facturers of indigenous sugar, which none but immense fortunes could endure, and created, again, the belief that the manufacture of the beet-sugar could never come in competition with the colonial. This might have been the final catastrophe of the manufacture of the beet-sugar, had it not been for the efforts made to revive it again by some wealthy and enlightened manufacturers. These efforts, however, did not arise entirely from the patriotic desire to promote the welfare of France, (as now pretended,) but partly to prevent the loss of immense capitals invested in buildings, apparatus, farms, &c. Moreover, the manufacturers knew there was yet five or six per cent. more to gain by an improved operation. 2. The permission to export the colonial sugar direct to a foreign market. 3. A careful examination and investigation how the French colonial and beet-sugar manufactories can be equally taxed. The latest news from France states that the government came, finally, to the conclusion of an equal taxation upon the indigenous and colonial sugar, as may be seen from the following extract from a New York paper, (Morning Courier and New York Enquirer of December 18, 1838,) dated [By the Ville de Lyons] Paris, October 30, 1838. "A branch of industry, (the offspring of necessity under the empire,) the production of sugar from beet-root, has engaged much attention in France, and has been carried on with success, and to a vast extent. The natural consequence has been, that sugar, the produce of the French colonies, which is burdened with a very large duty on importation into France, was beaten out of the This it was that gave a new start to this favorite branch of industry; and chemistry, particularly adapted to improve the art and manufacture, assisted in simplifying the process, and discovered the mode of reviving animal charcoal so as to admit of its being repeatedly used, while the improved apparatus helped to economize labor and fuel; and all this, combined with a wonderful per-market. Appeals were made by the suffering severance, reduced the expenses of the fabrication, and enabled the old establishments to conti: nue in operation, even when the price of colonial sugar was very low. This created confidence and a rapid increase of establishments. The cultivation of the beet has had the most beneficial influence on agriculture; as, in the last year, more than eighty thousand acres of land were planted in beet, producing about one million of tons of this root; and, as generally rotations of four crops are adopted, it brought at least three million two hundred thousand acres of land under the highest cultivation. The following table shows the rapid increase of the manufactories, and the quantity produced, in France. In 1828 there were 103 manufactories, which Or 20,000 tons of beet-sugar. In Consump. of colon. sugar. 18.5 1831 1832 1835 67,542,792 Con. of beet-sugar. 4,000,000 fr. 10,000,000 15,000,000 30,000,000 colonists to the government, repeatedly, representing the distress into which they had fallen from this circumstance; the irremediable ruin that would necessarily fall upon them if the present tariff were maintained, and soliciting relief. After a variety of expedients to evade a decision on the point, the government has just come to the resolution of proposing to the chambers, (which are to meet on the 21th December,) to reduce the import duty on colonial sugar by 81 francs per cwt., which, with a precisely similar excise duty levied on the beet-root, or home-grown sugar, will, they say, suffice to re-open the market to the colonies." Such is the state and results of the indigenous sugar mnufacture in France. What is the progress of this branch of industry in the other parts of Europe? England, (the mother of colonies,) which was very much prejudiced against the manufacture of indigenous sugar, seems to see, in the adoption of it, the only means of improving the physical and moral condition of man in her colonies; and she has already overcome some of her prejudices, and has begun to establish manufactories. The following article, taken from the London Mechanics' Magazine of 1836, (No. 169,) will show its progress: "A refinery of sugar from the beet-root is being erected at Thames Bank, Chelsea, which, it is expected, will be in operation in about six weeks. In the vicinity of the metropolis, during the past summer, a great many acres of land have But, in the year 1336, France imported only been put into cultivation with the root, at Wands75,120 tons of colonial sugar-a diminution of worth and other places. The machinery will be 15,630 tons in one year; a quantum too large not principally on the plans of the vacuum-pans, and to alarm the proprietors of the sugar plantations a pure refined sugar will be produced from the in the French colonies, and particularly in Mar-juice by the first process of evaporation, after it tinique, who looked, some years ago, with an has simply undergone the process of discolorizaironical smile at the beet-sugar manufacturer. tion. Another part of the premises is appropriaThey, who have ridiculed and caricatured every improvement in this