MICHIGAN BEET SUGAR IN 1900. 399 



ance for adlieiinj; diit and insunicient leinoval of the ciowns of the 

 beet, is largely left in the hands of the weijjhman, and must depend upon 

 his honesty and jjood jud<inient. But this is a matter which is open 

 to the direct ins])ection of the farmers, and any p:reat injustice would 

 soon receive attention from the jtarties interested. 



2. ;Marc. or the deduction to be made from the amount of sugar 

 found in the beet juice to offset the non-saccharine solids in the beet in 

 order to determine the actual amount of sugar in the beets, is a subject 

 demanding careful consideration. The determination of the marc does 

 not come directly under the observation of the farmers, and they must 

 take it on trust. It is a matter easily slurred over, and the farmer 

 may be defrauded to an extent he little suspects. 



The marc adopted for sugar beets by the Chemical Division of the 

 Department of Agriculture is 5 per cent, and chemists generally agree 

 with Dr. Wiley. The exiimination of sugar beets in this chemical 

 laboratory gives almost identically the same factor. The students 

 in our beet sugar class this season have examined this subject carefully. 

 The results were not entirely satisfactory, because the beets used had 

 been stored five months in a cellar, were somewhat wilted, and there- 

 fore gave too large a per cent for marc. The average results of many 

 analyses reported by seven of these students are as follows: 



White 5.30% Marc. 



Skinner 5.06% 



Bauer 5.80% 



■c " 

 ■c " 



McKinuey 5.57% 



Hargrave 5.58% '' 



Doolev 5.75% '' 



Westover 5.20% '' 



Average of all 5.4G%, " 



Making allowance for the partially dried condition of these beets, it 

 would seem that 5% marc for these beets, as they come from the soil, 

 would be ample. 



One of our senior class chose ''The Composition of Sugar Beets" as 

 the subject for his graduating thesis, using beets that had likewise been 

 stored for several months. In thirty-three separate determinations the 

 marc was found to be 5.45%. The marc, by Pellet's method (ten sam- 

 j)les), was 4.08%. In all these trials water was used to remove the 

 sugar from the pulped beet. 



In extracting the sugar by the alcoholic method he found the process 

 less satisfactory. ]>e('ause the sugar was not entii-ely removed by the 

 alcohol, a sensible ipiantity of suirar remaining in the residue, from 

 which water readily removed sugar by washing. In manufacturing, 

 the sugar is not extracted from the beets by alcohol, but entirely by 

 water. It would seem rensonnble that the detei'mination of the marc 

 should also be nuide by water and not by alcohol. 



A factory may arbitrarily select a marc to suit itself, quite different 

 from that of the chemist. Instead of a marc of 5%, if he adopts a marc 

 largely in excess. ;iiid the fanner is without notice of this severe cut 

 in estimating his produce, serious injustice may result. It is possible 



