The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-23 00:00:00

FRENCH COMMERCE.

The demand from abroad for French produce, which is
steadily maintained, gives employment to a-multitude of
banes .a th3 ironworks in Paris and the neighbourhood.
is locomotives and railway carriages; Geneva,
Spain dernataa_
machinery; Russia, articles of wrought iron. The
:ess of the new buildings in
frost has impeded the prog
course of construction, bat other n:2 loyment is found for
e.nd it is said thatless chs-
the operatives engaged on them,
at this season
tress exists at present in Paris than is usual ,
of the year. The accounts received from the mea;ort state
that the markets are generally dull. The price of eotttan at
Havre on Saturday was firm at 225 f for Madras; Havana
sugar, 42f. The Nantes market is likewise quiet. There
were 10,000 bags of Brazilian sugar sold at Marseilles on
Saturday at 36f, and 100 casks of coffee iron Porto Rico at
1051. Smyrna cotton is quoted at Marseilles at 2051., and
Jumel, 3221. 60e.
The accounts from the agricultural districts represent' the
injury to the young wheat caused by the frost to be less than
was represented by interested parties. Some damage is
spoken of on the banks of the Loire, but the particulars have
not been received. There were few arrivals of corn ships at
Marseilles last week, and millers found it necessary to look
for a supply in the provicial markets on the Saone. The
price of wheat has risen from 50e to 75c the hectolitre in the
South of France, from Toulouse to Perpignan. Bordeaux
is well supplied with wheat, and the price is quoted at from
19f 50e to 20f the hectolitre of 80 kilogrammes. Flour is
in demand from 33f to 36f 50c the 100 kilogrammes. The
demand for flour for the English market having ceased at
Rouen, the price has fallen, and the article is quoted at
-from 45f to 45f 50c the sack of 159 kilogrammes. Thera
was a good supply of farmer's wheat in the Paris market
last week, but buyers found it difficult to obtain more than
a reduction of 50c the sack of 120 kilogrammes. There
were no sales of merchants' wheat effaCed. Oats, barley,
and rye were neglected. Bakers' flour, which was quoted
at from 491 to 531 the sack the preceding week, fell last
week to from 47f to 521. Flour of the six marks fell 53c

the sack. It was officially quotel on Saturday afternoon
at 51f the sack. The factors declared on Saturday 526 sacks
of flour, of which 178 of first quality sold for delivery with-
in 30 days at 471 to 47f 50c the sack.

The principal article of speculation in the Paris market
at present is sugar, and prices are again rising. Raw beet-
root sugar is quoted at 81f the 100 dilogrammes.
An idea may be formed of the importance of the beetroot
sugar manufacture in France from the fact that the beetroot
crop in the year 1862 produced 190,000,000 kilogrammes of
raw sugar. During the same period the beetroot distilleries
produced 40,000 pipes of alcohol of 100 degrees strength,
and 40,000 pipes of alcohol of molasses—in all 80,000
pipes, or about 500,000 hectolitres of alcohol. It required
77,000 hectares of land to produce these 193,000,000
kilogrammes of raw sugar. It requires 1,8')0 kilogrammes
of beetroot to produce 100 kilogrammes of raw sugar, or
about 24 metrical quintals per hectare (21 acres), It requires
30,000 hectares of land to produce 500,000 hectolitres of
alcohol. It requires 2,500 kilogrammes of beetroot to pro-
duce 100 litres of alcohol, It is supposed that last year there
were at least 110,000 hectares sown with beetroot, but I here
was a great deficiency in the produce in consequence of the
long continued dry weather. It is calculated that the last
crop will not produce more than from 90,000 to 100,000 kilo-
grammes of raw sugar, and from 30,000 to 35,000 pipes of
alcohol, or about 200,000 hectolitres at 100 degrees strength.
These figures explain at the same time the high price of
sugar and of alcohol, and the complaints of the growers of
beetroot. The last year's crop amounts scarcely to two-fifths
of an ordinary crop. To this first cause of the high price of
sugar must be added others, and among them the deficiency
of the crop in foreign countries, which is estimated at
350,000,000 kilogrammes. The dry weather, by reducing
the crop of beetroot cultivated in France by three-fifths, has
moreover inflicted a severe calamity on farmers. The loss
may be estimated from a report published by the Agricul-
tural Society of St. Quentin. It appears from that report
that previous to the cultivation of beetroot the arrondisse-
ment of St. Quentin did not produce more than 15 hectolitres
of wheat the hectare. Since then, in consequence of the culti-
vation of beetroot and the manure produced by feeding cattle
with the pulp, the ‘a heat produced has been doubled.
Previous to the establishment of sugar manufactories, the
arrondissement of St. Quentin possessed but few horned
cattle. At present it feeds tenfold more, and this increase
is entirely due to the nutritious quality of the refuse of the
sugar manufactories when used for feeding cattle for the
butcher's stall. Another revolution caused by the cultiva-
tion of beetroot is the substitution by farmers of oxen for
horses for field work. The consequence is that trailed
plough bullocks aro at present more valuable than stall. fed
oxen.

