200 



MAKING SUGAR FROM BEET-ROOT. 



in the ground, with its edge placed a little below the surface, which 

 received all the juice coming from the frame in therfirst instance, as 

 well as that flowing from the press when at work. .Although not 

 more than four pieces of beet-root could be placed against the rape 

 at a time, yet so awkwardly was the whole machinery put together, 

 that it required the united strength of four able-bodied Englishmen 

 (the only persons equal to the task), to keep it in motion, and they 

 were obliged to be relieved every twelve or fifteen minutes. These 

 men were paid 18 sous (9d.) per day each, and, there being thirty- 

 two of them employed in this part of the work alone, it will be seen 

 that the mere manual labour cost 28 francs 16 sous, or 24s. per day, 

 to do that which, with proper arrangements, could be done by two 

 ordinarily good horses. Besides, this calculation does not include a 

 certain portion of spirits per day for each man. Well, a sufficient 

 quantity having been ground to fill the press, it was set at work by 

 the application of a long pole, placed in the eye of the screw, and 

 here again nothing but manual labour was applied. The tank 

 having been nearly filled with juice, it was allowed to settle for a 

 few hours, after which the vitriol, milk, lime, and chalk, were added, 

 and after being well mixed up, it was allowed to rest until about 

 four o'clock in the morning, when it was placed in a large 

 boiler and a large fire set at work. As the juice heated and ap- 

 proached to a simmering boil, it threw up considerable quantities of 

 scum and mud, which was carefully removed and placed in vessels 

 appropriated for that purpose. After boiling for some time, it was 

 tried by a pese liqueur (areometer), and when found fit, the fire was re- 

 moved from the boiler, and the liquid having been allowed time to set- 

 tle, it was carefully drawn off by a cock, and placed in two large, long, 

 but shallow coppers, under which a gentle fire was made ; the impure 

 part remaining in the copper was then taken away and placed in the 

 casks with the scum and mud already mentioned. The liquid was 

 again boiled until it was ascertained by the pcse-liqueur that it was in 

 a state to be removed, the fire was reduced, it was drawn off, and 

 placed in large tubs of fifty or sixty gallons each, where it was allowed 

 to remain eight or ten days, by the end of which time it had all the 

 thickness and sweetness of honey, but it was darker in colour. This 

 syrop, as it was called, was then removed into tin pans of about two 

 feet in length by eighteen inches wide, and four inches deep, two 

 gallons and a half being put into each pan. There was a large room, 

 called a floor, without any scutellage save from the door, which was 

 furnished with stoves. In this room was fixed a frame extending not 

 only nearly from side to side and end to end, but also reaching to 

 the ceiling, and open on all sides and ends like the frame of a chest of 

 drawers which was open erery way. In this frame tiers of these 

 pans were placed both in the centre, on all sides, and up to the top, 

 and the stoves being heated to the utmost, the room was closed for 

 forty-eight hours, continual supply of fuel being kept up during that 

 period. At the end of two days the fires were abated, and time 

 being given for the fire to cool, so that the heat could be borne, 

 men were sent in for the purpose of examining each ,pan, and 

 breaking with a small hammer the crust which had grown upon the 



