340 CHTMISTRY APPLIED TO AGRICULTURE, 



small quantity of sirup with which it is impregnated ; it 

 can be effected in three ways, namely, by the use of clay, 

 of alcohol, and of the sirups ; the first of these is the one 

 generally employed in the refineries. 



When sugar is to be clayed, a hogshead unheaded at 

 one end and furnished with a row of stop-cocks placed one 

 above the other from top to bottom, is partly filled with 

 white clay, upon which water is poured till the cask is full ; 

 the clay is then carefully stirred, so that every portion of 

 it may be well washed. This operation is repeated several 

 times, the water of the washings being drawn off as soon 

 as the clay settles, and a fresh quantity turned in, which 

 is stirred in the same manner. The washing is continued 

 till the water no longer appears charged with any foreign 

 substances, when the water is allowed to remain undis- 

 turbed upon the clay till this becomes thoroughly divided^ 

 so that upon handling it no lumps can be found. When 

 the clay is found to be in this state, all the water is drawn 

 off. and the clay suffered to dry gradually, till it acquires 

 such a degree of consistency as not to flow when placed 

 upon a smooth and slightly inclined board : it is now 

 considered ready for use. 



Before placing the prepared clay upon the sugar con- 

 tained in the moulds, the surface of the loaves is carefully 

 scraped, so as to remove one layer of the sugar, which is 

 replaced by a portion of very white powdered sugar ; this 

 is piled up and smoothed very nicely, and then covered 

 over with a layer of clay thrown on with a spoon. The 

 water contained in the clay passes gradually into the layer 

 of white sugar, which it dissolves, forming a sirup which 

 penetrates into the loaves, deprives the sugar of its color, 

 and passes out at the point of the mould. 



The clay, being thus gradually deprived of water, shrinks 

 and dries, and is then removed and thrown into the cask to 

 be made use of in new operations. 



The upper part of the loaves is rendered white by this 

 first operation ; but when the liquid which flows from the 

 opening in the point of the mould is colored, a second 

 claying is performed ; in this, however, the clay alone is 

 used, the intermediate layer of sugar being dispensed with. 



•ut brownish, and they are then to be redissolved three or four times 

 before they attain the desired degree of whiteness ; this occasions 

 much labor and expense, together with a great loss of sugar. 



