Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-02-28
GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
FROM THE SUGAR BEET.

GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
FROM THE SUGAR BEET.
To the editors ofthc National Inteiligeaccr.
| GENTLEMEN: l have the pleasure 10
| submit for publication the enclosed letter
| from the Hon. Fl. L. ELLSWORTH, Com
| missioner of Patents, on The recent inipor-
! tant improvements in the manufacture oi
Beet Sugar. In order that your readers
may the better appreciate the great value oi
these discoveries, will state, in the hreiesl
manner possible, the present system of pre-.
! serving the beet, taken from u recent pulls
cation ON this subject.
| The beets, when gathered, are topped and
| piled on the field in squares, containing each
| about one hundred pounds, before they are
wagoned 10 the factory. The preservation
! of the heeis for four or five months is lads.
pensably necessary for success Of the sugar
| factory, and one which has required the clu-
| sest attention. In order TO this, suitable
storehouses are provided near The sugar
works, iii which they are piled in layers of
| fifteen TO sixteen feet high, and not more,
because the weight of these columns, pres,
sing always on the lower strata, might in
jure them, il increased; and 10 prevent this,
| before the bee,s are brought 10 the store
the floor six inches deep, then piles of these
foot thick are placed eight feet apart, and
in the intervals are slowed the beets; each
pile of brushwood doing the duty OF ven
! tilaior: passage is preserved the whole
length of the building, so thai, in case ofany
| fermentation nj any point, the injured roots
may he removed.
I The beets, when cleansed, which il done
! by hand, are applied TO the rasping machine
This process OF cleansing must take place
near the rasps and presses. in order that the
operations may quickly follow each oher.-
| As fast as the beeis are cleansed they are
| thrown into baskets and carried 10 the rasp,
| but no more can be rasped than are mmedi-
ately wanted, as prejudicial change takes
| place in the pulp from quarter 10 hall an
hour al most, and hlackish color, which
| gradually increases, is the ind icat ion Of this
! change. What is rasped must therefore be
| immediately pressed The rasps must be
kept perfectly clean by repeated washings,
because every portion of juice or pulp " hich
is suffered TO remain on them would soon
serve as leaven to excite fermentation :;
which is one of The great difficulties over
come by the new discovery. These recent
improvements are so well stated by MIR
Ellsworth. that will add no more than TO
make this one remark, that cold climates
beels. Germany, Prussia, and Silesia
where this manufacture took its origin, pro
duce root more pr objective in sugar, than
that of France, and there is every reason to
believe that even Russia is among the high
| ly favored countries for the culture of the
sugar beet.
The Hon. RICHARD FLETCHER, Of
Massachusetts, presented on NJ onday last, &c
the House of Representatives, the memorial
OF Mr.. Fleischmann, referred to by Mr.
Ellsworth, which has been ordered TO be
printed and which will doubtless attract
great astent ion throughout the United States
With great respect, w.
FROM THE NEW YORK OBSERVER.
The letter below from the Commissioners
OF Patents will arrest the attention of all
who take an interest in the progress Of ag.
ricullure or the arts. The fact that a dis
covery has just been made by which nearly
double the usual quantity of sugar Can be
extracted from the beet, and by process so
simple and cheap that refined sugar made
from this vegetable can be put into The mar.
, ket in France for seven cents pound, is
: we'll fitted 10 produce important chan ges in
those countries which depend for their wealll
upon The cultivation OF this great staple.
WAsHINGroN, Oct 10, 1885.
DEAR SIR Since your leaving the city
| l have had the perusal OF late paper pub
lisbed in Paris, containing a communication
from NJ. Michael Cheva.er on the subject
Of beet sugar. II would indeed seem that
we must soon approach perfection, so quick
. ly is one improvement crowding upon IA
mother. The difficult: and tedious process o
ordinary evaporation, with all the concomi-
tants Of blood, animal carbon, &c. &C. are
10 be dispensed with;and instead OF three four
and FIVE per cent. nine per cent. is 10 Ia
surely obtained, in less time and with hal
the expense; il addition TO this, the common
, sugar is retinea withou. any new solution ,oI
even changing moulds.
Desiccalon, or drying of beets, has been
recommended. This is certainly the cor.
rect principle, as much noxious mptter j:
carried off by evaporation, and the bulk o
the beet is reduced five -sixilis, enabling fbt
farmer, who lives al distance from The
factory, TO transport his produce with TIL
fling expense. Experiments made before
The French Academy show that there are il
. 100 pounds OF beet, IS pounds OF water, 5
l0hs pounds OF sugar, 8 l0hs OF muciIoge
and 4 pounds OF tibrous matter. This wa
extracted by NJ. Beyraud 10 eight minutes
by the aid of heat and pressure. In th
= DUchy OF Baden slower process IS adop
ted, and one better suited 80 large establish
ments. NJ Schuelzenbach, nj Baden, cut
, the beeis into pieces one ihi,d OF an inCh a
part, by a vertical knife. These are again
subdiyded ty other sharp knives. AS soot
as they come IN contact with the warm al
they curl Up, and lose all their adhesiv
property, $50 common to some vegeta bles,
and allow a free circulation of heat in tn
kiln Il ilns are heated tn 20 cr 40 ReauJo