branch of industry, felt themselves forced to send, in 1835, Baron de Cools, with the following proposition of the French government, viz: demanding ted to the manufacture of coarse brown paper from the refuse, for which it is extensively used in France. In case the goverment do not interfere, and, by rendering the product excisable, retard or prohibit its manufacture, several individuals have 1. Diminution of the duties upon French colo- it in contemplation to establish refineries in differnial sugar of 50 per cent., and a proportional re-ent parts of the kingdom for purifying sugar, which - duction of duties upon the foreign colonial sugar. I may be produced in agricultural districts for do ing, defecation, clarifying, and evaporating were attended with difficulties, which it required a great length of time to subdue. The loss in manufacturing was enormous, as only from three to five parts of sugar were obtained from a hundred pounds of beets, instead of ten pounds, which are contained in the root. mestic or foreign_use. A refinery has lately | sirup underwent crystallization, which furnished been establised at Belfast, in the vicinity of which the raw sugar; and this then had to be refined town upwards of two hundred acres of land have before it could be admitted on our tables. been put in cultivation with the beet-root for the "Since its origin, the process of extracting the manufacture of sugar." sugar has always been the main point, but it has Russia, which adopts every useful improve-been modified and improved in the details; so ment in manufacture, has, in the southern depart- much so, that our manufacturers, who were ruinments, large manufactories of beet-sugar, by which ing themselves when the sugar was at six francs she expects to furnish some of the Asiatic mar- the pound, are becoming rich at the low price of kets with this article. So have Bohemia, Hun-20 sous per lb. At this time, the scraping, pressgary, Austria, and Switzerland large beet-sugar manufactories, in the most flourishing condition. The Germans, though the discoverers of the crystallizable sugar in the beet-root, until 1836 made very little progress in its manufacture. This is to be ascribed as well to the continual war with France, which checked every improvement, as to "With the assistence of chemical analysis, it the uncertainty of the business itself. The Germans, well aware and well informed of every im- was ascertained that this evil proceeded from the provement made abroad, never found it sufficiently presence of a certain quantity of acid, of divers lucrative to embark in it; but it seems that this na-coloring, mucilaginous, and gelatinous matters, tion which has given the world so many great and suspended in the juice. The presence of these important discoveries, was destined to bring its own mischievous substances injures the sugar, prevents discovery of the extraction of the sugar from the it from crystallizing, sometimes destroys it, and beet to perfection. This was accomplished by causes it to yield only poor molasses. To preMr. Schuetzenbach, of the Grand Duchy of Ba- vent these injurious effects, different agents have den. Schuetzenbach re-examined carefully Mark-been used, which were found more or less efficagraft's experiments, and found that the first experiment of this great chemist, made eighty-nine years ago, is the best method, when modified, to produce, with less labor and expense, eight pounds of white refined sugar out of 100 pounds of the raw beet-root. This improvement it is, which will, in a short space of time, exclude all the colonial sugar from the European market, as well as our own. This improvement, also, will change the condition of millions of men in the colonies. cious. Apparatus was constructed, which accelerated the manufacture, and diminished the time during which the sugar is in contact with these injurious substances; but the inquiry was never made whether it were possible to separate the sugar from those foreign bodies, or at least to neutralize or paralyze their destructive power, before the juice is extracted. "The new process, first alluded to, was discovered in the grand duchy of Baden, by Mr. Schuetzenbach, of Carlsruhe. The experiments introduced a method of manufacturing the sugar, which was adopted by several manufacturers on the right bank of the Rine, and which is already in vigorous operation. The opinion and judgment of a nation, jealous of every discovery or improvement made in other countries, and especially in this branch of industry, in which it has sacrificed millions of francs for its perfection, will serve as a proof of the importance "Like all ideas which are destined to accomof the new improvement. These new discoveries are detailed in an article which appeared in the plish revolutions in manufactures, as well as in Journal des Debats Politiques et Literaries, in politics, that which serves as the basis to the new Paris, dated the 16th July, 1838; by Michel Che-process is simple. The operation of drying the valier, viz: "It would seem that the spirit which was manifested in the days of the revolution, has been transferred from