West-Jersey pioneer., 1872-05-03
BEET SUGAR.

ONCN
of manufacturing sugar from beet roots,
we are glad to notice is receiving attention
from the press Of the State and fayorably
commented upon. The practicability of the
measure is already assured, but the question
OF labor, on which depends to great ex-
tent the profitableness of the undertaking
will have to be decided by experiment. At
present the West Indies, Brazil and State
OF Louisiana, are the principal cane sugar
manufacturing districts in the world In
China it has been prepared for centuries,
but even with the remarkably cheap labor
of that country they cannot compete with
the better climate and superior mechanical
facilities OF the planters in the former
places. The sugar cane grows to far greater
richness i'll the West Indies and Brazil than
in China, which enables producers there to
extract larger per centage of saccharine
matter
The manufacture of beet sugar was first
attempted in France, at the time of the
wars OF Napoleon which cut off the ordinary
supplies of cane sugar. 1t is now largely
manufactured there and also in Germany.
and is rapidly assuming an important place
among the industries of the world. The
American people have invariably made use
Of the cane sugar and necessitated it to their
wants, but that affords no excuse wby beet
sugar should not become equally as service
able and sold at much lower rates. The su-
oar cane cannot no cultivated f,, f.ox.
tropics, while beets can be raised in most
any climate in great quantities. They do
not require as much attention as the culti-
vation of cane, and it is therefore natural
| to suppose that, though the latter contains
about eight per cent. more saccharine mat
ter than the sugar beet, the saving which
can be thus effected in labor will more than
balance the difference between the auanti
| ties OF saccharine matter each contains. In
the absence of practical tests we cannot
draw strict line of comparison between
the two crops, but we cannot see WHY this
manufacture should not be made to pay.
The war now going on in Cuba and which
has been in progress number of years has
seriously interfered with the production of
sugar in that island and increased the prices
OF this indispensable article. Planters who
attempt the cultivation of the cane do it at
great risk, and this combined with the fact
that great many mills and factories have
been destroyed precludes the possibility of
any reduction in prices for some time-it
may be years. A question therefore of
great Importance to the American people is.
Can we manufacture our own sugar and
abolish to some extent our present depend
ence upon foreign manufacturers ?'' Sugar
exists IN carrots, turnjps, pumpkins, beets
and other vegetables which can be grown in
great protusion and with little care in every
State in the Union in New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio and other States the sugar ma
pie aboupds from which a first-class quality
of the article can be obtained but in New
Jersey the best vegetable we can expert
ment upon is the sugar beet, and its sue
cessful manufacture in California and Wis
consin should stimulate our farmers and
capitalists to give it trial. Col Patter-
son. of Philadelphia, we believe, undertook
the manufacture of sugar from beets on his
extensive grounds in the southern part of
this State, few years ago, but with what
success we have not been informed. The
first attempt ever made in this country was
in 1880 by a company formed i'll Philadel-
phia, but it failed because the managers
lacked practical information on the subject.
which can now be readily obtained In
1888 a company was formed in Northamp-
ton, Mass, which produced small guam
tity, but the experiment ended there from
some unexplained cause. The cost to them
OF raising the roots was estimated at S42
an acre, the yield averaging thirteen tons
to the acre-a trifle over So per ton. In
1864 another attempt was made, this time
in Illinois, where 400 acres of land were
planted, which yielded 1000 tons of roots
at an estimated cost of less than 81 per ton.
and the saccharine matter contained in the
roots was found to be equal, if not superior
in quality to that Of European roots. There
does not appear to be any good reason why
this manufacture cannot be successfully in
augurated in New Jersey.
Prof. Cook has done good service to the
State in calling attention to this matter,
and his letter which contains many valuable
suggestions should receive wide circua-
tion. We shall watch with interest any de-
velopments that may be made in connec-
ton with this important manufacture
Ne,cork Courier.