There are three varieties of beetroot grown in France.
The first is excellent as regards the fattening of cattle, but
it is very poor in saccharine matter. It is, consequently,
never planted except in places where there are neither sugar
manufactories nor distilleries. The yellow globe has been
recently introduced, and has displaced the first. It contains
more sugar and more mucilaginous substance. It is, how-
ever, more suitable for fattening cattle than for making
sugar, inasmuch as it contains a salt which prevents the
proper crystallisation of the sugar, and cannot be neutralised.
It is grown exclusively by farmers. The third variety,
which is the most admired by sugar manufacturers, is the
Silesian beetroot, better known by pasants as the sugar
beetroot. It is white or red, and it enters completely into the
earth. Sugar manufacturers prefer the roots which weigh
from 21b to 41b. The Silesian beetroot is said to be capable
of producing from 10 to 12 per cent of sugar. It contains less
mucilaginous principle and less acid than the yellow globe,
and the extraction of its saccharine matter is less difficult.
When the extraction of sugar from beetroot was first at-
tempted, manufacturers produced scarcely more than 1 or 2
per cent. of sugar capable of being crystallised. The machi-
nery for the extraction of sugar was then naturally imperfect.
At present from 5 to 6 per cent. is the average production.
A small quantity of boiled beetroot has produced 81 per cent.
It is expected that when further improvements are made in
machinery raw beetroot sugar may be sold at 11d the pound.
The demand for wine is becoming more brisk at Bercy.
and at the entrepot on the Quay St. Bernard. The retailers
in Paris, who sold largely during the Carnival, are now re-
plenishing their stock; they give the preference to the wines
of the South of France, which contain more alcohol. New
Bordeaux wine is likewise in demand for private families.
The following are the last prices :—Roussillon, 1862, 18
degrees, 42f to 45f the h.eotolitre—Narbonne (old), 38f to
40f—Montague, 1862, 28f to 301—Tavel (old), 32f to 351
Bordeaux, 1863, Ssf to 90f the cask of 22S litres—Cher, 75f
to SOf the cask of 250 litres, exclusive of the octroi duty.

The demand for wino is still moderate at Bordeaux.
Some small farmers, however, at St. Estephe have sold all
their last year's crop at from 350 f to GOOF the tun of 912
litres. Some purchases have likewise be ?n made in the Lower
Medoe at from 3501 to 400 f. The sales in the city are regu-
lated by the requirements of the consume's. Some tuns of
Narbonne of the last vintage were sold last week for mixing
at from 180 f to 225 f.

There is a better demand for wino at Nantes. Ordinary
is called for at 25f the barrel, and superior at 55f and 57f.
There was a large amount of business done in leather and
tallow at the great fair of Caen, which is held on the first
Monday in Lent. Ox and cow hides brought from 95f to
104 f the 100 kilogrammes, and sheepskins, unwashed, from
7f to 10f each; ox grease, for melting, from 90f to 1001 the
100 kilogrammes ; and mutton suet, 75f to 901.
The Director-General of Customs has addressed a circular
to the agents under his orders, dated Ist inst., instructing
'hem that a French factory has been established at Why-
` -n the western coast of Africa, which has lately become
F
the seat b.. a new Imperial Consular agency. Porto NUOYO,
another posh,, on the same coast, has been lately placed
under French pr, tection.
The Minister of I,lance has decided, after consulting
with his colleagues of the departments of the Marine and
of Commerce, and at the suggab'sion of the Director-General
of Customs, that palm and cocoa imported under the
French flag from Whydah and Porto IN ovo, shall enjo y the
benefit of the ordnance of May 16, 1865 regulating the
duties payable on produce arriving from the French estab-
lishments on the western coast of Africa.

HARDLY PROBABLE.—Those who have BtflL led
the position of the Royal Academy and the National
Gallery (says the Queen) will not bo much surpassed to
hear that Government is now proposing to give up the
whole of thenrafalgar-square building to the Royal
Academy, and send the National Gallery to a building to
be erected upon the site at Burlington-house. It is now
many years since the late Prince Consort developed his
favourite scheme of taking the National Gallery down to
Kensington, " The Boilers" were then his pet hobby, and
all the national collections (the British Museum included)
were to find their way down S.W., and become part of that
vast scheme for a Fine Art and Scientific University, over
which his Royal Highness and Messrs. Cole, Bilks and Red-
grave were to be the presiding geniuses. During Lord Derby's
last short tenure of office, en attempt was made to accede to the
Prince's wishes in this respect, but it was happily forbid den by
the House of Commons. Subsequently it was agreed that the
National Gallery was to occupy the whole of the building
in Trafalgar-square, which was to be adapted and re-
arranged for the purpose, and the Academy was to build for
itself a habitation upon a site to be granted to it for the pur-
pose in the gardens behind Burlington House. This seemed
all right enough, for the Academy has plenty of money to
build itself a house withal, and is so much of a private body
in its character, that to give it a site to build upon would be
treating it very handsomely. This plan was considered to be
settled upon, anti the Atha/mum went the length of an-
nouncing that plans had been adopted for the new Royal
Academy. But if these plans ever existed, they have never
since been taken from the drawer to which they were role.
gated. The Academy had net then, and has not now, any
idea of spending its money in such ti way. Its influence in
the Government has been sufficiently strong not only to
withstand the breath of hostile criticism with which it has
been assailed for y:lars, but even to better its position in
spite of it. It has quietly bided its time, whilst Govern-
ment was spending money upon the Trafalgar-square build-
ing with the pretence of kitting it for the reception of the
National Collections, and it now quietly steps forward to
reap the fruit of its long-suffering and indomitable patience.
More public, money is to be snout in providing a new
National Gallery in s. back street behind Piccadilly, and the
oyal Academy is to hold undivided possession of the im-
proved nest, in Which it has been so long performing the
Pal t of the cuckoo.

SECOND EDITION.

UN OFFICE, HALF-PAST 4 O'CLOCK.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

LINCOLN ItACES--lIIIS DAY.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
TRIAL STAKES.

Anglo-Saxon
Siva
Partisan ..
Nine ran. 3

lIITERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening,

The LO'3,D CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
five o'cloc k.