the political arena, and is exerting itself in that of industry. At this time, the manufacture of sugar from beets is on the point of undergoing a metamorphosis which, as it appears, will change all the condition of its existence, and extend its influence, not only to the consumption, but also to the production of that article. "Until now, a series of operations has been applied to the extracting of sugar from the beet, which, though simple enough in appearance, are in reality complicated and delicate; which demand not only a great number of intelligent and skilful workman, but also require considerable material to be operated upon; and which, again, consume costly articles, such as milk, blood, animal charcoal, &c. beets immediately after they are taken from the field, is now the first step in the process. By this operation, the mucilaginous matter, which is an integral part of the beet, losses the property of dissolving in water; this drying stops also the fermentation which takes place during the preservation of the beets in cellars or in the heap, and likewise prevents the formation of acids, which were created at the expense of the sugar, and which embarrassed the manufacture of beet-sugar. "When the beets are once dried, the sugar is easily obtained by mixing them with a small quantity of water, which produces a solution of sugar and a very small proportion of other bodies, and which, by the process of evaporation, gives at once a good product, which can be easily refined. "In a word, the elementary operation of the desiccation acts with the power of exorcism; it drives from the juice all injurious substances which were the former causes of evil in this manufacture. "In the former process the sugar-beet was scraped; the pulp pressed by means of an hy- "This fact being once understood, and duly draulic press. The juice so obtained, underwent verified by experiments on a large scale, it was defecation, or the separation of the albuminous then important to bring it to perfection by an easy and mucilaginous elements, and then the clarifica-practical manipulation. This is what the 'Societe tion and evaporation. Once concentrated, the la' Encouragement' is about to undertake, and VOL. VII-10 that with every chance of complete success. This is already much more than mere expectation, because the problems which it has proposed are already more than half solved, and the entire solution of them is scarcely a matter of doubt: so that the manufacture of the sugar from beets is about to be built on a new basis. horse power is sufficient to put it in operation. Such a machine, when at work every day for three months will cut one million killogrammes of beets, (about 1000 tons,) which would be a sufficient supply for a large manufactory. A kiln, about 10 feet by 9, and 9 feet high, dries, in 24 hours, 3000 pounds of beets, and consumes only 420 pounds of "The 'Societe d'Encouragement' have offered charcoal. Three such kilns would be sufficient to the following prizes for the promotion of this man-dry all the beets cut by one machine during twelve ufacture: "1. One of 4000 francs for the best process for the desiccation of the beets. "2. One of 4,000 francs for the best treatment of the dried beet for the extraction of the raw sugar. "3. One of 4,000 francs for the conversion of the raw into refined sugar, without taking it out of the mould. "4. One of 3,000 francs for an analysis of the beet root, &c. "5. One of 3,000 francs for the invention of a saccharometer, which should be constructed so as to be easily applied, and to have the property of showing immediately the quantity of crystallizable sugar contained in the fluid under trial. A contrivance of this kind, which would be a sure guide for the farmer, and for the workmen in manufactories, indicating to the former the proper time to collect his crop of beets, and to the latter, how to manage his operations, would be of immense value. When these five prizes are gained, the theoretical and practical renovation of the manufacture of beet-sugar will be radically accomplished in all its forms. "To the question, will this be effected? it may be safely answered that existing facts scarcely allow of the expression of a doubt that such will be the case. "The problem of the complete and rapid desiccation by an economical process has presented very formidable difficulties. This drying may be denominated the CORNER STONE of the new system; but this problem is far from being insolvable; on the contrary, it ought to be regarded as solved. "In one of the last sessions of the Societie d' Encouragement, Mr. Beyrand, of Marseilles, presented beets cut in slices, which were dried in eight minutes by the combined action of pressure and heat, effected by two cylinders, heated to one hundred degrees by steam. This result will appear more prodigious when we consider that 100 parts of beets contain 84 parts of water. hours. "In the manufactory of Mr. Schuetzenbach, the dry beets are reduced to a coarse powder, sprinkled over with lime, and stored away in casks. When the sugar is to be extracted, this coarse powder is mixed with water, which