EXHIBITION OP 1868. 
467 
Such a product is in your reach in the sugar beet, the culture of which, and 
the manufacture of sugar, should grow up in the Northwest, in ten years time, 
to an extent sufficient to stop importations, and keep at home $40,000,000 we 
send abroad yearly for sugar. 
In France this great industry, starting into new life under the efforts of 
the great Napoleon—who resolved to counteract the British blockade, which 
had raised the price of sugar to a dollar a pound, [and offered premiums and 
imposed heavy tariffs on imported sugar—had no marked or rapid progress 
until 1818, but now can compete with cane sugar, and instead of wanting a 
tariff pays a largo sum in government taxes. 
From a report of the active and and able Commissioner of Agriculture, in 
Washington, Hon. Horace Capron, who is gaining much valuable information 
on this important subject, I learn that: 
‘’‘At the first of January, 1868, 8,173 refineries of beet root sugar were re¬ 
ported as in operation in Europe. 
“ The ioiedproduct in 1828, is stated to have been 7,000 tons ; in 1851, 180,000 
ons ; and in 1867 tJve enormous quantity oj tons, or 1,486,120,000jtioimcfe, 
tcorth $100,000,000, or about seven cents per pound.^' 
“ Sixteen years ago, France was able to manufacture half of her total con- 
^sumption of sugar, or 60,000 tons; and Belgium, consuming i4;000 fons, im- 
prrted, in 1851, but 4,000, tons. Germany, at the same date, produced 
43,000 tons; Austria 15,000, and Russia 35,000 tons, the latter country also 
importing, at that time, 50,000 tons of sugar in addition to the home 
products. The total manufacture of Europe, as stated above, has been almost 
quadrupled since thai date, and cane sugar in several of those states is now scarcely 
known, 
“The products of beets per acre is from fourteen to fifteen tons in France 
and Belgium. Enormous crops have occasionally been reported, 110 tons per 
acre in one instance. 
“A ton of beets yield about 100 pounds of raw sugar. At first the pro¬ 
portion of sugar obtained was but three per cent; it was increased to six, 
and even to seven and a half per cent. 
“The beet cake for feeding purposes, the molasses, alcohol and other 
products obtained, greatly increase the aggregate which makes the total 
value of this branch of industry. Beet sugar districts become so enriched 
that far greater amounts of the cereals and other products of agriculture are 
obtained than before beet factories were known. 
“ The growing of the beet requires rotation, as well as thorough culture 
and careful weeding. It would therefore be a boon of untold value to our 
wheat-producing districts of the West, which are decreasing year by year in 
returns for labor expended from these causes, and the additional neglect of 
stock growing. 
“A promising beginning in beet sugar making has been commenced in 
Chatsworth, Illinois, and fine samples of its sugar may be seen in the museum 
of this department. A history of this enterprise will hereafter be given. 
