80 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
day by cutting his fodder, besides “ an increase of six gallons of 
milk per day from his thirty-five cows,” and “likewise something 
for the improvement of the condition of his whole stock.” 
The trustees seem wisely determined to make provision for the 
next generation, in articles of the first necessity, wood and timber, 
by encouraging the planting of forest trees. They offer premiums 
amounting to $240, for the greatest number of oak, locust, larch, 
white ash and chesnut trees, raised from seed on an acre, the num¬ 
ber in each case not to be less than a thousand. They also offer 
premiums amounting $80, for the greatest plantation of mulberry 
trees; and also premiums for the best specimens of silk produced 
in the county. Massachusetts is giving substantial proofs of the 
utility of patronizing her agricultural societies, which New-York 
does not, or will not, understand. 
Saxon Sheep. —E. C. Marsh, Esq. of Cayuga, an extensive wool 
grower and wool dealer, washes us to record his testimony in favor 
of the excellence of the Saxon Merinos. He states that he has 100 
Saxons, which he has reared from ten ewes, from Mr. Grove’s flock; 
that they have had the same fare as his Spanish, or old fashioned 
Merinos; and that his Saxons are hardier and healthier than his 
Merinos. 
Summer Drink. —We repeat our recommendation to farmers, to 
try oat-meal and water as a summer drink, in the hay and harvest 
field. It is grateful, w T holesome and nourishing, without a single bad 
property. Put two or three table-spoonfuls of the meal into a three- 
pint pitcher, fill up the pitcher with water, let it stand fifteen minutes, 
and it is fit for use. N. B. “ When taken to be icell shaken.” 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
ON THE MANUFACTURE OF BEET SUGAR IN THE U. S. 
Paris, April 15, 1836. 
My Dear Sir —A long space of time has elapsed since my last 
communication to the State Agricultural Society. Meanwhile I 
have not had a moment out of mind the promise I made in it to re¬ 
sume the pen as soon as I should have something worthy of being 
recommended to their attention. It is long since I have been con¬ 
vinced of the vital importance for France of raising the beet root 
and manufacturing it into sugar. Some time after my last arrival 
in the United States, some of my friends wanted me to encourage it 
in America; one of them, chiefly, who had seen my successful 
establishment at my estate in France, and who knew I had received 
from the French government the gold medal offered for the best 
making of the beet sugar; but I could not recommend it for the 
United States, when I had witnessed how few had succeeded in this 
country, even during the reign of Napoleon, when sugar was four 
times the price it is now. Indeed, after that time the working of 
the beet sugar was entirely given up in Europe, except in France, 
where even I was almost the only one who would not give up so 
easily the hope of the great advantages that discovery was to offer 
one day or another, to a great part of the world. The benevolent 
monarch who succeeded the great emperor, was soon persuaded 
that there would be a great benefit for France in encouraging this 
new branch of agricultural industry. However, ndthing more was 
found necessary to accomplish the object than a simple honorable 
reward for the most successful; for if the making of beet sugar was 
really useful, it would soon be proved by the benefits the manufac¬ 
turers would make. The price of sugar had fallen more than one- 
half, and many persons who had invested great capitals in the un¬ 
dertaking, met with very serious losses. However, several continu¬ 
ed, and new improvements were keeping pace with, and even over-. 
balanced the disadvantages of the constant lowering in the price of 
sugar. But, sir, I could not give any encouragement in the United 
States to similar undertakings before the improvements in the manu¬ 
facturing of beet sugar were made. I am persuaded that it would 
have been the cause of complete failure in the attempts made by 
any one till very lately, though it has given great profit to some 
great establishments in France for a few years past. This I will 
demonstrate-when I enter into more detail. 