produces a liquor marking 21 degrees on the saccharometer; and when evaporated with Roth's apparatus, this liquor yields, without any other preparation at the first chrystallization, a raw sugar, known in commerce by the name of bonne quatrieme, which, after a second chrystallization, becomes a bonne commune The advantage of this new method is such, that the beets raised at Esslingen, in Germany, in 1837, (less rich in sugar than the preceding year,) yielded more than eight per cent. of chrystallyzable sugar, instead of five, which was the highest product by the old process; and, in the proportion as the gain on sugar increases, the expenses decrease; so much so, that eight pounds, now obtained, costs less than formerly four or five from 100 pounds of beets. "Two important points are then attained: first, how to dry the beet; and second, how to extract the sugar from it. "To refine the raw sugar, without taking it out from the moulds in which the syrup was placed to crystallize, and which always causes the loss of a considerable quantity of sugar, appears to be a question equally advanced. Recent experiments, on a large scale, show that raw sugar washed in moulds, with pressure, gives, in the short space of three days, a perfect refined article, which formerly required from two to three weeks to effect. "In regard to the analysis of the beet in its divers states of maturity, nothing has yet been attempted; but this is a task which chemists can at any time accomplish, and the prize held out for it will induce many a chemist to undertake it; and it will not be long before we know to what extent the constituent parts of the sugar-beet develop themselves simultaneously, and which is the most favorable moment for collecting them for the manufacture of sugar. "The beets, prepared after Mr. Beyrand's method, preserve all their sweetness. Mr. Schuet- "In regard to an exact saccharometer, of a simzenbach, of Baden, dries the beets by a slow pro-ple and practical construction, with the aid of cess, probably less perfect than Mr. Beyrand's me- which all manufacturers can accertain, to a fiftithod; but the result is already excellent, and fa-eth part, the richness of the saccharine matter in vors the application on a large scale. In the manufacture of Mr. Schuetzenbach, the beets are cut in small thin slices, and as soon as they come in contact with the air, they bend and roll up, and lose the property of sticking together, which gives the hot air of a kiln, (to which they are brought immediately after they are cut,) a free circulation in all directions round them. The temperature of these kilns is from 30 to 40 degrees Reaumur, (from 99.5 to 122 degrees Fahrenheat.) "Mr. Schuetzenbach's apparatus of desiccation is very economical. The machine for cutting the beets costs only from 400 to 500 francs, and half a beets, and of all other substances containing crystallizable sugar, the learned researches of a young chemist, M. Peligot, promise great success. Lime and barytes, have the property to combine with crystallizable sugar, and form together an insoluble composition, in which, nevertheless, the sugar does not alter, and is easily separated from it. In bringing this fact to a simple mechanical operation, no doubt is left that the quantity of sugar contained in beet sirup can be ascertained with the greatest nicety. "The proplems proposed by the Societe d' Encouragement are at this time almost solved. It formed, contain the sugar in its pure state, separated from the mucilage? These are questions as to the physiology of the beet, which were first suggested by Raspail, a French chemist, (in his work on the physiology of plants, Paris, 1837,) and he solved these important problems by the following microscopic experiments. "When a thin slice of the red beet-root is does not any longer propose to discover a new method, but only to perfect the processes which are already verified by an application on a large scale. Among the advantages which are derived from the renovation of the manufacture of the beet-sugar, is the extension of the culture of the beet-root; because it will be easy for every farmer to send his dry product to any market, far or near, as the weight of the raw beet is reduced, by the process of desiccation, to less than one-sixth part. brought under the focus of a microscope, it will The beet can now be raised any where, however be observed that the texture of the beet is formed distant from the manufactory; and, reciprocally, of hexagonal cells, transparent, and of a purple it is possible to establish manufactories in all parts color; these cells are crossed by white ones, four of France, to concentrate them in such places or five times longer than the purple cells; this where fuel is plenty and at a low price; whereas, tissue of white cells is crossed again by bundles at present, the manufacture is only possible close of opaque cylinders, of a gray color, through to a field, fertile enough to produce beets. Ano- which the spirals (elements generateurs) are obther important fact: 1,000 pounds of beets contain 100 pounds of sugar. The price of beets is about 12 francs; the