SUGAR. 



161 



plant, and could be cultivated in lieu of the sugar-cane. Sugar could 

 not be made from beetroots with the machinery we now possess. Had 

 we the machinery wanted to make sugar from beetroots, we would 

 then, from one acre of canes, manufacture more sugar than from 

 five acres of beetroots. Supposing sugar could be made as cheap 

 from beets, could our sugar makers learn how to make the sugars ? 

 In Europe almost every sugar manufactory is attended by one or two 

 chemists, besides almost every railroad train running to Paris takes 

 to Messrs. Dubrunfault and other chemists samples of either roots or 

 juice or syrup to be analysed. At the manufactory the juice has a 

 density indicating 10 or 12 per cent, of sugar, and the deficiencies are 

 so great it is necessary to know wherefrom they come. In every 

 factory the beetroots are weighed, all the juice is measured, the density 

 recorded and proved at least eight or ten times per day, and the 

 percentage called for must be found. It would be very amusing to 

 see our planters frying beet-juice ' in our open kettles,' and therefrom 

 trying to make sugar. The black stuff coming would rather frighten 

 them. Give us sugar-canes yet (although it is said they are degene- 

 rated) with deep-drained lands, ' renewed with peas,' thorough deep- 

 ploughed land that will produce cane 8 feet long when cut for the 

 mill, and weighing 125,000 lbs. (nearly 60 tons) to the acre, if the 

 juice be 8^° Beaume = 12,000 lbs. sugar and 8000 molasses ; others may 

 cultivate beets. Peligot is right when he says : * If in Europe we had 

 the sugar-cane we would furnish sugar to the world, and so cheap as 

 to defy competition.' The apparatus used in Cuba will do better than 

 either presses or diffusion, the tanks being so constructed that a very 

 dense juice is produced. If the mill would give juice at 8° Beaume, 

 the displacement apparatus with the same canes would furnish juice at 

 8° ' 5 to 9° Beaume. If more fuel is required, it is simply because a 

 larger quantity of sugar is produced. Two or three hands can work 

 the apparatus. Only one-half of the power is required to slice canes 

 that is now used to press the cane with rollers. The bagasse used in 

 Cuba contains 13*5 lbs. of sugar to 100 lbs. bagasse (each 100 lbs. 

 of canes giving 40 lbs. bagasse, 250 lbs. canes gave the 100 lbs. 

 bagasse), and a little over 10 lbs. of the 13*5 lbs. of sugar were 

 extracted. Had sliced canes been used instead of bagasse the ex- 

 haustion would have been much more complete. In evaporating 

 sugar in Louisiana, fuel equal to 1 lb. of coal is used to evaporate 

 3 lbs. of water. In Europe 1 lb. of coal evaporates 6 lbs. of water in 

 manufacturing beetroot sugar." 



The following details of the sugar-cane, its contents, and the 

 manufacture of sugar from it, are well worthy the attention of all 

 interested in its culture : 



1210 gallons of juice at 8° '6 Beaume produced on a plantation 

 1048 lbs. of sugar and 480 lbs. of molasses. 



One gallon of juice at 8° '5 Beaume will weigh 8*96 lbs. avoir- 

 dupois. Therefore, 1240 gallons of juice will weigh 11,111 lbs. 



100 lbs. of cane contain 90 lbs. of juice. Then 11,111 lbs. of 

 juice are produced by 12,345 lbs. of cane. 



At 8° -5 Beaume the juice contains 15*3 per cent, of pure and dry 

 sugar. If so, 11,111 lbs. of juice, having that density, will produce 

 1700 lbs. of sugar. 



