PRACTICAL PAPERS—SUGAR-BEET AND BEET SUGAR. 243 
“ It already contains four per cent, of sugar ; but the beets having eight 
per cent., it will again equalize itself, and when forced into the third vat will 
contain six per cent, of saccharine matter. In this way the water becomes 
more and more impregnated with saccharine matter, until it contains almost 
as much as the beet itself. To return to the first vat, we find that the first 
application of water extracted one-half, or four per cent, of the tugar. 
When this water was forced into the second vat the fresh water which forced 
it out and supplied its place extracted two per cent, more before the saccha¬ 
rine matter became equalized between the water and the beets. This water 
is then forced into the second vat, and the fresh water which supplies its 
place finds the beets containing but two per cent, of saccharine matter, and 
the next filling finds but one percent., and in this way the sugar is extracted 
to within one-ha'f of one percent. 
“It is said that by this process the raw material is much purer than when 
extracted by any other method—that from the same beets one-half per cent, 
more crystallire sugar is obtained than by the application of pressure. The 
expenses for cloth, and the cleaning and renewing it, are entirely done away 
with ; the expense for motive power and machinery is considerably reduced, 
and the expense of manual labor is much less, requiring but one quarter of 
the number of laborers necessary for the pressing purpose. 
“In the United States, where labor is so expensive, this innovation must 
prove of incalculable importance. The only thing required in this new pro¬ 
cess, not necessary in the old, is an additional supply of water, an article tol¬ 
erably plenty and cheap wherever this manufacture is likely to be introduced 
in our country. 
“That this process is really the great improvement claimed no longer ad¬ 
mits of dispute. Mr. Roberts has thoroughly tested it in his factory, and has 
adopted it, as have also six other factories, two in Austria, two in Prussia, 
one in Russia, and one in Bavaria.” 
VARIETIES OF THE BEET. 
The beet, which is a native of Turke}^, is a half-hardy bien¬ 
nial plant. Its roots attain their full size daring the first year. 
The seeds are produced from transplanted roots, after which 
the plant dies. 
According to an analysis of the beet by Professor Payen, it 
contains— 
Per cent. 
Water. 83 5 
Sugar in solution. 10 5 
Cellulose and pectose. [g 
Albumen, caseine, and nitrogenous matters. 1.6 
Malic acid; pectine ; gummy substances; fatty, aromatic and color¬ 
ing matters; phosphateof lime ; phosphate of magnesia ; silicate, 
nitrate, sulphate, and oxalate of potash, &c. S.Y 
100.0 
