INTRODUCTION. 



At the Ecole Centrale des Arts, Agriculture, et Man- 

 ufactures, Paris, the author took special interest in 

 chemical technology — the growth of the beet and the 

 manufacture of sugar being one of the subdivisions of 

 the subject — and he had the advantage of the advice 

 of Payen, and Dumas, as vrell as of other eminent 

 chemists. By these learned professors the importance 

 of this great agricultural industry was especially im- 

 pressed upon the minds of the students. 



During a residence of fourteen years in France and 

 Germany the most important beet-sugar establishments 

 were visited, where practical and theoretical information 

 was obtained with a view to future use ; and a determ- 

 ination was made to plant the seed on various soils, and 

 to ascertain the possibility of success in the United 

 States, for if such extraordinary results were reached 

 in Europe, why might they not be hei-e? On return- 

 ing to this country he corresponded extensively with 

 parties — principally farmers — who were interested in 

 the subject, and sent a printed form and circular to each, 

 giving details of the preparation of the soil, the sowing of 

 the seed, harvesting of the crop, etc. etc. These direc- 

 tions were generally followed when the cultivation 



