Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-12-18
THE SUGAR BEET.


AS considerable interest is being man
Tested in the beet sugar industry it may
be news to many to know how the beets
are reduced to sugar, hence the process,
as CLEANED from the Bee, is herewith
given: The beets are dumped into q
flume full OF water and foated to the mill
by means Of paddle wheels, which also
1 assists in washing the dirt of the beets.
/ When the beets reach the mill they are
taken automatically into hopper and
elevated to the top Of the building. A
stream of water runs on the beets
all the way up to the top OF the
building, and by the time the top Of the
building is reached the beets are
thoroughly cleansed. After reaching
the top the beets are put into hopper
which is full of knives, and are cut into
slices about the size Of slate pencil
The slices are then put into sheet iron
cylinders, each holding from three to
four tons. These cylinders are con-
nected with each other by means OF iron
pipes. When they are filed with sliced
beets The steam is turned onto the first
cylinder, and as it passes through each
succeeding cylinder ii takes out sacchar-
inc matter or sugar, which collects in
the last cylinder, from which the liquid
is pumped into still larger cylinder.
The liquid is then treated to solution
of quicklime, after which it also receives
a charge of carbolic acid gas. This acts
on the lime. precipitating it and Clearly
ing it and taking off all foreign matter
and the color also. This liquid thus
purified is pumped into cylinder and
the process repeated. 1t is next put in
to six evaporating boilers, SO placed that
the syrup runs from one to the other.
When drawn from the last boiler it is
granulated sugar with syrup in it. This
thickened mess is then discharged in CEN
trifugal machines which revolve very
rapidly, throwing the syrup out, leaving
the crystals clean and white. The crys-
tails are then put through rotary drum
cylinder similar to a -four bolt. This
cylinder is heated with steam and at the
further end the sugar is rolled out into
barrels, the pure white granulated sugar
of commerce.
From the time the beets are weighed,
| it takes just eight hours for them to go
through the mill and have the sugar ex-
tracted. The syrup that is thrown off
by the cylinder is put through the mill
j again and makes second grade of sug-
| ar. The residue OF the pulp, after being
steamed, is pressed into cakes. 1t makes
\ excellent food for stock and is sold for
that purpose.
A ton of beets will make $50 pounds OF
A sugar, worth in the market today 81
cents per pound. In addition to this the
state of Nebraska pays bounty OF two
cents per pound on beet sugar. There
is bill before congress which is expect
ed to pass offering a national bounty OF
one cent per pound. The factory pays
81 per ton for beets delivered and the
sugar made from the beets is worth $25,
leaving profit of about 80 on each ton
to the owners Of the factory.
i The beet business will evidently be-
come the chief business in the United
States. We grow corn, beef and wool
and export them, and the ships bring
back cargoes of sugar. Our beet pro-
! duce 25 per cent more sugar than Euro
pean beets.
About 5000 acres of beets were plant
ed in Nebraska Sthis year. The hoi
winds destroyed half the crop, and the
remaining half viii produce from 30 te
so tons per acre.
q The expense of cultivating an acre Of
beets is from $40 to $50. Irrigated LAND
4 in this state will produce annually an in
come of 800. About 100 pounds O
beet seed were distributed among Dako
ia farmers last spring, and from essays
made at Grand Island, Dakota beets
were found to be equal in every respec
to the Nebraska sugar beets.
Il Wade Hampton, the disting uished con,
federate general who has represented
South Carolina in the United States sen.
ate since 1879, has been defeated by the
alliance forces in the Legislature of bis
state, and one 4, II. M. Irby viii sue
coed him in the senate. In subsequen
issue the ADyHRTIsER will give Mr.. Ir
by's biography.
Breyet Major General A. H. Terry
died at New Haven Tuesday morning
from Brighta disease. He was past 8;
years of age, and had been on the retired
list since 1888. He was a gallant sol
der and an honored citizen.
8 Col Otis has been ordered to appea
before the retiring board. The Indiai
x,.,.,... i, - -. 1y.,lf J,.ata,,a7 +ho an,,a a