No. 6. 



DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



439 



digestible, nitrogen-free extract — sugars and pentosans — has ap- 

 peared upon the market, the molasses feeds. 



The importance of molasses as an available factory waste may be 

 appreciated upon considering the following facts: Spencer states 

 that in 1898, Germany threw away 13S,81G tons of molasses derived 

 from the beet. Beet molasses is too black and bitter for table 

 use, and, in spite of the huge development of the manufacture of 

 cattle foods and alcohol based upon it. there remains a very large 

 unused surplus. The United Slates has a rapidly developing beet 

 sugar industry. In 1900, we grew nearly 800.01111 tons of beets from 

 which 103,500.000 pounds of sugar and 3,500,000 gallons of molasses 

 were made. Of this molasses but a small part found a market. The 

 molasses produced from the sugar-cane is also to be considered in 

 this connection. Owing to the improved methods by which the juice 

 is made to yield a larger fraction than formerly of its sugar in a 

 crystallized form, the molasses has been made less desirable for 

 table use. There is. therefore, a large amount of inferior molasses 

 that might be employed for cattle food. In 1899, from 2,000,000 

 tons of cane we made about 320.000,000 pounds of sugar, 2,500,000 

 gallons of syrup and 11,700,000 gallons of molasses. At the present 

 time, the -wholesale quotations for inferior centrifugal molasses on 

 the New Orleans market is seven cents per gallon; the lowest grade, 

 "black strap,'' probably costs from three to four cents per gallon. 



A brief consideration of the origin of molasses may give us a better 

 notion of its feeding value. In the manufacture of sugar from the 

 beet, the washed root is chipped and extracted with warm water, 

 thus affording the two products, beet-pulp and diffusion juice. The 

 former contains the fiber, most of the pentosans, protein, wax, and 

 the insoluble ash; the latter, the sugars, soluble nitrogenous consti- 

 tuents, acids, gums and ash. The juice is purified by boiling, skim- 

 ming and filtering and is then evaporated to such degree that the 

 sugar will separate by crystallization. From these crystals, the 

 liquid molasses is removed by centrifugal action. 



Cane molasses is produced in a very similar way, except that 

 ordinarily the juice is separated from the cane by pressure, leaving 

 as a solid residue, the crushed cane or "bagasse." 



The chief differences in the two products are due to the original 

 differences between the sugar-beet and the sugar-cane. The average 

 composition of beet molasses, as stated by Kellner, and of cane 

 molasses, as stated by Browne is as follows: 



Wator 



Ash 



Organic substances: 



Cane sugar 



Dextrose 



Levulose 



Albuminoids 



Amids, 



Other organk: s> 



