BEET SUGAR. 



necessary that this operation should 

 proceed rapidly, or else the pulp ac- 

 ([iiircs a dark colour, and an incipient 

 Icniicntal ion takes place, wliicli jricat- 

 )y injures the future results. As the 

 pulp is ground it is put into strong 

 canvass bags, and placed under a 

 powerful press to squeeze out the 

 juice. The residue is stirred, and 

 subjected to a second and third press- 

 ure, if necessary, till every particle 

 of juice is extracted. As the liquor 

 is pressed out it runs into a copper 

 until it is two thirds filled. The 

 strength is ascertained by Baume, 

 which shows the specific gravity of 

 the liquid. The fire is now lighted, 

 and, by the time the copper is full, 

 the heat should be raised to 178° of 

 f'ahrenheit's thermometer, but no 

 higher. 



In the mean time, a mixture of lime 

 and water has been prepared by grad- 

 ually pouring as much water upon 10 

 pounds of quicklime as will make the 

 mixture of the consistency of cream. 

 This is poured into the copper when 

 the heat is steadily at 17S^, and is 

 well mixed with the juice by stirring 

 it. The heat is then increased till 

 the mixture boils, when a thick and 

 glutinous scum rises to the surface. 

 As soon as clear bubbles rise through 

 this scum, the fire is suddenly put out 

 by water poured on it, or by a proper 

 damper. The scum hardens as it 

 cools, and the sediment being depos- 

 ited, the liquor becomes clear and of 

 a light straw colour. The scum is 

 then carefully taken off with a skim- 

 mer having holes in it, and is put into 

 a vessel till such time as the liquor 

 remaining in it can be pressed out. 

 A cock is now opened about five inch- 

 es above the bottom of the boiler, 

 and all the clear liquor is drawn off. 

 Another cock lower down lets out the 

 remainder untd it begins to appear 

 cloudy : what still remains is after- 

 ward boiled again with what is ex- 

 tracted by pressure from the scum. 

 The clear liquor is now subjected to 

 evaporation in another boiler, which 

 is wide and shallow. The bottom is 

 »ut slightly covered with the juice at 

 /Srst, and it boils rapidly. As the wa- 

 90 



tcr evaporates, fresh juice is let in. 

 When a certain degree of inspissa- 

 tion or thickcnmg has taken place, so 

 as to show five or six degrees of 

 strength on Baumc, animal charcoal 

 is gradually added till the liquor ar- 

 rives at 20°. One hundred weight of 

 charcoal is required for the juice of 

 two and a half tons of beet, which is 

 now reduced to about 400 gallons. 

 The evaporation by boiling continues 

 till the saccharometer marks 25^, and 

 a regular su-up is obtained. This is 

 now strained through a linen bag, 

 and the liquor is kept flowing by 

 means of steam or hot air, and assist- 

 ed by pressure. In two or three hours 

 all the clear sirup will have run 

 through. 



The sirup thus prepared is again 

 boiled and skimmed until it is suffi- 

 ciently concentrated, which is known 

 in the following manner : The skim- 

 mer is dipped into the sirup and drawn 

 out ; some of the thick sirup which 

 adheres to it is taken between the 

 thumb and forefinger, and held there 

 till the heat is reduced to tliat of the 

 skin ; the finger and thumb are sep- 

 arated, and if the sirup is of a proper 

 strength, a thread will be drawn out, 

 which snaps, and has the transparen- 

 cy of horn, or, rather, barley sugar : 

 this is called the proof. The fire is 

 then put out and the sirup is carried 

 to the cooler, which is a vessel ca- 

 pable of containing all the sirup pro- 

 duced by four operations or boilings. 

 Here the sugar is to crystallize ; as 

 soon as this commences, the whole is 

 well mixed and stirred, and, before 

 it becomes too still", earthen moulds, 

 of the well-known sugar-loaf shape, 

 and of the size called great baslards, 

 are filled with the crystallizing mass, 

 of which a little at a time is poured 

 into each. When they are full, they 

 are carried to the coolest place on 

 the premises. As the crystallization 

 goes on, the crust formed on the top 

 is repeatedly broken, and the whole 

 is stirred till the crystals are collected 

 in the centre : it is then allowed to go 

 on without farther disturbance. In 

 three days it is so far advanced, that 

 the pegs which were put into the 



