37 



most convenient way for the wagons to load, these piles 

 may without injury, but rather with advantage remain 

 in the field, for a few days if desirable. This piling 

 not only facilitates the loading, but prevents injury to 

 the roots which would be unavoidable if the wagons were 

 to enter a field covered promiscuously with the roots ; 

 whereas, none can happen when they are piled as describ- 

 ed. In the departments of the north of France, the cost 

 of digging, topping, and piling an acre of roots, does not 

 exceed two dollars. The expense of wagoning to the 

 store-house, must necessarily be very variable, from the 

 the state of the roads, the distance, &c. But supposing 

 that the fields are at a suitable distance from the manufac- 

 . tory, and that a three horse wagon will load from thirty 

 hundred to two tons, and costs two dollars a-day to the farm- 

 er ; then the carriage of an acre of roots will cost about 

 three dollars, which may be considered an average in 

 France, The leaves remain on the soil, and are estimated 

 to be equivalent to a light manuring. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



PRESERVATION OF THE BEETS. 



The preservation of the beets for four or five months, is 

 necessarily an indispensable condition to the success of the 

 sugar manufactory, and it is also one of the operations 

 which requires the closest attention. 



If the beet could be managed in the same way, the cane 

 is, i. e. manufactured as it is taken from the field, there 

 would be no difficulty ; but such is not the case. The beets 

 must, as we have seen, be gathered in September or Octo- 

 ber, and preserved till January or February. This import- 

 ant object is best effected by avoiding the stowing of them in 

 4 



