230 
STATE AGKICULTUEAL SOCIETT. 
with but few exceptions, this industry has attained all that can be attained. 
The manufactories are numerous throughout the whole department; each 
commune has three or four establishments," and in some places the smoke from 
the chimneys of sixteen or seventeen factories can be seen on the horizon.’' 
The following abstract from an ai'ticle published during the 
exhibition shows in a striking manner the inrportance which 
this industry has attained in some of the districts of France : * 
“ Official returns show that the arrondissement of Valenciennes produced 
from 1864 to 1866, 161,096,670 kilograms of molasses, and from 1863 to 1866, 
963,620 hectoliters of alcohol. During the same period the sugar factories 
consumed nearly six millards of kilograms of beets, a large part of which was 
produced in the neighboring districts and sent here to be manufactured. 
The immense plantations of this arrondissement, which formerly sent the 
whole crop to the sugar factories, now send a large part of it to the distil¬ 
leries, and the great factories and refineries are forced to call upon the 
neighboring arrondissements for the supply necessary to keep their works in 
operation. This, however, does not seem to have affected the manufacture 
of sugar, for the arrondissement of Valenciennes has exported during the 
last eight years nearly fifteen millions of raw sugar. 
“This district contains sixty-four factories which furnish occupation during 
the winter season, when no other employment can be obtained, to 7,000 
men, 2,760 women, and 2,670 children of both sexes. The wages paid to 
these operatives for the one hundred and twenty^days’ work, which is the 
length of the sugar-making season, amounts to 3,260,000 francs. If to this 
amount is added the sum of 800,000 francs paid for agricultural labor, the 
sura of four million francs is reached, which is paid as wages in this industry 
annually. The sugar factories produce annually 6,261,000 kilograms of 
molasses, and 24,990,000 kilograms of pulp. They make use of numerous 
steam engines whose aggregate power amounts to one thousand horses. 
Finally, this industry has, during the last ten years, paid for local taxes the 
sum of 80,000 francs, while all the other industries of the ai rondissement 
combined have contributed less than 90,000 francs.” 
In those departments into which the cultivation of the beet 
and the manufacture of sugar have been lately introduced, the 
newest processes and best machinery are to be seen. The size 
and productive power of the factories have generally been in¬ 
creased, and the average production, which in 1836 was 90,000 
kilograms per each factory, at the present time has reached as 
high as 500,000 kilograms, and .in some cases, that of the 
largest establishments, 1,500,000 kilograms. The amount of 
^Exposition Illuetree, Vol. II, p. 28. 
