THE CULTIVATOR. 
19 
to nourishment by cattle, than the beet itself.* It is very useful for 
fattening cattle, and more so for sheep, and when fed to cows it in¬ 
creases the quantity of milk; and we may even obtain from it, by dry¬ 
ing or preserving it in cisterns, one of the best substances as a pro- 
vender for domestic animals. 2d. The albuminous, and slightly al¬ 
kaline scum, which forms an excellent manure for lands. 3d. The 
molasses, the use of which is not limited to furnishing the raw ma¬ 
terial to the distilleries, the manufactories of tobacco, and of white 
lead, but furnishes at the same time a wholesome aliment for cattle, 
and a condiment, or seasoning 1 , which is the more useful, as the salts 
drawn from the soil, where they are injurious, seem to give a heal¬ 
thy excitement to the digestive powers of animals. 
The production of domestic sugar is then one of the most fruitful 
sources of prosperity for France. Already we owe to it the gradu¬ 
al reduction of the price of this commodity; when the price of that 
from the English colonies has just risen in consequence probably of 
their legislation, and the change in the condition of the slaves. 
Our annual consumption, actually amounting to 10U millions of 
kilogrammes,! is not equivalent to the half of that of an equal num¬ 
ber of individuals in England, Germany, Switzerland, or Italy;— 
This consumption is in a good degree interdicted to the poorer 
classes, only by the high price of the sugar; active competition, 
and better management of the beets, are of themselves sufficient 
gradually to increase this consumption in connection with the gene¬ 
ral welfare. Besides, the manufacture of domestic sugar will not 
exist isolated; it will protect divers other branches of industry; 
the preparation of lime ; the manufacture of animal charcoal; works 
of metallurgy; the construction of steam engines; the manufacture 
of cloth, of casks, and as many other mechanic arts;—we have 
said nothing of the results, now less perceived, but not less real', 
and still more important, which will evidently follow from the ex¬ 
tension of a work that calls for intelligence among the uninformed, 
and too often idle population of the country. Such as the physical 
and intellectual improvements, the communication of elementary 
knowledge, the reading of publications on agriculture and manufac¬ 
tures, and the general comfort. In order that the manufacture of 
sugar from beets may realize all the good we have a right to ex¬ 
pect from it, it is necessary that it becomes general without delay, 
not only in those great centres of production, which are to supply 
commerce and the refineries, but also that it be introduced among 
the small cultivators, and thus causing the consumption to extend 
even to the cottage of the poor. It is with this design that the Roy¬ 
al and Central Society of Agriculture makes an appeal to the en¬ 
lightened patriotism of persons familiar with the operations of our 
manufactories of domestic sugar. 
We can already cite several examples of small manufactories un¬ 
dertaken by farmers. For instance a land holder in Limagne and 
Auvergne, has succeeded in extracting from 50 to 75 kilogrammes, 
110 to 165 lbs. of raw sugar per day, with very simple utensils, at 
the same time that he increased the feedTor his cows, and the ma¬ 
nure for his lands. There are in the department of the north, se¬ 
veral small manufactories conducted by the workmen on the farm, 
and several associations of farmers have obtained advantageous re¬ 
sults in the neighborhood of Valenciennes, Toulouse, Limoges, and 
Nismes. Besides, it is well known that farmers have found great ad¬ 
vantages in associating to carry on their manufacture of cheese, wine, 
cider, &c. 
An example worthy of imitation has been given long since by two 
members of your commission. It consists in an exchange of the 
beet crop for raw sugar, between the agriculturist and the manufac¬ 
turer.! 
In order to instruct those who wish to engage in this branch of 
industry, and who have not practised the manipulations, we will 
give a short description of the most simple processes, insisting on 
those points which competitors must endeavor further to simplify, 
and bring to perfection. 
