Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-03-22

--Mav Aoror.
THE su0AR SUPPLY
whence It Comes and How II is Prepared
fDr Market-The Beet sugar Industry.
Marcus BENJAMIN In New York Star.
Most Of the sugar that is used In the
United States concs from the West Indies,
chiefly from Cuba, although other islands
Central Amsfsca, aud Brasil and Peru 10
South America, are sugar exporting coun-
tries. Our porte Of eutFy arc New York,
Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore. Portland
and New Haven. San Francisco ID likewise
% port q % entry. and 3. other . s scssrs e. , re-
China, Central America, Peru and Mexico,
The foregoing refers chiefly to cane sugar
hut there also 10 aiargoQuAntityof best sugar
imported Into this country. coming from
Austria and Germany The beet sugar Indus
Try. 10 ono of peculiar historic interest.
Although attention was first called to the
fact that the beet contained sugar by Marg-
graf, q German chemist, In 17I3, It was not
until many years later under the fostering
influence Of the French government that
the industry became . success. The first
Napoleon appropriated i.O0O,0O francs for
spt aside for the cultivation OF the beet. Ger
many bad entirely given up the industry
but protected by subsidies the French per-
sisted In their efforts until they were able 70
export this sugar. It was then revived In
Germany aud Austria, and soon extended
and Sweden. AZ present more than one
third ofall the sugar consumed In the world
ts made In Europe from the beet. In this
country the beet sugar industry has had an
unfortunate experience. As early as 1880
attempts were made to make sugar from
beets In Philadelphia, and subsequently at
NIL wv 1,spf1
but they failed after season or two, with
single exception, and that was In CALI
fOrnis. In 1850 experiments were begun in
that state, and ten years later, at Alvarado,
9 refinery was built, which has since con-
tnued tn n successful operation. In 1887 Mr..
second factory in Watsonville, CAL, which
also has been successful. Within few
years sugar beets have been successfully
cultivated in Nebraska and in Dakota.
According TO the last published report of
the department of agriculture "The coast
and Washington, parts Of Nebraska, West
ern and Southern Michigan, Northern
Indiana, Ohio and New York, and many
parts Of the New England states, appear to
be we'll adapted to the growth of q sugar
beet rich In saccharine matter" It is
interesting to record that In 1747 the saccha-
rine yield of the beet was only So per cent.
while by cultivation nearly 20 per cent. or
three times as much, has been obtained.
Samples Of beets from Grand Island, Neb.,
yielded 1875 per cent. of sugar. A consider
able development Of the beet sugar indus
try Is hoped for in the future, and IL the
present high tariff on raw sugar coming
into this country is continued, with the
growth of the cane sugar industry in
Louisiana and the progress ofthe sorghum
sugar industry, there Is every hope to be.
lieve that ultimately all the sugar consumed
N IN NH 1te La <,r1
tion.
Retu rhing to the raw sugar received in
the United States, which is mostly cane or
beet stgs,fyt enters at one of the ports pre-
viouel4n Stioned, and there 10 subjected
to cdsisa DUTY. For this purpose certain
sugar, and samples are taken from each
mark or consignment that 10 received.
These are packed in small tin boxes con-
tanning pound each, and are sent to the
chemical laboratory connected with the
local custom house. There the saccharine
strength Is determined by means of the
polariscope, an instrument especially adap-
ted for that purpose. And, according to the
returns received, the duty Is affixed. The
crude sugar then goes to the refinery. Be-
fore the refining process, however, the
crude sugar Is obtained by extracting the
instance the canes are chopped into pieces
and squeezed by passing through rolls,
while the juice from the beets is obtained
by pressing the beets and then exhausting
the pulp with water. The juice is then
or desiccated by bringing to the
boiling point with lime in large iron or
copper vessels holding 500 gallons. By this
means fermentation Is prevented. Follow
ing this stage is the evaporation, conducted
chiefly in vacuum pans, and continued until
Thus In very brief outline
Is indicated the steps through which the
juice passes until 1t becomes the beautiful
white crystalline substance which enters
so largely into the household economy.
The crude sugar which comes to this
is frequently dark, dirty-looking
powder. This is brought into solution and
filtered through bone black, and then passes
to the vacuum pans. Large sugar refineries
were in existence in Baltimore, Phila-
delphia, New York and Boston, but in re-
cent years the industry has centered chiefly
In New York and vicinity, until at present
the largest refineries in the world are those
controlled by the Havemeyers and located
in Brooklyn and Jersey City, with offices in
New, York city,
The state boards of agriculture greeted