38 



SILK MANUAL 



A friend who is conversant with the cultivation 

 of the Beet Root in France, has furnished us 

 with the following interesting outlines. — JVorth- 

 ampton Cour, 



■ " Of the seven varieties of the Beet Root usu- 

 ally cultivated, the White (Beta alba) is preferred 

 by the experienced manulacturer, as it is found to 

 contain a larger proportion of the saccharine mat- 

 ter to a given weight of the root, than any of the 

 others. — Though this plant will grow in almost 

 any soil, it prefers a deep loose loam, in which its 

 long and tender fibres may penetrate and tlie root 

 develope itself without obstacle. — It follows that 

 a stiff compact soil should be avoided, and still 

 more a low lianip situation, where the root be- 

 comes so impregnated with aqueous parts, tlfat the 

 difficulty and ex|)ense tf separating these would 

 in most cases be far from remunerated by the pro- 

 duce. In high ground the beet succeeds well, if 

 the season is not too dry and in these situations 

 (ceteris paribus) is more productive in sugar than 

 elsewhere. 



As to climate, a northern latitude is found to 

 suit this plant best, the north of Germany, Prus- 

 sia and Silesia, the countries where this new ap- 

 plication of it was first made, are more favorable 

 to it than even the northern department of France, 

 as experiment has amply established, and the trial 

 of it in the South of France has constantly failed, 

 though it was at first supposed that this root, fa- 

 voied by the genial sun of that climate, would, as 

 well as its other productions, contain a larger pro- 

 portion of the saccharine principle than those of 

 colder countries. — This hypothesis, founded on 

 a mistaken analogy supposed to exist between 

 plants growing above and below the soil, proved 

 as might have been expected, completely falla- 

 cious, and the culture there is now given up. 



The results of divers authentic accounts of the 

 culture and manufacture of the beetroot into su- 

 gar, and various circumstances of soil, and the 

 management and where all the elements for es- 

 tablishing a true estimate are united, clearly de- 

 monstrate. 



1st, That other things equal, the largest inaim- 

 factories are the most profitable. 



2nd, That the brown sugar made at a small es- 

 tablishment, will not, however, cost the manufac- 

 turers more than six and a haif cents per pound, 

 and that the same sugar made at a manufactory 

 four times as large, will not cost over five cents 

 and a fraction. That independent of the product 

 in sugar, the residue of the beet or pulp, the sac- 

 charine extracted, is still valuable as food for cat- 

 tle and amounts to a fourth of the weight of the 

 beets employed. The fact first to be ascertained 

 is, at what price the farmer can supply the root 

 cut in this country, when cultivated on a large 

 scale. 



The expense of manufacture is in most of its 

 items higher in France than it would be here ; la- 

 bor excepted ; wood, which is a very important 

 one, costs there from four to five dollars a cord, 

 here we could get it of the quality we should re- 

 quire for less than half this cost ; and water pow 

 er for working and rasping is so difficult to be 

 had in some parts of France, that there are very 

 few of the manufacturers who are able to employ 

 any other than manual and animal labor, at a 

 greatly increased expense. The combustible mate- 

 rial in France is erpial to the whole amount of 

 wages ])ai(l to the hands employed, including the 

 operation of refining the sugar. All things con- 

 sidered, T repeat that, I am persuaded this appli- 

 cation of the beet root is destined at no very dis- 

 tant period, to offer a new and productive source 

 of riches to our industrious and ingenious New- 

 Englanders, and amongst its other benefits, will 

 render us independent of slave labor for one of 

 th(; most important articles of consumption. 



The idea of producing sugar in France in com- 

 petition with the colonies, was for years treated 

 as visionary and absurd, and by none more than by 

 the West India Planters themselves, who are now' 

 compelled to call on the Government for a pro- 

 tectinor tax on the indijrenus susar." 



GYPSUM OR PLASTER OF PARIS. 



When pure it does not cftervesce with acids ; 

 it is insipid in taste and free from smell ; but there 

 are other sorts which vary in purity, and hence 

 the analysis of many chemists differ in their ac- 

 counts of ils properties. There is, however, a 

 simple mode of trying its quality, which consists 

 in putting a quantity of it, pulverised into a dry 

 pot over the fire ; and when heated it gives out a 

 sulphureous smell. If the ebullition, or bubbling 

 whif-h then takes place is considerable, the plaster 

 is good ; but if not, it is considered indifferent : 

 and if it remains motionless, like sand, it is thought 

 to be worth hardly any thing. Another test of its 

 goodness is obtained by putting the powder alone 

 into an iron pot over the fii-e, and when it bubbles, 

 like boiling water, it will admit of a straw being 

 thrust to the bottom without resistance. It is 

 stated by Mr Smith of Tunstall, that having afield 

 of red clover which had been manured with gyp- 

 sum, and had produced a fine crop, he carefully 

 repeated the trial on two square perches — one 

 with powdered gypsum, the other without any : 

 the result of which expei'iment on the crops, when 

 mown for hay and afterwards cut for seed, was as 

 follows : — 



Hay crop. Seed. Straw, 



(jypsum 60 cwt. 3 qrs. 21 lbs. 22 cwt. qrs. 12 lbs. 

 No manure 20 cwt. qrs. 20 lbs. 5 cwt. qrs. lbs. 



He says cattle show a marked pi-edilection for 

 clover which has been gypsumed, that, after once 



