CULTURE OF THE 'SUGAR BEET. 145 



to attempt the introduction of this industry, which has proven such a 

 valuable source of profit to both the capitalists and the laboring classes 

 of France and other portions of Europe. In this connection however, 

 the conclusions arrived at by M. Durin* in his discussion of the efficacy 

 of the processes of extraction by means of hydraulic presses, continuous 

 presses, and diffusion will doubtless be of interest. He finds that : 



By hydraulic presses, with beets of 10 to 10.50 per cent, sugar without washing or 

 maceration of the pulps, the loss of sugar in extraction per 100 pounds of beets may 

 be valued at 1.70 to 1.75 pounds. This loss would be greater with very rich beets and 

 less with poor ones. 



By continuous presses, and kneading at a temperature of 50 to 55° C. during 10 min- 

 utes, with a quantity of water equal to 120 to 140 per cent, the weight of the pulp of 

 the first pressing, and working beets of 11 to 12 per cent, of sugar, the loss in extrac- 

 tion per 100 pounds of beets is 1 to 1.10 pounds of sugar. 



By diffusion the total loss in extraction per 100 pounds of beets is 0.50 to 0.55 

 pound of sugar, and by compressed air this may be reduced to 0.35 to 0.40 pound. 

 The juice of diffusion is purer with regard to saline and organic matters than juice 

 from the presses. 



But Champonnois, t comparing the results obtained by diffusion and 

 continuous presses, and taking the figures given by Walkhoff and those 

 published by Vivien for the efficacy of the diffusion process in Ger- 

 many, and the figures obtained by double pressing with the continuous 

 presses in France, deduces the following table: 



Diffusion. 



Vivien, diffusion 

 Walkhoff, diffusion 

 Do 



Continuous presses . 



Percentage 

 sugar in beet. 



12.4 

 10.0 

 13. 50 



Proportion of 

 the sugar pres- 

 ent extracted. 



70 



66.3 



66.66 



11. 20 j 66. 69 



12. 00 68. 33 



The higher yield in the second case with continuous press is the re- 

 sult of hot maceration before second pressing. And according to Viv- 

 ien, the loss per 100 pounds of beets worked by the continuous press 

 of Manuel and Socin after second pressing was but 0.925. 



The farmers to whom the residues of the factory having a feeding 

 value must be returned to be utilized will naturally inquire which of 

 the processes mentioned will yield a pulp that will give the highest 

 net return in meat or milk. This matter has been pretty thoroughly 

 determined as regards the residues from the hydraulic presses and the 

 diffusion processes, but concerning the residues from the continuous 

 presses such information is wanting. If, however, we make allowance for 

 about 10 to 12 per cent, more of water, the latter contain, their average 

 composition must be much the same as the pulps from the hydraulic 

 presses. In an article on " Beet-root pulp," Professor Voelckler, of Lon- 



* Journal des Fabricants de Sucre, April 16, 1879. 

 t Journal des Fabricants de Sucre, March 28, 1878. 

 10 SB 



