IOIO 



The Production of Beet Sugar. [march, 



resulting syrup forms the by-product called "molasses" or 

 agricultural treacle. 



Waste-waters or " Effluent."— The waste water that is 

 pressed out from the used pulp and also that from the diffusion 

 battery is liable to cause trouble by giving off noxious gases 

 produced by the fermentation of the organic matter. To 

 avoid this the water is usually treated with lime and an iron 

 salt, and then allowed to run out into a series of "settling 

 ponds," together with the water from the "washer," etc. After 

 being allowed to remain for about 3 days in one pond or basin, 

 the water is run into a second and so on until a fairly pure 

 liquid is obtained. It is sometimes then run across a meadow 

 and into a stream. 



The "Steffen" Process. — Factories fitted with this patent 

 process differ from the ordinary ones in having the diffusion 

 battery replaced by a trough fitted with a revolving screw, by 

 means of which the slices are slowly moved through the 

 trough, while in contact with hot water or hot raw juice. 

 This is known as "hot infusion." Not so much sugar is 

 extracted, but the advantages claimed are : — 



(1) That the initial outlay is less. 



(2) That the resultant dry slices contain 30 per cent, to 35 

 per cent, of sugar instead of 5 per cent, to 6 per cent, in the 

 ordinary slices, and therefore a higher price can be charged 

 the farmer per ton. 



(3) That the working expenses are less, because it is the 

 last portion of the sugar that is the most difficult to obtain 

 and crystallise. 



It is sometimes worked in conjunction with the diffusion 

 battery, and the manufacturers informed the writer that the 

 extra cost was about ,£7,500 for a 600 ton factory. In this way 

 it is claimed that almost the whole of the sugar can be extracted. 

 If sugar is cheap, the "Steffen" process can be used alone. 

 Very few factories seem to be fitted with this process, however, 

 and it does not seem to be popular at present. A well-known 

 authority in Germany informed the writer that the price 

 asked for the "Steffen slices" was too high in proportion to 

 their actual feeding value, and that in practice the extra 

 sugar did not give such good results as might be expected 



