CRYSTALLIZATION 71 



carefully watches the appearance of the minute crystals 

 and allows just enough liquor to flow in to prevent a 

 confused mass of crystals being suddenly formed. He 

 thus maintains what is called an even grain grains all 

 of one size. It is his business to maintain the even 

 grain from that moment until the pan is full, and the 

 boiled mass in an exactly fit state to go out, either 

 to the centrifugal machines or to the sugar moulds. 

 He allows the grains to come closer and closer together 

 as time goes on, and if he has done his work well it will 

 be found, when the contents of the pan goes down into 

 the receiver below, that the boiled mass the masse- 

 cuite, as the French call it contains a very even-sized 

 grain, with as few small grains in between as possible. 

 This is most important in making crystallized sugar 

 which is to be washed white in the centrifugal machines, 

 because there would be a wasting of the fine white 

 " first product " if any of the smaller grains found 

 their way out with the adhering syrup, and were thus 

 degraded into the after products. These rules apply 

 equally well in the case of white or yellow crystallized 

 sugar made in cane or beetroot sugar factories. The 

 French white crystals are boiled very large, and with 

 excellent skill. German, Austrian and Russian 

 " granulated " are boiled to a much smaller grain. 

 The pan is filled much fuller before grain is allowed 

 to appear ; then the boiling is allowed to go much 

 quicker than in the former case, and the result is a 

 uniform very small grain. 



The centrifugal machine requires no great explanation. 

 Drums with perforated walls spin round at great speed. 

 The boiled mass, carefully mixed and stirred in a vessel 

 commanding the centrifugals, is run into them ; the 

 syrup flies off through the perforated wall of the drum, 

 and is caught and carried away from the outside of the 



