Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-05-22
Communicated.
The Sugar Interests.

diH NWotG ttATiU sOW nhT"t .
ers who have not ut some time OF other,
perusod my letters In various Journals, iiti-
der the above heading ! now propose
through your Kindness, and highly intiu.
ential columns, to cay few words upon
the manipulation Of tliia, our important
staple. 1 win endeavof to be as laeonic
as possible, at the same time not loose
sight Of lueidity, and what advance Is
Intended more to edify, than to please; at
any rate Ii viii be tho feault Of many years
practical experience. There arc now III
use In Louisiana, a variety Of modes for
the manufacture Of sugar, although am
acquainted with them, | have nothing to
say, pro or con; enoh have their admirers,
some are good others are failures. In.
stead Of discoursing merits and dement's,
/ viii proceed to say, all sugar makers are
aware that heat earbonixes the contents OF
a battery, that various plans have been
concooted to obviate carenelixation caused
by surplus calorie, that slow evaporation
and langnid ebulition make syrups dark,
protractad boiling (of the smallest qusntl.
ty) tlarkens the strike; | may also add
that all impurities contained in cane juice
have tendency to color IL, and the lon-
ger they are allowed to remain In contact
with 1t, the more will they change it,
Hence no one can deny the value of speedy
and effective clarifcation, and tho itapor-
tancc Of settling systerns for the juice to
remain at rest awhile after defecation, SO
as to allow Il to preciptate foreign mat.
ter, aud assume Its natural appearance,
that Of 7,aie sherry soi,se. Cane juice be-
comes darkened by oxydation, and by be-.
Ing kept whilst cold in iron vessels, II
therefore bchoves the sugar planter to
cause 1t to be mnde hot as soon as posi-.
BILE.
Now oil these difficulties can be easily
overcome, oil you have TO do 10 to purify
the Juice without loss Of time by simple
heat, and no chemicals whatever, and then
concentrate very briskly, do this speedily.
and at as low temperature as possible,
and good results must follow. Ii Is I'M
material whether you make twenty pounds
or twenty hogsheads at strike. To boil
at very low .emperatae in open kettles
presents no difficulties. In the molasses
sugar manufactures Of England and
Scotland, the use of open vessels exposed
to scorching naked fire in connection
will, Knellers patent blowing apparatus,
and they boil at 1902 r. but I must al
once explain this machine and its opera.
ton. It is powerful blowing instrument
worked by the engine which forces Q
large quantity Of mir through perforated
tubes. immersed IN the fluid The at
mosphere thus introduced passes through
the juice, absorbing an immense quantity
of moisture which It very rapidly conveys
off ss vapor thus It causes rapid evap'
Grafton and keeps the contents OF the Ret.
tie cool which would otherwise acquire
very high temperature. think ! have
now proved pretty clearly that hot juice
cannot be oxydised, that pure juice will
keep long time almost colorless, that car
bonization aud carromelization can be
prevented, that 1t is Of no import whether
you boil so gallons or $4,000 gallons TO-
gether. &C., &c.
The most important part, am now
about to come to. and one which will
cause some surprise to the old school ol
sugar makers, however, despite all this
am bound to proceed in the same course
I have persued for years. ! promulgated
sirailar theories long time ago through
the pages Of the N. O. Tropic in my let.
tiers upon sugar id disguise. II is this
lime darkens sugar. It makes small and
confused grain. and much molasses.--
Why then do people use il !? have ask
ed this question Of SO many, and never
having received any satisfactory reply
that I once more condemn its use. II
cane juice is unwilling to part with its
fecula, lime won make it; it may nntral'
ize free acid-heat win in all cases evap'
orate it. If the juice in the kettles ap'
pears dirty and impure, dirt and silica
will not clean it--a slight sprinkle O
cold water will. The reasons for this are
as simple as they are effective; ask any
broker aud he will tell you that sugal
made without lime always commands the
highest market price. And experience
teaches that 1000 gallons Of juice yeilds
more sugar when made without lime thar
when made with il.
WILLIAM +. WILKINS
Opelousas. 11th May, 1852.
ENcr.1sH NoBILITY AMorG Us.-Amons
de late arrivals 1t New Orleans. are Lort
and Lady Wharnclife, and the Hon. Mis-
sfx1c,stcx, their da,,uhfnr the latter ladl