88 SUPPLEMENT. 



One single beet-sugar factory at "Wagehausel (Germany), 

 sends every year 200,000 pounds of such potassa salts into 

 market, which is mainly used for the manufacture of nitre. 

 The molasses contains by far the largest portion of the soluble 

 saline constituents of the sugar-beets, particularly the potassa 

 compounds which must be returned to the soil directly or indi- 

 rectly. The cheaper crude sulphate of potassa of Stassfurth is 

 bought at present in exchange for the carbonate of potassa 

 sold.* Distilleries are frequently connected with sugar beet 

 manufactories. 



The Cellular Residue op the Beet Root. 

 The juice is obtained in different ways, and, according to the 

 mode adopted, the quality of the residue is affected. The press- 

 cakes resulting from the application of the hydraulic press, 

 which is the main apparatus employed, are compact in conse- 

 quence of packing the pulp into bags or coarse linen cloths 

 before subjecting it to the press. 100 pounds of beet roots fur- 

 nish from 18 to 20 pounds of press-cakes, which consist, in case 

 a very powerful press is used, of : — 



100.000 " 



These cakes are highly yalued for feeding purposes ; 100 

 pounds of press cakes are valued at 29.6 cents, when hay is 

 worth 20 dollars per ton ; the cellular residue of beets left 

 after the abstraction of the juice by other modes is as a general 

 rule less-valuable. For instance, the residue after the treatment 

 with centrifugal apparatus and the subsequent displacement 



* The producer of potatoes sells in an average crop of 7.41 acres (three hectares) the 

 mineral constituents of four crops of wheat besides 600 p-iunds of potassa, and in an 

 average crop of beet roots from the same area the mineral coustitueats of four wheat 

 crops, besides 1,000 pounds of potassa. — Leibig. 



