Mathieu de Dombasle (1777-1843) was a French agronomist. He was one of the first French farmers to grow beetroots to producer sugar, until he went bankrupt. He invented the Dombasle plough, and he established a
model farm
A demonstration farm, or model farm, is a farm which is used primarily to research or demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by educational instit ...
in
Roville-devant-Bayon. He was the author of many books about agriculture.
Early life
Mathieu de Dombasle was born on 26 February 1777 in
Nancy, France
Nancy ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Nanzisch'' is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the northeastern Departments of France, French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It was the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, which was Lorraine and Barrois, an ...
.
He served in the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
.
Career
De Dombasle grew
beetroot
The beetroot is the taproot portion of a beet plant, usually known in North America as beets while the vegetable is referred to as beetroot in British English, and also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet, dinner beet or golden beet ...
s in Monplaisir near Nancy to produce sugar as early as 1809.
He was one of the first farmers to grow beetroots for this purpose in France.
Five years later, in 1814, he went bankrupt, as the new tariffs made sugarcane more profitable.
He subsequently wrote several essays about sugar.
De Dombasle invented the "Dombasle plough," based on the works of
Albrecht Thaer
Albrecht Daniel Thaer (; 14 May 1752 – 26 October 1828) was a German agronomist and a supporter of the humus theory for plant nutrition.
Biography Family and early life
Albrecht Daniel Thaer was born in Celle, a neat little town in Hanov ...
.
He organized agrarian fairs, where he demonstrated the plough.
De Dombasle was the co-founder of the ''Société centrale d’agriculture'' with
Antoine Bertier
Antoine Bertier (1761–1854) was a French landowner and politician.
Early life
Antoine Bertier was born on 24 September 1761 in Nancy, France. He was educated in Hamburg, Germany.
Career
Bertier made a fortune in Saint-Domingue. He returned to ...
, and he served as its founding president from 1820 to 1825.
Meanwhile, the two men established a
model farm
A demonstration farm, or model farm, is a farm which is used primarily to research or demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by educational instit ...
in
Roville-devant-Bayon in 1821-1822.
De Dombasle became an Officer of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
.
Death and legacy
De Dombasle died on 27 December 1843 in Nancy, France.
His grandson,
Charles de Meixmoron de Dombasle, who became a painter, edited three of his books and published them posthumously in 1861-1862.
Works
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Further reading
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dombasle, Mathieu de
1777 births
1843 deaths
Scientists from Nancy, France
French agronomists
French non-fiction writers
Officers of the Legion of Honour