90 
Beet-root Distillery. 
The distribution of tlie 1 86 French distilleries is such as to prove that 
the cultivation of root-crops is rapidly extending all over France, and 
is no longer confined to the northern districts. Distilleries now exist in 
46 departments, 20 of which belong to the central and southern 
regions. 
Of the above-mentioned 204 distilleries — 
54 were established in 1854 
48 „ 1855 
28 „ 1856 
74 „ 1857 
204 
In 1858, owing to the extremely low price of alcohol, there were 
only 2 distilleries established ; but this year there are about 20 more 
in course of construction. 
Norwood, June, 1859. 
For the following particulars of an English experience on this 
subject we are indebted to Mr. Henry Hibberd, of Braydon House, 
Minety, Wiltshire. It will be seen that though they do not corre- 
spond entirely with the results of beet-root distillation in France, 
yet that they are much more encouraging than the analyses 
given above would have led us to expect. The main facts are, 
that during the winter of 1857-8, 7000 gallons of proof spirit 
were distilled from rather more than 700 tons of mangold-wurzel, 
averaging, therefore, nearly ten gallons per ton, and that during 
some weeks the produce exceeded thirteen gallons per ton ; that 
the slices, after fermentation and distillation, amounted to 60 
per cent, of the original roots, and were saleable at 10*. per 
ton for feeding purposes ; that the spirit was not worth more 
than one shilling per gallon, owing to the impossibility of 
separating from it an acrid essential oil which made it unfit 
for drinking purposes ; and that, owing to this difficulty, and 
the impossibility of reaching the market price of good neutral 
spirit, then worth Is. IQd. to 25. per gallon, the experiment 
entailed a loss. 
The method adopted was tliat of Loplay, in which the fer- 
mentation is carried on in the sliced root, and the spirit is sepa- 
rated by super-heated steam passed through the mass in closed 
vessels. The "cossets" of residual material, removed from these 
vessels after the process of distillation is completed, are thrown 
together in a heap, and remain unaltered and fit for food after the 
lapse of months. In this resj)cct Leplay's method is believed 
to be superior to that of Chainjxmnois ; the residual matter, after 
his process, being extremely liable to further fermentation ending 
in putrefaction, and therefore needing to be immediately con- 
sumed. 