For the present moment, what I have said above will be sufficient 
to answer the double purpose of justifying my reserve upon this, so 
interesting subject, and deserving at the same time the confidence 
I wish to attain now, when I recommend the cultivation in the 
United States of the sugar beet, without any further hesitation, 
for the purpose of manufacturing it into sugar. I am convinced that 
it will be a very advantageous agricultural pursuit in all parts of the 
United States, and chiefly in the middle and northern states. The 
great difference in the price of labor between France and America, 
which in the account of profit and loss, has produced a balance 
against the United States in the contemplation of this operation, is 
now overbalanced by the new discoveries and improvements in the 
fabrication of the beet sugar. To them, add in favor of the United 
States, the cheapness of the soil for the cultivation of the beet, and 
of the fuel for manufacturing the sugar. Those advantages are to 
be found in all the new states, and some considerable parts of Penn¬ 
sylvania and New-York. There, also, they will have on their side, 
in uncommon abundance, the fine water powers, which more than 
any tiling else remedy the difference in the price of handwork be¬ 
tween Europe and America. 
But, sir, while I was admiring here, in the splendid establishments 
of this new industry, their fine machinery and their improved chemi¬ 
cal processes, I was lamenting that the small proprietor or the far¬ 
mer could not employ directly his produce by manufacturing him¬ 
self. I am but just now perfectly satisfied that he can do it, and 
that with very inconsiderable expense, and without hiring any help t ; 
but simply with that of his family. I will quote the particular in¬ 
stance of a farmer in the north of France, (near Valenciennes,) who 
has received a medal from the Royal and Central Agricultural So¬ 
ciety, for having established on his farm one of the first small beet 
sugar manufactories, where he makes daily, without any assistance, 
but that of his family, 100 pounds of sugar fit for family use without 
further preparation. The whole house room consecrated to that 
purpose, is a room 16 feet square, and a cabinet 10 feet by 12. 
Now, sir, you can undoubtedly appreciate at once all the advantages 
that a farmer can reap in cultivating and manufacturing the sugar 
beet. It will be greater yet for those who have, as in the north of 
Pennsylvania and New-York, the maple sugar. The making of beet 
sugar may begin in October, and end commonly in March; it is just 
at the moment when the maple sugar is more commonly made ; so 
that the same implements will answer for both manufactures, and 
the farmer will have employ for his family during the months when 
they have most leisure. 
The Royal and Central Agricultural Society have just offered se¬ 
veral handsome premiums, for whoever will communicate within 
thisjyear the best methods for manufacturing the beet sugar on small 
farms. This has given me the idea of not waiting for my arrival in 
America, for recommending immediately the cultivation of the beet, 
so that experiments may be made this fall and winter, by employing’ 
some of the best systems discovered here, and such as the inventive 
genius of Americans will not fail to discover. 
I remain, my dear sir, with sincere regard, yours, 
LE RAY DE CHAUMONT. 
Hon. Jesse Buel. 
P. S. I should have liked to add some notes upon silk and mul¬ 
berries ; but Mr. Tallmadge, with whom I am going to-morrow to 
see one of the largest establishments in France, will publish some¬ 
thing upon the subject. If beet seed enough cannot be procured, a 
pretty large quantity will be found at Messrs. De Launay, Burgy &. 
Co. in N. Y. 
SAXON SHEEP AS HARDY AS MERINO OR NATIVE SHEEP. 
Mr Buel—Dear Sir —In your May number of the Cultivator, I 
find a piece over the signature of G. T., on the relative properties 
of the Merino and Saxon sheep, and believing as I do, the wool 
growing business of vast importance to those districts fitted by na¬ 
ture for sheep, and having been for more than twenty years in the 
practice of keeping a small flock, and the different characteristics 
given of the two lands varying so much from my ow T n experience, 
that I feel called upon to state to the public, through your valuable 
paper, my knowledge of the two rival breeds. In the fall of 1815, I 
commenced with the Merino sheep, by the purchase of a full buck 
with native ewes, and run my flock up as fast as I could, with full 
bucks and a few full ewes, until 1829, when I sent to the east, and 
received twenty-five Saxons of choice selection, and from that time 
till the present, have been pushing into the pure Saxon as fast as 
possible for one with limited means. My flock is not now purely 
Saxon, but nearly so, consisting of 230. And, sir, from all I can d.s- 
cover, my present stock are as hardy as it has ever been; I have 
never housed nor grained any but lambs and some few invalids, ex¬ 
cept in the time of lambing, when my ewes are sheltered every 
