Petblicatiou Office No. 45 North Sixth street, above Arch. 



THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 



Vol. II.— No. 9.1 



PUiladelpIiia, December 1, 1837* 



[Whole No. 33. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Beet Sugar. 



Mr. Editor: — I am not quite sure that 

 beet sugar is profitably to be made (i. e. in 

 strict accordance with the principles of politi- 

 cal economy,) on a small scale : it is, in 

 manufactories, to be conducted on a large 

 scale, I predict, that it is to become a na- 

 tional branch of industry and produce; but 

 this cannot be any hindrance or objection to 

 the farmer's employing his leisure hours dur- 

 ing the winter season, to the production of 

 sugar for his own use, or, eventually, when it 

 shall have become better understood, for tlie 

 refineries. 



For this reason I shall confine my present 

 hints and observations to the producing of 

 sugar on a small scale, with simple means 

 and at small cost, particularly as there are so 

 many throughout the country who have grown 

 the beet root, and will, at all events, be de 

 sirous of making an essay at beet root sugar 

 making; also, convinced as I am, that from 

 among the number, must proceed that expe 

 rience which is to become the basis of large 

 establishments throughout the United States 

 ere many years pass over. From all that has 

 been done in the United States towards mak- 

 ing beet sugar, little has resulted, as yet, but 

 much could already be written on the subject 

 that would be useful as a guide to others. 

 This task I cannot assume, though deeply 

 interested ; therefore, I can only promise to 

 describe how beet root sugar caii be made. 



PREPARATIONS FOR MAKING THE SUGAR. 



The articles required for the most simple 

 and ready mode of manipulating are, 



1. A rasp for reducing the roots to pulp. 



2. A defecating pan. 



3. A filterer. 

 Cab.— Vol. II.— No. 9. 129 



4. A boiling pan, similar to No. 2. 



5. A cooling pan. 

 Skimmer, cloths, clais, (or wicker frame 



work,) tub or tubs, and a variety of other 

 small articles which will be required or not, 

 just in proportion to the scale on which it is 

 conducted. Such as will be required simply to 

 7nake sugar, shall be described as we proceed. 

 The rasp being the first important implt - 

 ment, we will describe such an one as can be 

 easily made, viz : a wooden frame, such as 

 used for a grindstone. A circular piece of 

 wood to form the barrel of the rasp, say one 

 foot in length and of the same size in diame- 

 ter, or larger if you please, (the heavier the 

 better.) Pass an axle through this piece of 

 wood, and set it to the frame precisely as a 

 grindstone, to be turned by a crank or pedal. 

 Around the barrel or circular wood, nail on 

 sheets of tin, perforated in the manner of a 

 bread grater. To the end of the frame to- 

 wards which the circular barrel is to revolve, 

 affix a small trough, or box, say nine inches 

 wide by eighteen inches in length ; inside of 

 this box is to slide a block, which can be 

 drawn up and pressed down with one hand, 

 whilst the other hand is engaged in putting 

 roots into the box through an opening on the 

 top. The roots to be pressed against the tin 

 grater as it revolves, and thus they will be 

 torn into an impalpable pulp and fall into a 

 tub or box placed under the rasp. After a 

 person has once witnessed the producing of 

 the juice from the root by a proper sort of 

 rasp upon this principle, it will need no argu- 

 ment to satisfy him that the roots can be torn 

 apart in every fibre and reduced to a pulp, by 

 no other contrivance so effectually as the 

 French rasp, which makes nine hundred 

 revolutions per minute, when propelled by 

 steam. 



