152 Manufacture of Sugar from Beet-Root, 



salts are the only constituents to be noticed; these are always 

 present in the juice, and are the great obstacles in the process of 

 manufacturing — the one being the great inducer of fermentation, 

 and both opposing the process of crystallization. These com- 

 pounds exist in several different conditions ; the two principal 

 ones, as far as our object is concerned, are, albumen, which 

 coagulates at boiling point, and is removed in the defecating 

 operation — and another of a peculiar nature, which, when exposed 

 to the air, either in the sliced root or expressed juice, is rapidly 

 oxidized, becoming first red, then brown, and lastly black. The 

 other compounds have no particular action, and seem to be very 

 irregular in their proportions. The salts will be noticed in 

 Section IV. 



Section III. 



^'Manufacture of sugar according to the latest improved processes 



The process of sugar-making from beet-root may be divided into 

 two parts — the extraction of the juice from the root, and the 

 extraction of the sugar from the juice. The first consists of three 

 operations : — 

 Washing, 



Rasping, grating, or slicing ; 



Pressing, or macerating, according to the process followed. 

 The second consists also of three operations : — 

 Clarification or defecation ; 



Filtration — this is usually performed twice, the syrup being 



partly evaporated before the second takes place. 

 Crystallization. 



Washing. — The first operation is to thoroughly cleanse the 

 roots of any foreign matter in the shape of soil, stones, or manure 

 that may be attached to them. This may be effected by a ma- 

 chine similar to that used for washing potatoes — CrosskilFs is 

 perhaps the best — care being taken that the water shall be 

 changed as often as may be necessary. This is an important 

 point to attend to, on account of the subsequent operations of 

 rasping and pressing — the first of which would be prejudiced by 

 any stones or grit remaining attached to the root, while the other 

 would be affected injuriously if the expressed juice or liquor 

 were tainted by any organic matter remaining after the washing. 

 The process of rasping is now always preferred to either crushing 

 or slicing the roots, the great object being to break up all the 

 cells in which the sugar is deposited, and this is effected in a 

 greater proportion by the rasp than by any other process. The 

 form of the rasping-machine should be cylindrical, and arrange- 

 ments should be made that the roots are supplied to it regularly 

 and with a slight pressure, so that they may be kept in con- 

 stant contact. Practice has shown that the higher the speed at 



