28 THE SUGAR BEET. 



In 1812 Delessert, who had been studying the sub- 

 ject for eighteen years, announced to Chaptal that he 

 had succeeded in obtaining sugar from the beet under 

 favoring circumstances. This was repeated to l^apo- 

 leon, wiio immediately visited the factory at Passy. 

 Samples of this sugar were afterwards exhibited in the 

 palace of the Tailleries as being one of the greatest 

 wonders of the day, as it was thought that there existed 

 a possibility of France being independent of England. 

 A decree was that very day issued in order that this 

 industry should be made a success. The factories of 

 Barruel and Chappelet with two others formed estab- 

 lishments where a sj^ecial and practical education was to 

 be given concerning the fabrication of beet sugar. The 

 total number of students was not to exceed 200. 



In 1812 and 1813 over 2,000,000 kilog. of sugar 

 were manufactured. 



In 1814 and 1815 the wars and excessive rain caused 

 here again a most unfortunate change. The Cossacks 

 were encamped on the very soil on which beets were 

 grown for the supply of these years. 



During the period of the Restoi*ation the small home 

 and colonial protection that had heretofore existed was 

 now again at an end, and to sustain competition with 

 foreign sugars became impossible. But one factory was 

 able to survive. Soon after this various essays on the 

 Sugar Beet were written wherein new processes were 

 proposed, and by the adoption of the same 5 per cent, 

 of sugar could be practically extracted, this being a 



