Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-06-17
beet sugar Industry-NO. =.


ORGANIZATION.
In some cases the beets are stored in |
pits, or silos, on the farm in others they |
are transported directly from the field to
the factory, where they are stored in the
immediate vicinity or used if needed. The
pits, or silos, are trenches dug out Of the
ground in a suitable locality, selected with
reference to its convenience, dryness, ease
of digging and drainage. They are dug
from two to i've feet deep, and six to ten
feet wide, and any desired length. The
width and depth are determined by the
convenience Or economy in the digging
The bottom is sunk few inches lower in
the middle and with sufficient fall in its
length for drainage, with outlet at one or
both ends for that purpose. Poles or rails
are laid close together across the bottom
which are covered with little straw. This
is now ready for the beets which are piled
carefully so as not to bruise them, until the
trench is full, and as high above the surface
as the trench earth will cover. Chimneys
or air holes are formed every twelve to fif-
teen feet with poles or boards these start
on the poles at the bottom, extending to the
top. AS long as the weather is favorable
and no frost is apprehended, all that is done,
is to cover the beets with straw or other
suitable material to protect them from the
sun, before the cold weather sets in. The
DIRT which was thrown from the trench is
put OF the beets of sufficient thickness to
prevent them from freezing, and cutters
are now formed along the sides to prevent
the surface water running into the trench.
The air chimneys are kept open all the
time, except in very cold weather. The
important objects are, to prevent freezing,
keep them from the light, free from moist.
ure and ventilated.
The manufacturing commences in Sep
tember or October, as soon as the beets are
harvested, and is continued about four
months, if the supply of beets are on hand.
AS the Spring approaches, the difficulties
of making good sugar increasee, as also the
percentage decreases. In other sugar pro
ducng plants the manufacturing is contined
to few weeks so that the beet has a large
advantage in this increased length of time
of manufacturing. The process of manu-
facture 80 far as can be stated is at
follows The beets are first examined, al
unsound ones being thrown out
and then passed through washing ma
chine, after which they are reduced to
pulp with a very fine toothed rasping ma
chine. From this the juice is expressed
with hydraulic presses or separated iron
the pulp with centrifugals. (lhe latter i
less expensive, but not quite so effective
The processes from this, on until the puri
fed white sugar is produced are Of such a
intricate and delicate character that bu
very imperfect idea could be cor
Yeyed in this article. Heat, lmt
- carbonic acid gas and bone black, are IL
principal agents, with suitable M
chinery, adapted for these very interestiI
operations. And these are the result
years of practice as well as experiment, Il
expenses of which were borne and b
persevering labor performed by France al
Germany, and are now ready for our ado
tion in its present perfected condltio
That improvements will be added here m
be fairly expected, as labor-savlng m
chinery is our forte, as also our necesslt
1t would probably pay only in that directio
The factories vary in size, the smalle
producing about one ton of sugar per ga
the largest from forty to ffty tons per Ga
The average in France, Germany, Austr
Holland and the Tollverin, being six tor
Russia one ton, and other parts of the %
tinent, three tons per day. Tney contln
in operation without intermisslon night a
day, (Sundays excepted) through the whC
season, thus making nearly as many hoI
in the YEAR as the ten hours per day usl
in other industries, in this country. U
valuable feature of these sugar factories
the establishing of numerous industl
villages centres of social and intellect
life, whose influence on society is esteem
very beneficial. 1t has checked the flow
the country population to the large cities,
it furnishes employment at good wal
during the winter, as well as many Of
social attractions of the cities.
The capital invested in the factories p
ducing six tons of sugar per day, is fir
$50, 900 to $40 900 for buildings and l
machinery, and for those producing
ton per day from $4,000 TO $4,000. Z
rf 6g FOR gix IN,
very from 80 to 40 to each turn, and
one ton factories from to 10 to each tn
according to the system used hydra
presses or centifugals. Amongst these
two to five skilled experts the rest
common labourers and children The cos
labor is very close to quarter of a Gel
ID of sugar. The coal consumed is al
two ton Of coal to one ton of su
The bone black is almost as expen
as the coal, but the lime and oil
material is but trifing The pulp made a
the Juice is extracted is twenty per CEN
the beets in the six ton factories, it w
be eighteen ton, and the g
ones three tons per day. This is
cellent food for cattle, and Is u
mixed with small quantities of 0
food, at the rate of so lbs to each stee
40 lbs to each COW der day. These fs
ries thus furnish daily food, the large
for 504 head of steers, the small ones
"a head, and it will be plain to every
that this is vast source of supplying
nure as well as profit from fattening E
Or for varying purposes. 1t requires a
800 acres OF beets to supply the
factory and 100 acres for the small ones.
pulp is kept when not wanted for immet
use, for an indefinite time. 1t has bee
kept for two years by putting in-plts 1
for that purpose. There is also anC
source of profit, the beet leaves, W
amount to from two to three tons per
II plowed in, they enrich the land, al
saved for cattle, they equal the pul
quantity, and exceed it i'll value, espe(
for milch COWS.
Some of the factories and the contig
land is in the same ownership, but in
cases they are only partially supplied
this source, and depend largely or
neghboring farms. Contracts are us
made with the farmers in the spring, fC
product of certain number Of acres ol
Of beets, and also for the sale of the
waste for feeding stock. In some locs
the factory is owned and operated by
company of neighboring farmers. II
more frequent in Germany, and is fou
work well. These general facts, conv
Imperfect idea OF the character, import