INTRODUCTION. 



A NEW and most important source of wealth and prosperi- 

 ty has prevailed within a few years in Europe, and more 

 particularly in France, which bids fair to render that coun- 

 try entirely independent of all foreign supplies for one of 

 the essential articles of its consumption. Early in this 

 century, some remarkable experiments of the Prussian 

 Chymist Margraff on the Beet Root, induced Achard, 

 another man of science, to found in Silesia a manufactory 

 of Sugar from this plant on an extensive scale ; his suc- 

 cess induced the establishment of others of the like nature 

 in the same Province, and in 1811 this new branch of In- 

 dustry made its way into France under the special patron- 

 age of the Imperial Government and to all appearance per- 

 ished with it ; the general impression seemed to be, that it 

 was a hollow dream, induced by the extreme rigor with 

 which Napoleon's continental system was enforced, and 

 must vanish as soon as those restrictions were removed. 

 But these anticipations, founded on a superficial view of 

 things, have been abundantly refuted by the event; a few 

 of the most substantial manufacturers were able to weath- 

 er the storm for some years, whilst the process of extract- 

 ing the sugar was gradually improving; their persever- 

 ance under the most disheartening discouragements was 

 crowned with success, and encouraged new undertakings 

 until at the present day we find the number to exceed four 

 hundred, and this year from 60 to 80 millions of pounds 

 of sugar will be supplied to France, the product of her 



