EXTRACTION OF SUGAR FROM BEETS. 327 



ARTICLE IV. 

 On the Purification of the Juice. 



As soon as the boiler which receives the juice is one 

 third full, the fire is kindled; and, as the juice continues 

 to flow, the heat is raised to 65° of Reaumur,* (= 1S0|° 

 of Fahrenheit.) Whilst the juice is heating, some milk of 

 lime is prepared, by pouring gradually some warm water 

 into a bucket containing ten pounds of lime.t 



As soon as all the juice has passed into the boiler, and 

 become heated to the degree mentioned in the last para- 

 graph, the milk of lime is thrown into it, the greatest care 

 being taken to stir and mix them well together ; after 

 which the temperature may be raised to the boiling point. 

 As soon as the first bubble makes its appearance through 

 the thick glutinous scum which rises upon the top of the 

 liquor, the fire is immediately extinguished by throwing a 

 pailful of water into the fire-place. The scum thickens, dries, 

 and hardens by rest. The juice becomes clear, and takes 

 a light yellow hue. When there can no longer be seen in 

 it particles either of lime or mucilage, the scum is removed 

 with a skimmer and thrown into a bucket, in order that 

 the juice which it contains may be expressed. The upper 

 stop-cock is then opened, and the liquor is suffered to flow 

 into the evaporating boiler. 



The juice does not become clear in less than an hour, 

 and evaporation ought not to be commenced till it is per- 

 fectly limpid. 



* I have worked 10,000 pounds of beet roots per day, at two operations 

 of 5,000 pounds each. The first began at 4 o'clock, A. M., and the 

 other at noon. The round boiler, which received the juice of one ope- 

 ration, was five feet and six inches in diameter, and tliree feet eight 

 inches in depth. 1 had a separate boiler for each operation, and each 

 boiler had two stop-cocks, one close to the bottom and the other five 

 inches above. Between these two boilers, there were two vessels 

 fifteen inches deep, and each of sufiicient capacity to receive all the 

 juice of an operation. In these, evaporation is carried on. The rims 

 of all these boilers should be very wide, so as to cover the thickness 

 of the wall in which they are set. 



My rasps and presses are placed upon the first floor, in order that the 

 juice may flow through leaden pipes into the boilers, which are upon 

 the ground floor, and thus save the labor of transportation. By this 

 arrangement, I can have my depuratory boilers so much raised, that, 

 upon turning the stop-cocks, the juice will flow into the evaporating 



t My boiler contains 475^^ gallons of juice ; so that 1 employ the lime 

 in the proportion of about 46 grains, trojr. 



