200 



In France, far many years past, the production of beet-root 

 sugar has been rapidly increasing, in spite of a gradual reduction 

 of the protection ^vhich it enjoyed against colonial and foreigTk 

 sugar, until it has reached a quantity of 60,000 tons, or fully one 

 half of the entire consu.mption. Independent of the refined sugar 

 exported under dra^vback, the consumption of France may be now 

 estimated at 120,000 tons, of which 60,000 tons are of beet-root, 

 50,000 tons of French colonial, and 10,000 tons at the outside of 

 foreign sugar. The beet-root and the French colonial sugars are 

 now placed on the same footing as regards duty, and a law was 

 recently passed, subjecting beet-root su.gar, from the 1st of Ja- 

 nuary, 1S52, to even a higher duty than French colonial sugar, 

 Nevertheless, it is admitted that the manufacture of beet-root 

 sugar is highly profitable aud rapidly increasing, so that it is likely 

 in a very short time to exclude foreign sugar firom French con- 

 sumption altogether. 



In Belgium, the production of beet-root sugar is also rapidly 

 increasing ; in 1851 the entire consumption of sugar was 

 estimated at 14,000 tons, of which 7,000 tons were of beet-root, 

 and 7,000 tons of foreign cane sugar. The number of beet-root 

 factories to supply that quantity was ttfenty-two, but this number 

 has already increased in the present year to forty. Many of these 

 will be but imperfectly at work diu'ing this season, but it is esti- 

 mated that of the entii'e consumption of 14,000 tons, at least 

 10,000 tons will consist of beet-root, and only 4,000 tons of foreign 

 cane sugar. And from present appearances the manufactme of 

 beet-root is likely to increase so much as to constitute nearly the 

 entire consumption. So lately as 1848 and 1849 the production 

 of beet-root sugar was only 4,500 tons. 



In Austria, the consumption of sugar in 1841 was 40,000 tons, 

 of which 8,000 tons were of beet-root, and 32,000 tons of foreign 

 cane sugar. But the production of beet-root has increased so fast that 

 it is estimated to produce in the present year 15,000 tons ; and as 

 no increase has taken place in the entire consumption, the portion 

 of foreign cane sugar required in the present vear will be reduced 

 from 32,000 tons to 25,000 tons. 



The following information, with regard to the state of the ma- 

 nufacture of beet-root sugar on the Continent last year, has been 

 furnished by Mr. C. J. Eamsay, of Trinidad. 



" My first start was for Paris, where I remained a week, procuring tlie ne- 

 cessary letters of introduction, to enable me to see some of the sugar works in 

 the provinces. "WTiilst there I called upon Messrs. Cail and Co., the principal 

 machine makers in France, mentioned the subject of my visit, and requested 

 their assistance. Kothing could have been more liberal than the way in which 

 they treated me. I was at once asked to look over their establishment and re- 

 quested to call the next day, when letters of introduction to their branch esta- 

 blishments at Valenciennes and Brussels would be ready for me. This I of 

 coui'se did, and received not only these letters but some others, to sugar manufac- 

 turers in the neighbourhood of Valenciennes. Thus provided, and with letters 

 from Mr. D'Eickthal,"a banker in Paris, to Mr. Dubranfaut, the chemist, to^'Mr. 

 Grar, a refiner of Valenciennes, to Mr. Melsens of Brussels, and to another 

 sugar maker near Valenciennes, whose name I forget, and who was the ouly 



