THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland. September 22, 1853.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 124, 22 September 1853, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland. September 22, 1853.

We are delighted to be enabled to lay before our native readers the following particulars relative to the establishment of a Beet-Sugar Manufactory in New Zealand. This very important piece of information has been furnished in the pages of the Melbourne newspaper, the Argus of the 11th o f August last: — One of the most feasible, and at the same ime publicly beneficial undertakings we ever heard of has just been described to us. The proposition is ingenious, well founded, and business like. It is this:—A gentleman, long connected with an extensive beet sugar manufactory in Ireland, has determined to commence a similar undertaking in New Zealand: getting machinery of the most improved construction front Europe, and instructing Hie Maories in the cultivation of the root. Any nnc in ihe least acquainted with gardening or farming operations in Australia, must know how freely and luxuriantly Ihe beet grows here , and]in the genial, but more humid, clime of New Zealand, its success, we are quiic certain, will be still more remarkable. The Maori employed in such pursuits as this, is a regular and industrious workman bis labour is very cheap, rich land is plentiful ; a:id the pig, which he worships as devoutly as the Irishman, will luxuriate upon ihe rich refuse which such an establishment will pour forth in profusion. The gentleman undertaking the formation of this establishment is practically accqtiainted witli every branch of the business, from the sowing of the seed to ihe last refining process of the hi.if-sugar J and tlin article wliiili lie prepares is bright, and clear, and as beautifully crystallised as any sugar wcevor saw, as anyone may see who chooses to inspect a sample left at our office. The Company in Ireland pays very handsome dividends, in spite of being" taxed lo the extent of KM. per ton of their product. How splendid a field is opened, then, in supplying an untaxed article lo these wealthy colonics; with wild land, fine climate, and cheap labour in lavish abundance! The calculations of the projector arc consequently of so flatlcringa nature, as would charm the hcarlof the veriest money-grubber amongst us. To ourselves, the proposition is chiefly agreeable as afi'ordin(; an opportunity of a vast slop towards civilization, to the New Zealandcrs; one of the. most interesting races in the world. We like boldness of conception, originality, and vigour; wc like to sec the full development of the various good gifts which Providence has so showered upon us, if we choose to enjoy them in a reverent and thankful spirit; but more than all, we like tosec opportunity afforded to a noble nation, toslride foiwardin the common race; and forgetting their ancient barbarisms of idolatry, war, and cannibalism, lo glide, through the benign agencies of agriculture and commerce, into art enlightened, industrious, and christian people. We have always thought highly of the future position of New Zealand, ;> ud it is such things as these that tend to lengthen our impression. The establishment is to be founded by a joinfsioek company; a considerable portion of the shares o'" which will bo taken by Ihe licet Sugar Company in Ireland, and large sums have

been already invested in Melbourne. All further information will, wo nre sure, be readily furnished by ilie gentleman concerned, wlio is :i Mr. Sullivan, mid lias an office at M'Cormack's in liourke-atreet. The foregoing statement, it will be seen, is precise in all particulars. The name of the projector is given. The quality of the Sugar he has produced elsewhere has been publicly exhibited. Shares in the New Zealand Sugar Factory arc affirmed lo have been taken by the Irish licet Sugar Company, —a company which has been most successful in its operations. And large sums of money have been invested by Ihu wealthy of Melbourne lo establish a similar branch of richly productive industry in llic fertile, congenial, soil of New Zealand. This is, indeed, no ordinary intelligence. No project could be belter conceived for remunerating the capitalists embarking in it; nor could any measure be devised so certain lo extend the civilization and colonization of New Zealand; or lo exali her agricultural and commercial interests lo the highest statu of prosperity. Willi respect lo Mr. Sullivan and his fellow projectors, it may suffice, perhaps, lo say, that in no country in llic world can the culture of the beet root be carrie,! on more successfully (if equally so) than here. Its product, in ti") limited cultivation yet introduced, is 01 .he very lincst description in quality, and or the most gratifying amount in quantity : and we have no hesitation in affirming that with reference to Hie native labour required for ils cultivation, he will liud ample assistance from a docile and intelligent race who only need lo have a matter of practical advantage to themselves and their country clearly pointed out, lo become dilligent, energetic, and practical workmen. There never was any scheme so fraught with prosperity to llic country and its inhabitants, presented for their consideration as this. It will pour riches into their lap a thousand fold mort! easy and unfailing of acquisition than all the golden valleys of Australia or California can produce. Not only will agriculture be promoted in a manner beyond all possibility of belief; but pastoral pursuits will, likewise, experience an equally beneficial impetus. And whilst an abundant supply of that first and most indispensable of all commercial commodities —Sugar—cannot fail to be largely produced and profitably disposed of, the refuse from this Sugar factories will be or llic utmost consequence lo Hie fattening of every inscription of slock : and, in so far, materially instrumental to placing New Zealand in the position, which she must ere long command, and which she is just beginning lo developc, that of the linesl Provision Country of the Southern Ocean. Our Native readers must, wc think, perceive thai, Willi Hie establishment of a licet Sugar Manufactory, their prosperity and position in ihe Scale or Nations is largely identified ; and thai it will, therefore, be to their own particular advantage to afford every aid and facility to its immediate and prospcrouscomnieiiceiueiit. There are two points, on which wo deem it incumbent lo say a few words in elucidation or this subject-.—Sugar and ils production :—llecl Hoot, and its cultivation. Sugar is a commodity as universally known as appreciated. It is derived from a variety or vegetable substances, such as the Cane, the Maple, nee, the licet Root, Honey, Grapes, and numerous others. By far llic largest produce is extracted Horn the Cane, which is cultivated extensively in the East and West Indies, llic Brazils, Manila, Ihe Isles of frame and llourbon, and many other tropical lauds. The sugar cann is a

