396 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



bigli out above tlie ground ; and the less its root branclics out 

 into small ones the better. Corresponding to the firm meat and 

 close texture of the fibres must be its thin and white skin. It 

 must break off short and snapping ; must have a sweet and pleas- 

 ant taste, but by no means a salt or harsh one. 



Of the density of its juice we can only ascertain by the applica- 

 tion of certain instruments, the best of which are "Balling's Sac- 

 charimeter" and the "Araeometer," of both of which we shall 

 speak hereafter. A very simple way to determine, as nearly as 

 possible, the quantity of pure crystallizable sugar matter in the 

 beet is given by Mr, Pelouze as follows: "The beet is cut into 

 thin slices, and the sugar extracted therefrom by means of alcohol. 

 Suppose 100 or 1000 of such slices taken, then the weight of the 

 sugar secreting on the evaporation of the alcohol, expressed in 

 grains and divided by 10, will give the number of per cents." 



Dr. L. Gall, an eminent chemist in Trtives, proposes to ascertain 

 the loss in weight which a liquid of sugar mixed with yeast suffers 

 by fermentation. This loss corresponds to the quantity of carbon- 

 ic acid formed, because this latter escapes. It will consequently 

 be only necessary to weigh the liquid hefore and after the ferment- 

 ation, 



IMANUTACTURE OF BEET-SUGAR. 



The sugar-beet is composed of 81 per cent, of water ^ 11 per cent, 

 of sugar matter^ 4 per cent, o^ fibrous matter^ and 4 per cent, of va- 

 rious other substances. By the subsequent process of fabrication, 

 these 11 per cent, of sugar substance will, however, average not 

 more than about 7 per cent, of raw sugar^ and again of these only 

 5 per cent, of crysiallizahle and 2 per cent, of sirup or not crystal- 

 lizable sugar ; or, expressed in another form, 100 pounds of beets 

 will result in 7 pounds of raw sugar. 



The manufacturing process requires a number of operations, of 

 which some arc merely mechanical, others of a chemical nature. 

 The first comprise the cleaning of the beets, the extraction of the 

 juice, etc ; the latter, the clarifying of the juice, its concentration and 

 filtration^ the boiling and crystallization^ and the I'cfining of the sugar. 



Cleaning of the Beets. 



The reason of this operation is too obvious to need explanation. 

 It is conducted in a wooden trough or box, especially made for 

 this purpose, with holes in the bottom to let the dirt flow off. This 

 must be carefully attended to, the water repeatedly renewed, and 

 with hands and liard brooms the soil adhering to the beets re- 

 moved. After this, the hard top crust or the head of the beets 

 must be cut off by a knife, also the remaining injured parts look- 

 ed after, and the superfluous roots trimmed off, and small stones 

 taken out that may stick in the skin or meat of the beet, in order 

 that they may not injure the pressing machine. 