We remark in the first place, that all light, arable lands, not too 
stony, generally free from excess of humidity, or the other extreme 
* In many places the graziers find a profit in buying the pressed pulp at a 
price superior to that of an equal weight of the entire beets, 
t The kilogramme is equivalent to 2 1-5 lbs. avoirdupois.— TV. 
f In 1813 Mr. Darblay exchanged his beets for raw sugar, which was ex¬ 
tracted from them in a manufactory situated at Vaugirard near Paris, under the 
direction of Mr. Payen. The sugar was directly applied to ordinary con¬ 
sumption. 
of excessive drought, are suitable to the culture of the beet, pro¬ 
vided also, they are free from saline impregnations, as is the case in 
some countries, especially in certain marshes that have been drain¬ 
ed, or filled up with earth, or manured with materials containing 
salt petre, or beach sand; moreover an attempt at cultivating even 
these soils, may often be proper in order to obtain one of the best 
roots, to be used as food for cattle, and for extracting the saline mat¬ 
ter from the soil, especially as in these soils, the crops are generally 
very abundant. 
Finally, the society would rejoice to see some one engaged in as¬ 
certaining, more precisely than has been done, the influence of cer¬ 
tain proportions of soluble salts on the quantity of sugar contained 
in beets, and especially on that which may be extracted from them 
under similar circumstances. 
Variety or choice of beets. —The white (called the) Silesian beet, 
appears generally to deserve the preference ; but some varieties with 
long tapering roots, such as the yellow beet of Castelnaudery, would 
perhaps be better adapted to loose and deep soils. It would be espe¬ 
cially desirable to ascertain the products of these varieties, compar¬ 
ed with that of others, particularly in our southern departments, 
where manufactories of indigenous sugar are beginning to mul- 
^The pulling of the roots. —It is important to perform this opera¬ 
tion with care, and so as to avoid as much as possible bruising the 
roots; we should also seize a favorable opportunity, lest the rains, 
and finally the frosts, should make it almost impracticable, at least in 
certain localities, where the earth soon becomes saturated with wa¬ 
ter, and very tenacious. Several economical modes of uprooting 
(arrachage) have been proposed. A decision in favor of the most 
preferable mode, regarding the nature of the soil, would be a useful 
result, the communication of which would interest the Royal Socie¬ 
ty of Agriculture. 
Storing or housing the roots. —It is also important to commence in 
ood season, the working of the beets; for instance, as soon as they 
ave attained to maturity, or even a few days before, and as fast as 
they are taken out of the ground, m order to avoid that spontaneous 
change, which greatly diminishes the proportion of sugar to be ex¬ 
tracted from them. It is always necessary to s tore a great portion 
of the crop, in a convenient place near the manufactory. Trenches 
or ditches in the earth, of from three to five feet in width, and the 
same depth, answer very well; these are filled with beets having 
their leaves and tops cut off. They are covered with a coat of com¬ 
pact earth, of from twelve to eighteen inches thick, and at equal dis¬ 
tances of six feet is implanted a small fascine or bundle of brush, of 
about six inches in diameter, to make a vent for the heat, which is 
ordinarily extricated from the buried roots, and which would cause 
all the roots to spoil. Several kinds of trenches, of different depths, 
but of sufficient extent, have been tried; lately the flues of the 
trenches have been improved, by extending them even to the bottom, 
where they communicate with a gutter, running the whole length of 
the trench, under the beets. It is desirable that trials should be 
made that would show the comparative merits of these different me¬ 
thods. 
Extraction of the juice. —Until the present day the most conveni¬ 
ent means consists in the employment of a rasp or grater with strong 
teeth; the cylinder of which ought to make from 600 to 900 revo¬ 
lutions in a minute; its plates ought to be easily taken off and re¬ 
placed. If the grater is moved by machinery, the man who holds 
the beets, may have his place supplied by a mechanical contrivance, 
(pousseur) provided that the roots have not been grown on a stony 
soil. 
Several mechaniciens furnish these utensils of a proper construc¬ 
tion, and no doubt they may be still further improved and simplified. 
The presses with iron, as well as wooden screws, are of simple and 
cheap construction, and seem to be well adapted to their use. Com¬ 
petitors should always examine whether other arrangements would 
not be more economical or more effectual. 
In the manufactory already alluded to, a jack similar to those used 
by wagoners and stone-cutters, was suspended from a beam and 
served for pressing the scum, which was put on a tray placed on the 
edge of the clarifying boiler. A similar contrivance might be used 
for pressing the pulp, at least as an experiment, to avoid unneces¬ 
sary expense in the small manufactories which are now in progress 
of erection. 
Competitors might try a process, which seems at first sight much 
more economical, that is maceration. But hitherto the success o 
