The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-18 00:00:00

BEET-SUGAR.

aonfohthomere
theMTrineleasirodn thehas smubajdeect
He states that Mr. Duncan has thoroughly succeeded
in the trial he has made. lle has. been. seconded
some Suffolk farmers, who supplied
-grown-isoungatro.
white Silesian beet, which is the most approved
edo _
for its sugar-producing qualities. In consequencer_f_
some inevitable drawbacks the result of the eap
has
him with
‘t,hye_
ment this season is not profitable,. but. enough.e
sod
been done to spew that there is nothing th
being r
ng carried
and climate of that part of England to prevent
sugar-beet culture and manufacture
farms f
o
out with the same success as on the sugar -a
Pclgium and the North of France. Mr. Duncan has
received. 800 tons of sup;Ar-beet from the farmers,
Lb gtuttli of 1000, for whioh ho has paid at tho
rate of 20s. a ton. He has entered into engagement
to pay the same price this year, and with a
favourable season expects to receive. 4,000 tons.
Mr. Caird observes that this is not a work to be
entered on by a novice, for great chemical : n 1 engi-
neering skill must be employed in the processes and
machinery. The introduction of sugar-farming into
this country may become an object of national
importance both as regards consumer and producer,
and as a new rural manufacture it will afford em-
ployment to a large body of people during three
months of the slackest period of the year.
The analysis skews that beet grown in England and
Scotland contains more sugar than that of Belgium,
whereits manufacture is successfully carried on. The
best beetroot was grown on the Barking Sewage
Farm, which is watered by the London drainage. It
therefore aappearsthat, in addition to yielding the best
corn, the finest strawberries, and the most beautiful
flowers, the refuse from our drains will produce the
sweetest sugar,

A PLUCKY POLICEMAN.
A sergeant of police, Mason by name, has just per-
formed one of the most plucky actions ever heard of.
He was riding along a country road in Middlesex
one night, when he came on two ruffians driving a
cart full of what he had good reason to believe
was stolen property. He was unarmed, but he
dashed at them, only to find himself con-
fronted by two more ruffians who had been
concealed among the goods. These he held, and,
after a terrible struggle, lashed fast to the cart—the
first two escaping. While duty made the policeman
brave to heroism, conscience made cowards of the
thieves, and thus a large quantity of valuable plate
was recovered. Mason has received two money
rewards, no end of compliments, and promotion.
Col. Henderson, who has just issued his address on
becoming Chief Commissioner, asking the police to
support him in his new duties, has received trolll
Mason at all events a very satisfactory reply.'

INDIAN TELEGRAPHS.
The prospect of competition seems to have stirred
the managery of the present line of telegraph to
India into something like efficiency. Messrs. Leo
Schuster. and Co. write that on February 15, at
11.35 a.m., they sent a telegram to Calcutta, and that
at 6.50 p.m. of the same day they received a reply
answering their message in detail. Thus, in less than
71 hours, 12,000 miles of ground were traversed,
which is nearly twig' as fast as the earth travels
round the sun.

FOREIGN NOTES.