West Indies with
great advantage, and that by employing the proper means to prevent
fermentation the sun's heat would be quite sufficient to dry the
cane slices.

Mr. Dubranfaut and Mr. Rouseau's processes are patented in England.
The terms for the use of the former would, I was told, be made so
moderate, as to offer no obstruction to its being used in the
colonies. What Mr. Rouseau's terms are I could not learn.

There are now 288 works making beet root sugar in France, and over
30 in Belgium. The same manufacture is rapidly spreading in Germany
and Russia, and is now being introduced in Italy. Whilst at
Valenciennes, I learned that two English gentlemen had just preceded
me in visiting the works in that neighbourhood, mentioning that they
had in view introducing the beet root sugar manufacture in Ireland.

The sugar crop of France was last year over 60,000,000 of
kilogrammes (60,000 tons). For two years _Belgium has been
exporting_ to the Mediterranean. One maker told me that he had last
year exported a considerable part of his crop. It would therefore
appear, that even beet root sugar can compete in _other than the
producing country_ with the sugar of the tropics--a most significant
hint that, unless the cane can be made to yield more and better
sugar than is now generally got from it, there is some risk of its
being ultimately beaten by the beet root, the cultivation of which
is now carried on with so much profit that new works are springing
up every year, in almost every country of the continent.

In going through the French works, I made inquiries as to how far
the procede Melsens had been adopted, and was everywhere told it was
a total failure. I, however, determined to see Mr. Melsens and judge
for myself how far it might be applicable to the cane, even if a
failure with regard to the beet root. I, therefore, went on to
Brussels, enclosed my letters of introduction and card, and received
in return a note, appointing to meet me next morning. I found him
one of the best and most obliging of men. He immediately offered to
go over some experiments on beet root juice with me at his
laboratory, where I accordingly spent the greater part of two days
with him, and went over a variety of experiments; and from what I
saw and assisted in doing, I feel strongly inclined to think