Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-09-24
SUGAR FROM BETS.

we are nearthy gao 10 perceive tnat ell
forts are making to call the attention of the
public to the subject of sugar from the beet,
and we hope 1t will not be lost sight Of until
some well conducted experiments shall have
fully tested in this country its practicability
and its profit. For ourselves, we know of
no new branch Of industry that promises
more beneficial results, or handsomer re-
to capital and labor in the north
ern states, than sugar making from beets. We
shall give few reasons for this belief.
First-experience has proved, that the cir
mate and the soil Of the northern and middle !
states is admirably adapted to the growth
and perfection of the beet root. All the var
ieties of the beet succeed, and crops are pro- !!
duced which are rarely equalled in the old /
world. From 80 to IS tons per acre, have
been grown, both in Pennsylvania and in |
Massachusetts,. Indeed, there are few if any
crops more certain than that of the beet. The !
culture is easy and the labor of gatheringi
them trif1ing when compared with some 9TH
|ers.
Secondly-Making sugar from beets is
comparatively a recent process and therefore
the probability of improvement in the manu-
facturc, and an increase Of product is far
lgreater now than if the attention of chemists
land practical men had for a century been di.
Irected to 1t. Sugar from beets was first made
IN Shesia some thirty years since, but seems
not to have been thought of, until the CONT
mental wars between France and England.
the latter swept the marine of the former
from the ocean, and France in order to Sc
cure a partial supply of this necessary article,
was compelled to resort to the beet in $40.
The manufacture under the scientific skill
OF CAPITAL, and the careful superintendence of
Mr.. lsnard, rapidly progressed in the wears
1871 and 1912, but after the fall of Napoleon.
ut languished under the sway of the Bourbons.
who seemed to despise it for its imperial ORR
Ign. The manufacture, however, kept silent
ly spreading, and the quantity produced last
I year IN France, was estimated at sixty mil.
lions ofpounds. During the first years of the
! manufacture, the quantity of sugar produced
. was not more than five or six per cent, and
several days were consumed in the process.
Now the average estimate Of the product is
ten per cent. of white fine grained sugar. and
, the process has been shortened to eight hours.
There IS no reason to suppose the manufac.
ture has reached the limit of produce, or IA
, clllty of making, and it is not the characte,
/ OF New England industry or skill to SUITE,
improvements from abroad 20 retrograde.
p, Ihirdly-Much of the present agricultural
capital OF the northern states is EMPLOYED in
feeding cattle; and large quantities Of roots
II either Of the turnip or beet kind, are annual
~ raised for this very purpose. In France
t it IS found that the value Of the roots is bu
J., little impaired for feeding by the grinding ane
: extraction of the juice; hence, # under nre
y sent circumstances there IS profit of growing
beet roots for cattle. that profit must be mucf
}. advanced when the sugar made from thu
same roots, is taken into the account. Ir
|. France, large numbers of cattle are fattenet
at the sugar manufactures during the tim,
/ they are IN operation, and both the beef ant
J. milk thus produced is found to be of goot
;, quality.
e For these reasons, and more which nigh
e De adddced were 1t necessary, such as tn,
ameiiorating qualities Of the root culture. an,
n the uniform fertility of the soil where il ha
3 been adopted, wether in France or in Eng
e land, and the consequent increase and valu
OF the alternating crops, we think this subiec
should not be lost sight Of We much ones
ton whether the culture Of silk holds on
Q greater advantages in every respect. tina,
d does the cultivation of the beet for sugar
b. That the Chinese mulberry can with satet,
le De calculated on for silk growers in our north
ID ern ATTITUDES, the results of the last white
a. seem to render rather problematical, whi
p. there Is no more doubt respecting the s,,c
cess OF the beet, than there IS of the notatoe
The only question would seem to be. will tn,
product, pay the expense Of working.
Mr.. lsnard, who was one of the frst ,o ,
r-ldopt the culture and superintend the mann,
'e facture in France, is clearly of the opinion
D. that capital invested in the business will "a,
e from thirty to sixty per cent. Should tn
a. result show that only one half of the loves
IS sum was realized as clear profit, itneeds n,
rs argument to show, that few agricultural ope
'e rat'ons yield so large a dividend.
:. =. The sugar beet IS a great bearer, and crop
n n as large as those of mangle wurtzel may a
:, east De calculated upon. From some papers
Puo,shed by Mr.. Powell Of PENNSYLVANIA. am
= Mr. LATHE OF Massachusetts on the cu!tur
~ l.. ue hange' wurtzel and the sugar beet,
OF appears that both these gentlemen had nro
II duced crops Of the beet root. vorv,no e. ~
as thirty to thirty-fve tons per acre. Re- i'm
improvements In the manufacture of the suoa