San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-23


will be fairly good. The coming sea
sons shipment of beeves by rail will be
largely increased by railroad facilities
and the desire OF owners TO get their
stock quickly 10 market. No definite
idea OF the amount that would 60 by
rail could be arrived at.
Sugar Making.
Under the recommendation of the
ex'commissioner Of agriculture, LIE
Duo, Congress appropriated s25, 900
fer tho purpose of experimenting in
the manufacture OF sugar from cane ;
the experiments have extended over a
period of two years. The machinery
used is OF the most approved styles,
and cost $4,000; $50 acres of ground,
partly in the District of Columbia,
were planted with from thirty TO forty
varieties Of cane, and after the failure
OF two crops, the third yielded from
three to four tons of stalk per acre.
Some of the varieties of cane were en-
tirely unsuited to the climate, the soil
was poor, and the dryness of the season
all combining to make q thin yield.
From the stalk used. the total yield has
been about 1000 gallons Of cane juice,
from which is drawn, on an average,
two pounds of sugar per gallon.
The process OF manufacture employed
is the same as in the Southern sugar
houses, and is probably familiar to our
readers. 1t may not be amiss, however,
to give brief outline of the machinery
used in this most interesting manufac.
ture.
The cane is evenly distributed upon
an endless slat belt two feet wide, by
which it is conducted between large
iron rollers, slightly grooved, by which
the stalk is crushed, under immense
pressure, the juice running into tank
below and the stalk fibre being carried
away to another endless belt. The
juice in its first stage is green in color,
and about the consistency of milk and
sweetish in taste. From this tank the
juice is conducted through iron pipes
to the second story of the building,
where it passes through a metallic box
generated with sulphur, the latter act
ing as purifier. A small portion of
quick-lime is added and the liquid then
run into large watts, heated by steam
passing through coiled copper pipes in
the bottom of the watts. AS the temper
allure of the juice rises, 4 thick scum
forms, which is removed by constant
skimming. After beirg boiled for sew
eral hours, the liquid, which has lost
its green tinge and become almost
transparent, is passed into vacuum
pan, where the impurities which remain
after the boiling are drawn off under
temperature of 1909 Fahrenheit. The
vacuum pan is spherical in shape,
about two feet in diameter, and con-
tains coil of copper pipe through
which passes the steam, thus increasing
the heating surface and equalizing the
temperature. At this stage great care
is taken that the juice may not become
burned, as the sugar crystals now begin
to form, and the substance takes the
consistency of thick Cruel. From the
vacuum pan the syrup is drawn off in
square iron tanks and carried to room
kept at temperature of 100 Fahren-
heit, where it is allowed to stand from
eight to ten days, crystallizing, when it
is taken to the centrifugal machine.
This centrifugal machine used at the
agricultural department is believed to
be perfect. The main feature OF this
machine is circular copper pan about
two feet in diameter and eighteen
inches in depth. The outer surface is
perforated with holes half an inch in
diameter. There is an inner lining of
fine pin.hole copper sieving and mid
die lining of woven wire. Through the
holes in these Innings and surface of
the pan, the liquid is forced by the re-
volving of the pan at the rate OF l,50O
revolutions to the minute, the sugar
crystals settling at the bottom Of the
pan, from whence they are drawn and
ready for the consumer in the shape of
fine, light brown sugar. The liquid
portion is pure molasses.
The product of this manufacture is
sold by the department, and the money
turned into the treasury. The appro-
pliation has been exhausted, and the
experiments are now ended in this line,
the result, financially speaking, being
similar to those attained in the tea ven
ture. However, employment has been
given to many laborers, and the money
might have been more foollshly IN
vested.
What Coffee will Do.