever been to favor her vast oriental pos- 

 sessions, at the expense, and ultimate destruction, 

 of the West India planters. 



Mr. Isnard has submitted to my examination, 

 some preliminary observations and calculations, 

 on the establishment of a beet root sugar manu- 

 fiictory in this state. He has given the details of 

 the expense and estimated net income, on a given 

 capital, by which it appears that from 25 to 75 per 

 cent, may be realized. I hope, some of our en- 