expense of drying and extracting the sugar would not exceed 10 francs, (this is sufficiently proved by experiments;) making the total amount 22 france. Suppose that one-tenth of the sugar is lost, the manufacturer would have 90 pounds of sugar for 22 francs, or 100 pounds for From this it follows that the cells, naturally less than 25 francs. Allowing for small expen- purple, enclose the coloring matter and the mucises, &c., 50 per cent., the sugar (the refined su- lage, and the opaque cylinders the sugar in its gar of this country) could be delivered to the con-pure state. Thus the mucilage in the beet-root is sumer for 38 centimes, (or 74 cts.) per pound. served. "When a drop of acid (acide sulphurique albumineux, which has the property of coloring saccharine substances purple) is put on this thin slice, the colors change; the part which was purple turns yellowish, the long cells remain white, but the obaque cylinders become purple." separated by nature from the sugar, and mixed "This will create a revolution in the consump-during the manipulation, which caused all the diftion of sugar, as well as in the division of the brances of industry, over the whole globe; then instead of importing sugar from the southern regions it will be left for us to furnish them. "MICHEL CHEVALIER." Another proof of the practicability and great advantage of this improvement, is the enthusiasm with which it was adopted and put into operation by the Germans themselves, who are generally very careful and prudent in all their speculations. They have already established extensive manufactories on the Rhine. ficulties of the extraction in the old process, when the mucilage was combined with the sugar in grating, pressing, and even in defecation. To separate this five-tenths parts of mucilage which the beet contains, occasioned not only the loss of considerable sugar, but also labor, fuel, and costly material, as, for instance, animal charcoal, blood, &c. The new process acts entirely in conformity with the results of scientific investigation, and the whole process is reduced to a simple operation, which gives a sure gain of eight per cent. of white refined sugar from one hundred pounds of the raw beet-root. The importance of Mr. Schuetzenbach's discovery is best proved by chemical analysis and examThe beets are now cut in thin slices, dried beination of the physiology of plants. This analy-fore any fermentation can take place, ground to sis of the beet-root shows that 100 parts of the root contain— 86.3 parts of water, 3.2 parts fibrous matter, By the new process, the water in the beet is evaporated, and there remain only 13.7 parts of dry substance, which consists of the sugar, mucilage, and fibrous matter. The sugar dissolves in cold or warm water almost instantaneously. The mucilage is insoluble in water; when in a dry state, and mixed with water, it only swells to a slimy matter. The fibrous matter is insoluble, and has neither in the old nor new process any injurious influ ence. From this analysis, we learn that the mucilage is the only substance which causes all the difficulties of the extraction of sugar. The principal process consists, then, in the separation of the mucilage from the sugar. But is this mixture a work of nature, or the result of the manipulations? Or, does the cellular tissue, of which the beet-root is fine powder, so that all cells are broken apart, and mixed with water, which dissolves the sugar before the mucilage begins to swell. The pure uncolored liquor obtained is evaporated, and the sirup brought into moulds to crystallize. These statements should be considered as a suf ficient proof of the infallibility and practicability of the new improvement; and the introduction and general adoption of it in this country would be of the highest importance to the welfare of its population. Some enterprising citizens of the United States sent agents to France to investigate the manipulations of this branch of industry; but the results have yet effected very little, and the sugar produced from the beet in this country is of no great account, which arises probably from the want of skilful and intelligent operators in the former complicated manipulations. But, at present, in Europe, the manipulations are reduced to a process much simpler than brewing common table beer, which can be comprehended and performed by every person. The period is not distant, when farmers will produce their own sugar, or at least raise and dry the beet ready for the manufacturer. The general argument against the introduction | the 'Hanoverian Communicator,' 1837, gives the of this branch of industry, that labor is too high particulars, as follows: in the United States, is incorrect, when we consi- "A manufacturer in Hungary, for three years der the other great advantages which the United States have over every other country on the globe in almost every business, and especially in this branch of industry: 1st. The United States possess a climate which suits the beets better than any climate of Europe, because the summers are excessively warm, which increases the saccharine property of the beet-root. 