, 1863-03-06
THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
FROM
The Sorghum and Imphee Canes
BY II. IF. BENDER.

Hr hs - AENDxtas
Will the saccharine matter Of the Sorghum |
and Imphcc canes crystalize? Can this opera
tion be done to a profte These arc |
questions now daily asked? Let us inquire
under which condition tho same is possible. |
The crysta!izing capacity Of asaccharlnc juice |
depends on the kind or kinds OF sugars COM
posing 1t, and also in the quality aud quantity |
of constituent admixtures or non-susars,
Chemistry has made us acquainted with Tari- |
ons sugars, Of which these two, cane and
grape sugar, come here under especial notice. |
Cane sugar crystalizes in the shape well |
known as rock candy, and pure white loaf
sugar may be called its representative.
Grape sugar is contained in great many yeg-
etable Juices, also with cane sugar, In nll the
syrups Of America; it grains with difficulty,
and the crystals are Of small aud underlined
shape. When mixed with cane sugar it inter-
lercs with the crystalization Of the latter, and
1t is assumed by 1eduers that one part ofgrape
sugar prevents one part Of cane sugar from
granulating strongly enough for profitable
work, or in other words, a syrup or juice,
containing equal parts Of cane and grape sug-
ar, is worthless for sugar making and only fit
for syrup. What sugars constitute, then, the
juice Of the Sorghum and Imphcc canes !?
What is their proportion7ss amounts These
once understood, and the solution Of which
might bc attained by th9wcll directed 1abors
Of few chemists, in single season. But thus
far only few chemists have given to this in
portant matter passing notice.
DR.. G. A. Goessman, in pamphlet on the
Sorghum Sacc1aratnm, ,says that the saccharine
matter Of the Sorghum Is altogether crystal
lZ.ble, as is cane sugar.
From my own experiments, feel Induced
to differ with him. Having operated on
fresh cane, IS well rs on syrnps, by means Of
the Fedmer Fehl1ng method, i am satisfied that
thejuicc Of the Sorghum and Imphec contains
in this respect, SO materially from tile sugar
Of the Southern canes and Of the sugar beet.
Which are all Of the crystllizable kind.
The grape sugar amounts to about 173 10
II of the whole saccharine matter, or still
less, as tue case probably may be with some
gFanulatlng tendency. All the canes seem
again to have less grape sugar, when fully
maturcd. It is asserted that the Juice grains
most easily when the seed is in the dough- the
intermediate sEltC between SO1tnc65 and lard
ness. But this has to be verified.
We may safely assume that one acre Of we'll
cultivatcd1and produces 200 gallons Of syrup,
equal to $50 pounds, Of which twenty-five
per cent. is water and new sugar. The
saccharinc matter amounts, hence, to 1,725
pounds
Suppose that onc.fourth Of it we're grape
spgaf, say 43l pounds, they vii prevent :i III
pounds Of cane sugar from crystalization, and
b62 pounds would be Obtaiucd as the vicia of
good sugar per acre
Suppose that one.third of the saccharinc
matter were grape sugar, these 575 pounds
acre. In the tirst example We would obtain
besides the sugar, q yield of see lbs. mo1as-
acs; in the second, Of ], $50 lbs.
J. s. Lerering, the well known relner, of
Philadelphia, will have obtained, By actual
experiments, 1,2221 lbs. Of sugar and II gals.
Of molasscs~ This will show still fafrcr pro-
portion in favor of cane sugar. ltwoull also
show that there must be some excellent spc-
cics Of cane amongst us. Ofthe great variety
If Sorghum and 1mphec canes introduced,
there is no doubt that some have detcrioratcd,
| either by hybrjdis1n or By aceilmation.
