PART IT. 



CHAPTER I. 



GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON ECONOMICAL TRANSPOR- 

 TATION— DECAUVILLE, PROVIN, LINARD, ETC. 



In consequence of the bad condition of the roads 

 when the beet harvest commences, caused either by 

 excessive rain or snow, and the importance of gather- 

 ing the entire crop with the shortest possible loss of 

 time, and thereby avoiding the frost; and, as the re- 

 sponsibility and expense interest principally the manu- 

 facturer, various plans have been proposed for its ac- 

 complishment. By such means as these, economy 

 over the ordinary wagon drawn by oxen or horses 

 is obtained, and we will pass the most important of 

 them in review. Evidently, the idea of replacing 

 animal traction by steam — road locomotives — was soon 

 thought of, and Duffrine Brothers, sugar manufac- 

 turers, were the first to utilize road locomotives for 

 this purpose. They estimated the cost at about 0.18 

 franc (f 0.03) per kilometric ton. Then Corbin brought 

 to notice his so-called " wagon locomotive," which was 

 able to carry eighteen tons of beets, and having a 