- long jointed root, growing from seven to twenty feet in height, and very like in its general appearance to a large rend. It is propagated from callings. The shoots are annually cut, the syrup, or juice from which ,he Sugar is made, being contained in the pith between those joints. The cane when ripe is carried to a mill where it is crushed . and (he juice heing drawn off is passed from one boiler to anolhsr, until it has been sufficiently evaporated to become sugar,—the crushed husks of the cane sufficing for fuel to boil the vessels. Of the scum taken from the several boilers, mingled with molasses, which arc the drawings of the raw or newly manufactured sugar, the spirit called Ruin is obtained. In addition to this much i of the refuse of the cane, usually termed ! Trash, is applied lo the feeding of oxen, | '. 'vgs, and oilier animals. licet Hoot, the vegetable of more inline- j diate, because available, interest lo our , readers, is one well known lo every farmer, and largely cultivated in almost every | country of Europe. From White licet the French prepare sugar. For this purpose, the roots are boiled as soon as they are taken from the earth, When cold they arc sliced, and the • juiccprcsscd out, mid evaporated lolliocoiisis- , tencc of syrup. The sugar is then obtained from the syrup by crystallization. 110 lbs. . weight of the roots yield 71.\ lbs. of juice, , which, on further evaporation, afford more ; than i'i lbs. of brown sugar; and these by a : subsequent operation, produce -i lbs. of i well grained while sugar. The residuani, I together with the syrup or molsscsd which I remain, produce, after distillation, o\ quails > of rectified spirit, somewhat similar lo rum. Ilcelrool Sugar is the lines! that can be made, I both to the eye and palate. | There are few crops so valuable fur winter ] food for cattle as the beet. It is said that cows fed entirely on beet become too fat and give less milk; but this would be no objection to cow keepers who unite the fattening of their cows with the milking, and like to have them ready for the butcher as soon as they are nearly dry. The White Ileet is the one that has been chiefly cultivated for Hie extraction of sugar from its juice. It is smaller than ihe mangel-wurzel and more compact, and appears in its texture lo bo more like the Swedish turnip. The beet-sugar manufacture sprang up in France in consequence o' Bounaparle's scheme for destroying the colonial prosperity of (treat llriiain, by excluding British Colonial produce. In Iloheinia, where the population issinall, there arc about ninety lieet-Sugar Factories, and all in full and profitable employment. In France, about thirteen years since, there were COO Ilcot-sugar Factories. In 1830 there were but 100 factories, which produced 5000 ions of sugar, estimated lo be worth 00!. per ton, or 500,000/. The number of factories has since greatly in. creased. The profit was reckoned to yield I 'il. per acre. ..The Heel, says a well informed writer, is ihe same plant which is in England, called mangel-wurzel; the white variety being considered the most productive of sugar. Beet sugar has latterly been most successfully manufactured in Hclgiuni. And, in Ireland, where it has more recently been introduced it has relumed a most satisfactory profit to all concerned. Here, then, we have an invaluable agricultural and commercial source of wealth pro- .. miscd to be transplanted lo New Zealand, 'probably the finest of all coiiuiries for the culture of the root, the inexpensive maiiu-

faclurc, (by means of abundant water power to work the machinery) of its staple, its ready means of shipment from almost every locality, and an ample market in every surrounding colony. These arc incalculable advantages both to the grower of the raw material, and the manufacturer of the commercial product. We trust sincerely, for the benefit of both parlies, that the projected undertaking may bo speedily commenced ; convinced that none is more certain to reward the projector's skill or to insure the advancement of this fine and fertile country. Many of our agriculturists have ample practical experience of the highly successful culture of the Heel or Mangel-wurzel in this Province. Might we venture, in promotion of the establishment of Beet-sugar Factories among us, to request the favour of a state inent of a few authentic details?