Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-07-04
SUGAR BOUNTY.
Govern ment Aid for the Beet sugar
Industry.

cultivatirg sugar beets in Nevada,
especially in Lyon county, and We
again call attention to the results
obtained from it in California, where
the industry is yet very young. In
this connection, and in illustration
of the growth of an industry that
may be inaugurated in Nevada the
following from the San Francisco
Bulletin is given:
The bounty to be paid for the pro-
duction of American sugar is auth
orized by the Tariff law, commonly
known as the Mckinley bill. The
law provides that the producers of
sugar which tests 80 deg. by the.
polariscope shall receive bounty
of 2 cents per pound, and those pro-
dueing sugar testing less than go
and not less than 80 deg. shall re-
ceive a bounty Of II cents pound.
According to documents now filed
with the. Internal Revenue Collect
or, there are at present about 5000
acres of sugar-beets growing in Cal
ifornia. The product of this acre
age, if all things are favorable, will,
according to estimates, be between
10000 and $4,000 tons of beets, and
fully 10000 tons of crude sugar,
and this output will bring nice
little sum from the United States
government, in accordance with the
new sngar-bounty law.
It's estimated by Clause Spreck-
els that at least II per cent. Of beets
become, after the various processes
of crushing and refining, refined
sugar. According 10 this estimate
California should yield during the
year at fair calculation about H.
600 tons, or % 100000 pounds of
refined sugar, which should bring
from the Government Treasury into
California something like $4,000.
! TESTING THE SUGAR.
The testing of sugar to ascertain
its saccharine strength is an inter-
estimg operation. One would think
that the way to discover how sweet
an article is would be to taste it.
It seems rather odd that the degree
Of sweetness is demonstrated by the
sense of sight rather than the sense
of taste. Such is the case, however
The inspector looks at the sugar
through peculiar little instrument
and discovers the amount of sach-
arine matter in it. The instrument
is called polariscope. 1t some
what resembles a small telescope,
and is about eighteen inches long,
and is mounted on a stand. The
operation of testing seems very
simple, yet it is very wonderful.
A certain amount of sugar is plac-
ell in a certain amount of water and
allowed to dissolve until it becomes
almost clear. The solution is then
transferred to an oblong bottle,
which is placed in the instrument.
The inspector stands a lighted lamp
before the opposite end Of the polari-
scope and looks through the instru-
ment. 1t is seen that the ray of light
from the lamp in passing through
the bottle containing the solution of
sugar is refracted to one side at a
considerable angle. He moves one
end Of the polariscope until the ray
of light is Strengthened. The move
ment Of the instrument is registered
upon n scale whereon is registered
degrees. If the scale marks 80 de-
grees when the ayof light becomes
Strengthened, it is. an indication
that the sugar possesses a saccharine
strength of 80 degrees. The maker
of the sugar from which such a
sample is taken then becomes en-
titled to a bounty of cents per
pound.
The W Grid k.nriched.