Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-03-28
RURAL6EC0NOMY.
From the Farmer d. Gardener.
EXTRACTION OF BEET SUGAR.
GIp1njnp
Cleaning.


and gravel which may be left adhering to
them, and of the small filaments and the
parts of the neck attached to ii. This is
the object of the cleaning, which is done
in the following manner. \ woman with
very sharp knife, the blade of which is
about two inches long and two or three
broad, cuts off the radicles, takes up the
parts of the neck which have been left
in the beheading, and scrapes the root
lenethwise, to clear it of the earth. When
the beet is too large to be fixed upon the
rasp, the operator splits it lengthwise and
divide, it into two or more pieces. Two
women accustomed 10 the work, cut and
clean three thousand roots when small, and
double when they are larger. The loss of
weight by the cleaning is about six to sew
en- per cent. of the gross weight.
flashing.
The factories which can command a
sufficient supply ofwater, commonly make
washing follow this operation of cleans
ing. The washing is economically done
in a large cyliaarlcal box, the circumter.
cnce of which is formed with stats OF wood
at intervals of an inch and a half. This
cy Under is enclosed in a cistern full of wa
ter. About two quintals of beets are put
in at time, and they are perfectly wash
ed by some turns Of the machine. This
washing is not Indispensable, only when it
is omitted more care must be given 10 the
cleansing of the bee,s. For if 1t we're
done negigen,lv, and any earth were let.
attached TO the roots, the teeth OF the raSp
would BE- injured. The MY use OF washing
is to give beets to the rasp in the best con-
dition for it.
The pulpy roots are, properly speaking,
spongy masses, the holes or cellules OF
which are filled with juice. The spongy
tissue, which commonly makes but three
or four per cent. Of the weigh OF the root,
is wholly composed of parenchyme or
woody fibre. Compression merely, how
ever strong We may suppose it, is not sulii-
cient TO break this tissue and extract the
LIQUID matters contained in it. 10 effect
this, it must necessarily be subjected to the
action of a machine which shall cut it up,
and open the greatest:possible number OF
these ceIlules. Experiments have in fact
shown that the greatest pressure will not
obtain more than 40 Or so per cent. of the
juices OF beets, whilst the pulp obtained, by
the action of the rasp on these roots fur
nishes from rs to 80 per cent.
Rasmng Of Beets.
The mode which was first fought of to
facilitate the best division of the beet was
to boil it. This also was the same NJ. Ar
chard had invented, who, after having
boiled the bects in vapor and reduced
them to paste, tried to express them. But
the minute division of the pulp, which was
nothing but clear paste, presented anoth,
er inconvenience. Itwas then impossible
to separate the juice from the parenchymc,
this passing through the bags in which the
paste was enclosed to be submitted to the
press. it was therefore necessary 10 re.
turn to rasping the root.
The apparatus, which, in the factories
of beet sugar, and in those Of the icculac
of potatoes, bear the name of raspS are
composed of plane surface, cylindrical OF
conical, according to the particular dlspo'
sition of the apparatus, armed with rows
of teeth SCI particularly. The surface,
revolving on an axis, receives from NOV
ing power very rapid rotary motion, by
which means it tears the substances sub
iected to its action. In some cylindrical
machines the swittness is so great that ii
makes 500 revolutions in minute.
The form Of these rasps and disposition
of the blades is very various. The teeth
are sometimes placed on the outer surface
When the surface is cylindrical, we give
it a horizontal position; when its form is
conical, the axis or the cone is vertical.
The object that we must cndeavor to
obtain in the rasp is the greatest possible
division of the beet; more juice is obtained,
and OF consequence more sugar, in given
quantity of roots. But it is also necessary
that this operation be executed in shor,
time, and by the waste of the least power.
Among all the rasps which have been tried
hitherto, those which seem to unite in the
greatest degree these different advantages
and which we ought particularly to men.
,ion arc those of NJ. NJ. Burette, Thierry
NIolard, Jr. and Odobbcl.
The rasp of Mr.. Burette, uniting to per.
lection of work, great simplicity and a
moderate cost, which makes it suited tc
small establishments-the price being but
400 francs. we will give short account O.