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MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES

53. BETA vulgaris. I have noticed this plant before, both as to its
culinary uses and for feeding cattle: but having received a
communication from a friend of mine who resides in the interior of
Russia, relative to his establishment for extracting sugar from this
root, I cannot omit relating it here, as it appears to be an interesting
part of agricultural oeconomy.

"I have here two extensive fabrics for the purpose of making sugar from
the Red Beet, and we find that it yields us that useful article in great
abundance; i. e. from every quarter of the root (eight bushels
Winchester measure) I obtain ten pounds weight of good brown sugar; and
this when refined produces us four pounds of the finest clarified lump
sugar, and the molasses yield good brandy on distillation. This is not
all; for while we are now working the article the cows are stall-fed on
the refuse from the vats after mashing; and those animals give us milk
in abundance, and the butter we are making is equal to any that is made
in the summer, when those animals are foraging our best meads."--
Dashkoff, in the government of Orel, 1500 miles from St. Petersburgh,
Jan 7, 1816.

The above account, which is so extremely flattering, may no doubt lead
persons to imagine that the culture of the beet for the same purpose in
this country might be found to answer: and as it is our aim in this
little work to give the best information on these subjects without
prejudice, I shall beg leave to make use of the following observation,
which is not my own, but one that was made on this subject by a Russian
gentleman, whom I have long had the honour of enumerating among my best
friends; and who is not less distinguished for his application both to
the arts and oeconomy, than he is for his professional duties, and his
readiness at all times to communicate information for the general good.

"The land where the Beet is grown is of an excellent quality, very deep
and fertile, and such as will grow any crop for a series of years
without manure. Such soils are seldom found in this country but what may
be cultivated to more advantage. In such land, and such alone, will this
vegetable imbibe a large quantity of the saccharine fluid; for it would
be in vain to look for it in such Beet roots as have been grown on poor
land made rich by dint of manure.

"It may also be a circumstance worth remarking, that although the sugar
th