! The transplanting Of new plant to new
| ard perhaps less congeninl climate and soil,
cxerts at first an injurious effect on the vital
| principle and its products. 1t cannot be dc.
| nied that these canes show now tendency to
Improve; and they will continue to do SO the
more their nature is understood. Ourtarmers
arc also all alive to the Importance to procure
pure seeds Of superior kinds; so there will b(
! every prospect Of better canes under cu1tiya
ton. If also our chemists will take hold e
the matter ind contribute their part, l har
no doubt TINT tb. :..-'aslabl,lty Of the Sorghum
and the 1mphce for the manufacture =. s.:;a
will be settled during the ensuing season.
The above stated comparative amount 0
I
good land, and yield Of SG3 and 575.lbs. Q
good sugar respectively per acre, aside Of tn
| Inolaescs, ought to be relied on. With bette
cane better yield ought to be expected; an
| the question arises now:
Wly lave on- efforts thus far been crownes
with such indifferent success? 1Fhat is tn
| cause Of our ,failure2 lie answer is simpl
and close mt hand.
I hayc above stated that the ciyrstalizinl
capacity ofa saccharine juice depends aiso o.
the quality and quantity Of constituent Al
mixtures; To Illustrate tlls, let us take th'
This Juice contains, if fresh, only cane suga
and no grape sugar; yet it contains larg'
amount Of falts Of potash, pcctin, albumcn
and other matters. and but for these tn
manufacture Of sugar from bects would bt
connected with NO g, more difficulty than from
by the retner "syrup forming substances
because they have direct tendency to inter
fcre with the granulation Of the sugur; part
y mechanically, partly chemically, By tAei
combining with the sugar and forming un
crystalizing compounds. Whilst some Q
them are apt to produce chemical change 0
the sugars, they undergo rapid changes them
selves, and unless removed quickly from tn
juice, they become difficult Of separation
Now, to the well understanding Of ties
!. principles, owes the beet sugar nlauuEactur
its great success. These substances are #
:. moved by refining Of Juice at the con
menccmcnt Of the operations when such I
vet most easily accomplished, and then a
firsta concentration is attempted. Withou
; this previous refining process Of the Juice
, yield Of a black, saline, unpalatab1c molasse
would be the result.
Now the Juice Of the Sorghum and Inaphe
. cane is analogous to that Of the Sugar Beet
. this respect. 1t contains an emouut Of 91b1
!. minous aud nitsogcnous matter, equal to ths
! is not quite as large; hut tLis advantage
6 countcrbalauccd by the presence Of the graz
? sugar.
The heterogeneous matter Of the sorghu1
: amounts to about per cent, varying prol
3 ably somewhat with various canes and soil
n It forms principal part Of tho green ar
i white scunls. Every manufacturer and opc
E ator on the small evaporators, know ho
heat will gradually and slowly separate, 1t par
l. ~ from tic juice, and how easily. it may
iucUf1fQll1tN Will HEuLls ucfCT 10 DE lullS 7
moved again. Mechanically diffused throus
= the liquid as m oralesccnt Shiny mass, 1t is
1 obstacle to the growth Of the crystal chen
< cllly it tends to change the cane into graz
= . engar. 1t is most important, that this sn
5 stance Ehonld be separated from the juice,
It soon Is it ly:4vcs the crushcr. Only prop
u u clarihcation with the use. of boneblack will
E feet this.
OF the saline matters, the salts Of pota
u u and soda are the most obnoxious; they :
te not uute 50 easily removed by the refini
process nldrag through il, producing stnea
. the Soil, soil too rich In these matters oug
to b. avoided. This explains why sol
= soils rroauvc 70 much more easily sugar tt
others; tAough.they ina7 be equally good
. eyrups.
4. A perfect naturalization Of the acid in I
juice is also Of importance.
Tie need not wonder that the efforts
It manufacture sugar from the Sorghum had bt
IL unsuccessful The whole proceeding consi
w. cd in the boiling down Of the juice to sgt
thickness, without taking any particu
y notice Of removing the syrup forming Ell
- stances nj the proper time or ey the proi
III III means. They were left in tho Juice, and
o1: corpozated with the sugar in s,ch man,
q ct that separation Of these, or Of the sugar
K: K. not NOR: possible. We may SAT that Am.