REFINING BEET SUGAR. 343 



end of twenty days, at which time the bleaching of the 

 greater part of the loaves was completed. J continued 

 the operation upon the others from twelve to twenty days, 

 removing successively those that were finished. 



When I came to take these loaves from the moulds, they 

 came out in fragments ; the sugar was moist and without 

 consistency ; it was impossible to dry it, and I was obliged 

 to melt it over and make double-refined sugar of it. I re- 

 peated the operation of bleaching with sirup several times, 

 and aKvays obtained the same results. 



It is evident that the sirup applied in this manner inter- 

 poses itself between the molecules of the sugar, and there 

 remains ; whilst in the process of claying, the sirup, being 

 formed gradually, passes through it by insensible filtration, 

 imbibing the coloring matter, which it at length carries off. 

 I moreover found that it required twice as much sugar 

 to form the sirup as was needed in the usual method of 

 claying. 



The numerous experiments which I have been in the 

 way of making during a dozen years, have induced me to 

 adopt a process which appears to me to be more advan- 

 tageous than either of those of which I have just spoken. 

 I cut out of the coarse cloth called calmuck, round pieces 

 of the same size as the bases of the loaves ; these I soak 

 in water and afterwards wring ; I then apply them care- 

 fully to the bases of the loaves, which have been previously 

 scraped and smoothed with the blade of a knife, or a small 

 trowel. In twenty-four hours' time the surfaces of the 

 loaves are bleached. I then pour upon the cloth about 

 half a pound of the converted sirup of the last claying; 

 the sirup gradually penetrates the cloth, and filtrates 

 through the loaves, from which it removes all the coloring 

 matter. 



As soon as the sirup has passed through the cloth into 

 the sugar, I moisten the cloth by sprinkling it with drops 

 of water, and the next day I throw upon it the same quan- 

 tity of converted sh-up* 



This first operation is completed in five or six days, 

 after which the sirup is left; to flow during four or five days. 

 By these leachings the loaves are perfectly bleached to 

 the depth of four or five inches, but they are still a little 



* I here suppose that I operate upon moulds of four, the loaves 

 from which weigh from 11 to 14 lbs. 



