366 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
its weight in silver. 2d. The salt will decompose by heat, and 
the free sulphuric acid will then produce its peculiar injurious 
effects upon the sugar. It was proposed to overcome the first 
of these by the use of the alum of commerce; but while this 
did not overcome the last difficulty, it even produced a new 
one. The decomposition of the salt of alum produced free 
% 
potash to act upon the sugar, as well as sulphuric acid. 
A few years ago at Valenciennes, in France, a manufacturer 
had a process of extracting the sugar from beet molasses, or 
treacle, by caustic barytes. Forty-six parts of barytes was 
used for one hundred parts of sugar in the treacle. This 
formed an insoluble saccharate of barytes, and which, after 
being washed, was again decomposed by the action of carbonic 
acid gas, leaving the sugar in a pure form dissolved in water, 
and ready for evaporation. It was said to be economical, but 
the plan was new, and I am not aware that others have prac¬ 
tised it. 
Various mills and presses have been suggested, but all have 
been attended with difficulties and objections. In the Patent 
Office Report of 1858, will be found a long essay upon the ex¬ 
traction of sugar, by first drying the cane and beet, and then 
extracting the sugar by the use of warm water. Machinery 
for that purpose have been patented in England and in this 
country. Experience, that best of all schoolmasters, has 
taught the inutility of this last, and it is now abandoned by the 
sugar manufacturer. 
After giving one more recipe, which has been so little tried 
that its value cannot be determined, and although it is highly 
spoken of by some manufacturers, it is not difficult to detect 
its defects, I shall give what is the best of all agents for the 
perfect clarification and crystalization of sugar. 
Take of sub-carbonate of potash two ounces, sulphur two 
and a half ounces, best slaked lime one and a half pounds, mix 
them into a paste in an earthen pan or wooden tub, with one 
quart of water, and when thoroughly mixed, pour in ten gallons 
of warm water, stir from time to time, until it is cooled, when 
it may be drawn off from the sediment and kept for use. 
