Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-08-26
From the Silk Culturist.
BEET SUGAR,


they can make as much sugar, and Of as
good quality, from an acre of land in New
England in beet, as a planter can from an
acre in the West Indies in cane; yet such
is the fact, as established by the most accu.
rate experiments. In our last number we
made copious extracts from the correspon.
,dence of Mr. Pcdder, the agent of the Su
gar Beet Sucieiy Of Philadelphia, showing
its practicaoilhy in this country. and urging
its introduction as great national object.
We have since seen several specimens Of
sugar. manufactured by him and sent home
for exhibition, which will not suffer in COM
parson with the best West India or New
Orleans sugar in market.
From the letters Of Mr. Pedder. il NAV
be inferred, that the process of extracting
sugar from the root is an expensive opera
lion, requiring the aid of complex aud costly
machinery, and an investment of cupi,al be
yond he means ordinary farmers; but such
is neither the fact, nor the idea he ms to
communicate. 1t is true in the large sugar
establishments in France, expensive ma
chinery and fixtures are employed, which
doubtless facilitate their operations. and
yield liberal return for the money invest.
ed in their construction but they are not
indispensable to The successful pursuit OF
the business, or even adapted 10 the cir
cUmsiancee and wants Of farmer who
merely manufactures his own sugar. Farm
establishments are already in profitable op-
Grafton in France, and the Royal and Cen
trail Society OF Agriculture have offered
premiums for models Of the most simple
and cheap machinery for the use of small
farmers. A silver medal has been award
ed to M. Jean Joseph Lecerf of Vaencien
mes, of the department oflhe North. This
gentleman is The farmer referred to by Nj
Pedder, as "a curious man residing in one
of the back streets, who had made sugar
with machinery of his own invention, and
almost BY the labor Of his own hands"
The committee, in awarding the prem.
um to M. Lecerf, thus speak Of him and
his factory:
"A farmer on n small scale, Jean JOSEPH
Lecerf) of Onnaing, reimbursement o.
Valenciennes, department of the North
has anticipated this appeal. 10 he build
ings Of his farm he has established his fac
tory, which is composed Of but two de.
partmeDis one of them seventeen feet
square, the Other seven feet square, Eng
lish.) His machinery for fabrlcating i.
list. OF rasp turned with crank b,
hand-2nd, of q hand press, (bolh Of wood
Sd. three small iron kettles, each ont
sufficient 10 contain twenty-five to thirty
five gallons 5,h, three fIterers, of tn,
same capacity as the kettles.
''ln the other apartment are two kettle
Of copper, of about the capacity Of twenty
gallons cach-one used for evaporation, tn
other for crys,allzing. 10 the same small
apartment are ranged moulds for the re
cepiion OF the sugar. The price of al
these fixtures or apparatus is not aoov
one hundred and seventy five dollars.
"The manufacture ofbrown sugar at thi
establishment is fifty Kilograms, or on
hundred and ten pounds of brown sugar pc
day.
IN. Lecerf, who possesses only the lit
lie property where his works are located
devoles himselfto it with the aid of hi
family alone /; and far from desiring I,
make mystery of his instruments and TIT
process, he is eager 10 communicate then
TO his coun'rymen The sugar which come
from this factory has been, by one Of TIT
most celebrated refners, M. Lebaudy, &C,
know lodged to be Of perfect quality"
From the foregoing it will be seen tina
every farmer may, with irlflng expense
furnish himself with the necessary machine
~ for manufacturing his own sugar. Blu
though ii may be practicable, yet it may
not be desirable, at present, for every far
mer to attempt it. There is some LITTLE
expense attending the construction of su
gar works, even on a small scale, which
every farmer may not wish to incur, ant
there is also degree of skill which they
may not be disposed to acquire until ,hel
have more confidence in the success ant
profit of a new project. The best method
therefore, to introduce this new branch o
business, is for companies to erect suga
works in towns and villages, at conve MEN
distances from each other, and purchase @
the farmers their crop Of bcets as they ar
gathered in The field. Most farmers wi
cultivate the root, if they are assured Of