Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-11-06
Beet Sugar In Maine.

Last winter the legislature of Maine of
fered subsidy, or premium, of $1,000
year, for term of years, to any person or
company that should introduce the manu-.
facture of sugar from the sugar-beet into
that state. Both capitalists and farmers of
our sister state have taken hold of the mat
ter in earnest. The machinery has been
provided by the Forest City Sugar Refinery
of Portland many hundreds of tons of the
beets have been grown by the farmers, and
already sugar of the finest grade is being
turned out by the hundreds of barrels, the
product of Maine farms, and the first prac-
teal effort, on large scale, to test the ques-
ton whether this industry can be naturalized
in New England.
The subject is of so much interest and
may easily become one Of so much impor-
lance, not only to Maine, but to the other
New England states-Vermont not the least
that we reprint from the Maine Farmer
its account of the opening work at the fac
tory in Portland, as follows:
." In July last the Maine Beet Sugar Com
pany commenced the work OF fitting up the
necessary appliances for the production of
sugar from the beets. This was done in
connection with the works of the Forest
City Sugar Refinery in Portland, of which
Geo. S. Hunt, Esq, is the agent, he also be-
ing President Of the Maine Beet Sugar Com
pany. That they have pushed the new and
somewhat novel enterprise with energy and
capacity, is attested by the fact that on
Monday of this week. October 81, 1878, the
works were started up under the direction
of Ernest Tn, Gennert, the gentleman to
whom is due the credit of the Inauguration
of this enterprise
"The works consist of two batteries, each
of twelve tanks or cylinders, seven feet in
height and forty inches in diameter, ar.
ranged in row on an incline, one tank be-
ing about one foot higher than the one next
below it. These tanks are made of the best
wrought iron-having been constructed in
Boston for the express purpose, and provided
with the required water and steam piping
needed in the manipulation of the beets. Be
tween these batteries runs track, on which
car conveys the tanks, whether loaded OF
empty, from their position in the battery to
the shoot from which they are filed with
the sliced beet, and back again. These tanks
have perforated bottoms, and when set into
their receivers, which are just large enough
to hold them, the water when put into thu
receivers of course fills them completely.
"The beets received at the factory ar,
elevated TO the fifth story of the building
where they are cleansed from dirt and fibre
by means of stiff brushes and II one coulC
see the quantity of dirt that comes from
them they would readily understand why
discount OF ten per cent in weight is mad
on the beets received. Here they are fe'
into hopper which slices them into shred
of about one-fourth of an inch by tw
inches, this shaving apparatus having bee
imported from Germany for the expires
purpose. 1t runs with great force and doe
Its work most thoroughly. The sliced beet
drop through shoot to the battery tank
below, each tank holding about three-fourth
of a ton, and weighing, when ready to b
conveyed to the battery, in all, somethin
over ton. These are filled In sixteen mil
utes and are handled by manual force b
means Of an improved tackle and fall. but