274 The Sugar-Beet in America 



In Hawaii a yield of twenty to eighty-five tons of 

 cane to the acre is secured. This contains from two and 

 a half to twelve tons of sugar, with an average of about 

 five tons. 



EXTIL\CTION OF SUGAR 



The sugar is removed from beets by dissolving it from 

 the cells with water in the diffusion battery ; it is removed 

 from cane by crushing the stalks and squeezing out the 

 juice between heavy rollers. The cane on the car in which 

 it comes from the field is weighed and samples are taken 

 for analysis. It is then ready for the mill. It passes 

 along conveyers to the crusher, which consists of two 

 large corrugated rollers which break the stalks and squeeze 

 out part of the juice. The cane mat is then passed on 

 through the mill, where it passes between several sets of 

 rollers w^hich squeeze out all possible juice. 



The bagasse, or woody part of the cane, which has been 

 squeezed dry, is conveyed to the engine house to be used 

 as fuel. The juice, after being screened to remove the 

 coarser solids held in suspension, goes to the purification 

 tanks, then to the multiple evaporators, and finally to the 

 crystallizing vacuum-pan, where it is usually made into 

 raw sugar. Most of the raw sugar is taken to large re- 

 fineries in the coast cities, where it is made into the re- 

 fined sugar of commerce. 



The processes of making cane- and beet-sugar are very 

 similar except in one or two stages. These processes are 

 discussed in greater detail in the chapter on sugar-making. 



