1837] 



fau.mj:iis kicgister 



91 



used in plMiilin<;jH)l;iioes!, and occasioned grond 

 crops in is;vl, uIhmi scis not watered fiuled. And 

 should the prolitalile mode ot stall-feeding now 

 practised at ArniaL'h bo happily extended to Knir- 

 land, and lattinjjoxen be l\e()t /» pairs not tied up 

 under shelter, it will be Inund iliat prcservinir in 

 tanks (he water which falls on the barns and stalls 

 will amplv supply them, whilst it prevents the 

 rain wasliinir away the strengih ot the manure 

 when straw issprea.l in the oj)en yard. 



l^onds have been made with equal success, dug 

 only 4.\ feet below the surliice, what is excavated 

 beiniT "added to the sides, and covered one foot 

 thick, like a road, with pebbles and good lime mor- 

 tar. Such ponds are becoming general on the dry 

 soil of the South Downs lor the use of large flocks 

 of sheep; and had such ponds been made in Rom- 

 ney Marsh, &c., during the late dry years, the 

 sheep vvould not have died in such numbers as 

 malerially raised the price of meat in London. 



From tlie UrUisIi Fanners' Magazine. 

 MANUFACTURE OF BEKT-ROOT SUGAR. 



[The following full account of the various processes 

 required for the manufacture of beet sugar, is taken 

 from the last number of the British Farmers' Maga- 

 zine. It was compiled and translated from the works 

 of M. Dubrunfaut, and others, the latest and best au- 

 thorities on this subject, by Samuel Taylor, Jr., for the 

 work from which we copy it. Much interest is now 

 felt in England, as in this country, in regard to this new 

 branch ot'industry; and it is to be presumed that as this 

 essay is the most recent, it embraces the newest and 

 most valuable improvements. Directions on this sub- 

 ject, from several authors, have already been published 

 in this and other agricultural journals in this country; 

 but they generally are too concise, and those which 

 are most full, and also proceeded from the highest au- 

 thority of their time, (Chaptal's,) were written before 

 the latest improvements in this manuficture were 

 known, and before its now ascertained great profits 

 were even suspected to be obtainable. Therefore, it 

 is supposed that the publication of this treatise is not 

 superfluous, and it i? hop 'd that in presenting it to our 

 readers, we sliall render some service to all who desire 

 to commence ttiis new business. — Ed. Far. Reg.] 



Introduction. 



We will now proceed to notice the methods by 

 which the greatest quantity, and the best quality, 

 of sugar can be obtained ii'om beet root. 



Sugar is a component part of this root, and that 

 method of extracting it is to he preferred, which 

 destroys the least portion of it in the course of the 

 operation ; for, in the present state of the art, it is 

 undeniable that a certain quantity is destroyed. 



Most of the beet sugar manufacturers refine 

 their own sugar ; a meihod not approved of by the 

 author. The art of refining is very complex, and 

 difficuli to manage, and reriuires a long and inti- 

 mate acquaintance with practical chenustry. The 

 Rirricultural manufacturer, therefore, should con- 

 fine his attention to the making of raw sugar only, 

 and that of as good a quality as possible, to sell to 

 the refiner. It is only when the making of brown 



sugar is fiinshed that refining can begin. Consi- 

 denhen, the lime which must elapse before a man- 

 ufiicturer can realize any profit u[)on his busi- 

 ness.- f()r it wdl be remembered that the process 

 of refining lasts for six or seven months, or the 

 whole of the season of vegetation. From the mo- 

 ment, therelijre, that he sows his field, he is but 

 then finishing the manufacture of the preceding 

 cro|) into brown sugar. Then comes the refining, 

 which does not ternnnate till six nKUiths after; so 

 that he has to wait fourteen or fifteen months be- 

 t()re he can begin to sell his sugar, and probably 

 eighteen months before the whole is sold. Add 

 to this a credit of three or four months usually 

 given to the buyers, and it will form a total of 

 twenty-two months, or thereabouts, before he can 

 expect to make his returns; whereas, if he sells 

 the raw sugar, he will be able to begm to sell in 

 seven or eight months after the seed time, and 

 will have sold the whole in a year after the same 

 seed time. 



Those manufacturers would be more at their 

 ease as to capital, who would first use a part of 

 their own crops in their manufactory, and would 

 afterwards treat with the little ffirmers for what 

 they could spare of their produce. Thus, those 

 who have not the means of forming an establish- 

 ment of their own, will yet participate in some of 

 the advantages of beet culture, the pulp of which 

 they can re-purchase of the manufacturers. 



I shall next proceed to describe the several ope- 

 rations connected with the manuliicturing depart- 

 ment, according to the order in which tliey follow 

 each other. 



Cleaning the Beet Ranis. 



When the roots are to be washed, it is not ne- 

 cessary that so nmch pains should be taken in 

 scraping and cleaning them by hand ; but when it 

 is not intended to wash them, the cleaning ought 

 to be particularly attended to. This work is most- 

 ly performed by women and children. They are 

 furnished with a sharp knde, two or three inches 

 broad, and about ten inches long, with a suitable 

 handle ; and thus provided, they seat themselveg 

 near the heap of roois to be cleaned, and scrape 

 each root separately, taking especial care not to 

 leave any stones or dirt adhering to Us surface. 

 When a root is thought to be too large to enter 

 the rasp properly, it should be cut in two or lour 

 pieces by the cleaner, according to its size. Tliis 

 should be done lengthways of the root. 



The cleaning should take place in some spot 

 convenient for the rasping mill ami presses, and 

 should be larjje enough to hold a quantity of roots 

 snfTicient to supply the manufactory for at least 

 tour or five da3's, and yet leave sufficient room l()r 

 the cleaners to work in with comfort. Atierclean- 

 ing, the roots are thrown into a small open basket 

 with ears, (like our turnip skeps.) They are then 

 carried by the women to the rasp, where they 

 leave the full baskets, and bnng back empty ones. 

 Two women well used to the work will clean, and 

 carry to the rasp, three or three and Jialf tons of 

 roots, in twelve hours. 



The cleaning, of course, dinnnishee, in some 

 measure, the weiiiht: perhaps about six or seven 

 per cent, on the gross weight of the roots. 



