SUGAR REFINING 87 



boiled mass from the pan was filled into the loaf moulds. 

 When the mass had set firmly the moulds were hoisted 

 to an upper floor where they stood to drain off the 

 " green syrup." There had to be many floors to accom- 

 modate these regiments of loaves. When the syrup 

 had drained off, a white saturated solution of pure sugar 

 was poured on to the face of each mould, and this opera- 

 tion was repeated until the loaf became white from top 

 to bottom a work of some days. The fine syrup from 

 this washing was kept separate from the green syrup as it 

 contained more sugar. The loaves were then knocked 

 out of their moulds and trimmed up, and then came 

 more hand labour in putting them in the stove, a heated 

 chamber running from top to bottom of the tall factory 

 and with doors opening into each floor. Those loaves 

 which had already become dry had also to be handed 

 out of the stoves nice warm work neatly enveloped 

 in paper ready for delivery, and stacked up in the 

 warehouse till called for. 



Compare with this long and laborious process the 

 making of cube sugar. For the loaf mould are sub- 

 stituted moulds made to fit into the circumference of 

 a large and very strong centrifugal machine. They 

 are divided by plates into a series of narrow chambers 

 the thickness of a cube, and the full depth of the mould. 

 The boiled mass from the pan is run into these moulds 

 and, when the mass has solidified, the moulds are ranged 

 round the inner circumference of the centrifugal machines 

 which quickly throw off the green syrup. The white 

 liquor is then applied, and immediately thrown off, 

 and, behold ! the moulds contain large, flat, narrow 

 slabs of white sugar. These slabs are ranged on carriers 

 which travel up through a heated chamber, and come 

 down again dried in a few minutes. They go to the 

 cutting machine where guillotine knives cut them up 



