324 CHYMISTRY APPLIED TQ AGRICULTURE. 



SECTION II. 



On the Extraction of Sugar from Beets. 



I SHALL not here describe the numerous difficulties that 

 have been encountered before arriving at sure methods 

 and certain results. I shall confine myself to the descrip- 

 tion of the simplest and most advantageous processes that 

 are employed at this time ; and I will draw my examples 

 from my own practice, enlightened as it is by twelve years 

 of experiment and observation. I have successively execu- 

 ted all the known processes ; I have tried all the improve- 

 ments that have been suggested ; I have myself regulated 

 and improved some of the processes ; and I shall describe 

 only such as I have proved and confirmed. 



ARTICLE I 

 On the Preparation of the Roots. 



Before subjecting the beets to the teeth of the rasp, they 

 must be carefully freed from all the earth which they bring 

 with them from the fields. The necks, and any portion 

 that has begun to decay, must be cut off, and the radicles 

 removed from the surface. 



In many manufactories, nothing more is done to the 

 roots than to wash them. But this operation cannot be 

 conveniently practised in all places, and I have therefore 

 dispensed with it as a preliminary ; nor have I found any 

 bad effect to arise from the omission of it. Eight women 

 can easily prepare 10,000 lbs. of the roots in a day. If 

 the beets are large, and retain but little earth about them, 

 the same number of women can prepare in the same time 

 from 15 to 20,000 lbs. 