2d. Plenty of cheap and rich land, subject to but a small tax. 3d. Inexhaustible stores of fuel, from which the great natural water-courses, rail-roads, and canals branch, over the whole union. past, has used pumpkins for the manufacture of sugar. We have seen raw and refined sugar, also sirup from this manufactory, and found the refined sugar equal to the colonial in every respect. The raw sugar is crystalline, coarse-grained, light-colored, and of more agreeable (melonlike) flavor than the common raw beet-sugar; the sirup is of a blackish-green color, and has also a melon-like flavor, but is suitable for consumption. The juice, obtained by pressure, yields, on an average, six per cent. of sugar. But the water-melon of the south of Hungary is still more productive than the pumpkin of the north. The sugar ob4th. Well-constructed labor-saving machines of tained from the pumpkin is always considerable, all descriptions. whether the fruit has been raised on rich or poor 5th. An intelligent population, which, when land. The manipulation is said to be more simonce acquainted with this branch of industry, will ple than the manufactory of beet-sugar, and resoon bring it to great perfection—a population un-quires less attention, as the pulp and the juice may derstanding the use and management of machine- stand for three weeks without getting sour or losry, and famous for improvements and inventions. ing any quantity of sugar. The juice, during the Whereas, in Europe, the land is over-taxed, high process of evaporation, does not rise in the boilin price, and therefore the interest upon it consi-ers, and is not so liable to be burnt. The residuderable; subject to tithes and other feudal bur- um is very good food for cattle. One acre prodens, while the fuel is scarce and valuable, and duces 650 cwt. of pumpkins; twenty pumpkins its transportation high and slow. The population yield sufficient seed for one acre of ground. From are entirely unacquainted with labor-saving ma- the remaining seed a very good table oil of about chines, and possess very little mechanical inge-16 per cent. can be obtained. nuity, while their enterprise is prohibited by the excise laws of their petty governments. It is obvious that America overbalances with its advantages, the low prices of labor in Europe; and that she is able, not only to provide herself with all the sugar wanted for home consumption, but also to supply other countries. "MARQUARDT.” Indian corn, at the period of tasselling, yields just half as much sugar as the sugar-cane; and it is astonishing that this well known fact did not induce persons to plant corn especially for that purpose. To make use of green corn and pumpkins proThe sugar now produced in Louisiana, averages fitably, and to improve the crop of beet in quality only about four and a half pounds per head for the and quantity, the following plan is, therefore sugpopulation of the United States, or about 70,000,-gested, which would keep a manufactory in ope000 pounds annually, which is but a small part of ration all the year round : our consumption, as enormous sums are yearly We know that the beet requires a deep soil, paid to foreign countries for sugar, as the follow-sufficiently provided with decomposed manure, as ing table shows, viz: 1832, imported into the U. States, $2,933,688 1833, do. 1834, do. do. do. do. 4,752,343 5,537,829 1835, do. do. 6,806,184 1836, do. 12,514,551 This sum will annually increase in proportion as the population augments and their comforts and means improve. when planted in green manure they yield much less sugar, and the operation is rendered more difficult; to prepare the field properly for the beet, it should be well manured, (no matter in what state the manure may be applied,) ploughed, and planted in corn and pumpkins, and worked regularly as long as the pumkins leave room for the horse-hoe. When the corn begins to form the tassel, it should be cut off, and the sugar extractBy the adoption of this new branch of indus-ed from it. The pumpkin has then all the influtry, the sums at present paid for imported sugar, ence of the sun to come to full maturity, and would be in a short time a clear gain to the coun- should be used, when ripe, for sugar. The foltry: its agriculture would be improved, and thou-lowing year the field would be in first-rate order sands of acres of exhausted and deteriorated land for the beet, and the following rotation of crops, would be again taken up and improved. To procure the necessary manure for this purpose, the farmer would be obliged to increase his live-stock, which would find, during the winter season, plenty of food in the residuum of the manufacture. would increase the consumption of sugar among the less wealthy class, and would make their condition of life more comfortable, and, of consequence, greatly extend the population of the country. Jt The manufacture of sugar is not confined to the beet and cane only. In Hungary, there are at present, manufactories which make sugar from pumpkins. The following article, translated from viz: Indian-corn and pumpkins, with manure, Beets, Barley, Clover, for sugar, |