The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-06-03
Cur 0lio.
Sugar-A Glance at Its History,
Production and Manufacture.

/ Rogers, the president, introduced Mr. Jacot
A. Dresser, who spoke upon the "History
Production, and Manufacture of Sugar.
Mr. Dresser first referred to the very
early knowledge of sugar in China and In
dia, and the fact that before 1000 A. ID
the substance and the cane had passed into
Arabia, Egypt, and Cyprus. Thence il
passed probably along the northern coast Of
Africa, and by the Moers was taken into
Spain. Its use in Europe does not appear
to have been at all general until introduced
by the returning Crusaders BY Spain and
Portugal it was transferred to the West
Indies and Brazil. The cane was probably
not Indigenous to America. The wonder
full development of the production of sugar
from the beet-root has taken place in Eu-
rope almost wholly during the present
century
The entire amount of sugar produced in
Europe is from the beet, aud amounts to
/ 500, 900 tons, being fully three-fourths OF
the 100000 tons now produced for CON-
mercial purposes in all other countries from
the sugar cane. the original source of the
substance
The advantageous growth Of the sugar
cane seems to be confined to the belt with
in about 30o both north and south of the
equator, with occasional variations coincid-
ing with the isothermal lines, and an aver
are temperature Of seventy-fve to seventy
seven degrees.
That Of the beet, as illustrated in Eunpe.
seems to range between 45a and 55S north
latitude, but in our own country the range
will. no doubt. be found, when developed,
To be essentially below that. corresponding
with the difference in the isothermal lines,
perhaps more nearly from 350 to 45o. In
this hast season some 500 tons of fne
quality were produced in Maine and Mas
sachusetts.
As statement of the total sugar pro
dmction Of the world il max be said that
each Of the great central eunpire=-Franoe,
Germany, and Austria-prOduees about
400 600 tons, equal together 10 200 900 {,
Russia, 30 600; Belgium and Holland
100 n00-tosal, l,520,00t Cuba, 6tt0,-
coo; Brazil, zoo goo; pemerAra, Surinam,
and the Windward Islands adjacent, 400
0aa and our own Louisiana and the Sand
wich Islands, l50, 900 toHs. This gives as
from America $50 600 tons Europe, L.
53D 900 tons EAst of Coed Hope, 100
0oO--tosal. 3.5TO,000 tons.
Cua6ning ourselves 90 the consideration
If the ordinary sugar of commerce, cane
sugar, so-ealled. no description seems TO be
Necessary, excepting perhaps Ia say that
the crystal where perfect Is rhornboidal. Of
four or SIX sides. terminating IN two or three
sided submits, and. when allowed To eFys-
tallize under favorable circumstances, may
attain length uf one or one sad half
inches. although such are rarely seea. Its
specific gravity i l-6.
Mr.. Dresser next prccreded to discuss
th. whalts@lsneaeSs Of cane sugar, aud said
that Whilc in the absence Of nifrugeDous
matter il did not otfer any nutrinsns Ia
the nsa~cslSF system, il dssss offer large
supply Of heat, and i admitted 10 be fat
toaing in lis qualities. also, statistics show
that . consumption q IS 10 SO pounds Of
sugar per person annually produces mn III
eHects
Oar views Of the prsc=s of extraction
and manufacture viii be more eonplete if
We begin az che sugar cane oF the bses roet.
The krst claims prevalence for many rea-
Sans. - We take the cane Il contains
about 30 per cent Of juice by weight, Of
which about n per cent is susceptible a
but this Is never realized in
pEaeiice.
The 6rst problem Is 20 extrsct the juice.
tbs next to clarity it or purify il as far as
possible then 10 concentrate the juice, or
this solution of sugar, ia water with certain
impurities BY evap@zating the water then
10 facilitate and induce capitalization of the
sweet principles therein, - far a. we can
then 10 relieve these CRYSTALS of the mother
liquor from which they have sprung, and
which will then BE- molasses, and some Of
which viii continue 10 adhere TO the erys-
tais unless removed By external force and
appliances
At this point we have what Is called
Museoyado sugar, raw sugar, OF, perhaps
more properly, sugar of irst production, as
il has been made in Cuba aud elsewhere
for many years According 10 its treat
meni from this point onward il may remain
A. Mascovado, OF become either clayed or
centrifugal sugar, and is 80 recognized in
commerce. The fFst process, that Of ex-
tracing the juice, has been accomplished
very imperfectly in various simple ways;
the mosf primitive being still used in the
Easi, and scarcely superior to the mortar
and p,stle, and quite similar thereto, ex-
eepsing that the pestle or its correspondent
is made 10 revolye BY the power Of oxen
diaeonally around the side of the mortar
upon which the cane Is held and crushed.
But the mill with upright wooden roll
lers, similar to our cider mill. seems very
early TO have been devised, and both forms
are said now to be in use in India and
China
The great advance in science and the
mechanic arts in the Western world has
given Us now the magnificent and well-nigh
perfect iraa mill, driven generally by steam;
and visitors 10 the Philadelphia Exhibition
may remember some examples Of those ex-
hibited there of giant size and strength.
Another method of extracting the juice
from both cane and beet, by diffusion,
so called, long known and more praetieed
with the beet than cane, is perhaps quite
as effective,
In this the canes are cut in diagonal
slices, and exposed to successive water baths,
BY which nearly all the juice may be re-
moved at the expense of increasing the
amount of water TO be eyaporated before
crystallization twenty or twenty-five per
cent
Next, the juice thus obtained, eonstitu-
ting at best perhaps sixty to seventy per
cent of that in the cane, is TO be clarified
or purified. that is, freed from mechanical
impurities and foreign matters aecompan-
ing it in the cane such as albumen and
certain salts and acids derived from the
soil. Great dispatch is necessary, because
in exposure the nitrogenous materials ra-
pidly induce fermentation.
Clari6cation is accomplished, by heating
in large vessels, formerly by open fires, but
often now by steam.
By the introduction of lime the acids are
neutralized, and by the heat the albumen
is eoagulated, and the impurities brought
up and removed by skimming, which
completes the Qualification after little time
for subsistence.
The next step is TO reduce the volume