The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-12-21
sample Of this sugar, which was made
in twelve hours from the raw beeis. !

sample Of this sugar, which was made
in twelve hours from the raw bee,s.
The process used is diffusion pro-
cess. The beets are carried from the
silos, or covered pits between the rail
road tracks, through cemented sluices,
through which stream of water rushes,
to an opening in the wall of the build
ing where an Archimedean screw ele-
Yates them to the wash, which is a
long trough, through the centre of
which shaft revolves on which is a
spiral line of wooden pins, which agi-
tate the beets in the water, and the
same time carry them to the further
end of the trough, where an elevation
takes them to the top story of the
building. Here they are caught in a
receiver similar to cart body, which
dumps when full, and at the same time
registers the weights Of the beets.
They are received in the pulper, where
a series of grooved knives on a shalt
slices them into shreds finer than
goose quill. The pulp passes into
series of fourteen tall cylinders, which
constitute the diffusion battery. Here,
warm water is passed repeatedly
through each cylinder in succession
until the water has taken up all but a
trace of the saccharine matter. This
dense waite is now boiled in evapor-
ators mixed with milk of lime to
certain point where it is injected with
carbon di-oxide, which precipitates the
lime. The clear liquid is then drawn
off and passed through series of fill
ters to still further clear it of impuri-
ties. 1t then passes to the vacuum
pans, where it is boiled in vacuo at a
low temperature to the point of per-
feet crystalization. The mass of crys-
talized sugar and syrup is then run
into series of centrifugal machines,
operating on the same principle as a
cream separator, where the molasses
is thrown off and the pure white crys-
tai sugar is retained. Each charge
OF centrifugal is enpted, as finished,
into trough through which screw
scraper revolves which conveys the
sugar to and through the heated dry
ing cylinder, from which it pours out
the fine granulated sugar ofcommerce.
1t is now weighed, 100 pounds in a
bag, and each bag is branded and
numbered by the government in
spector for the bounty. The uncrys-
talized liquid thrown off by the cen
trifugals is as yet an entirely waste
product, though it could doubtless be
evaporated into good syrup. The
pulp after being emptied from the
diffusion battery is sold to cattle
feeders at IS cents per ton, but would
be worth a great deal more here. We
saw 1000 steers being fattened with
this pulp and corn meal. The cattle
eat it greedily and their condition
shows it to be nutritive food. An
other product now entirely wasted in
Nebraska, but which would be of great
value here, is the potash and lime
cake, collected in the purifying pro-
cess. This contains all the potash
and mineral matter removed from the
beets, and the lime used in the work.
This must be valuable fertilizer, but
the Nebraska farmers can not be in
duced to haul it away, though | feel
sure that it is just what their black
sandy soil needs. The average pro-
duct of sugar at this factory is stated
to be 165 to 40 pounds per ton of
beets, and as the careful breeding
up of the beets is continued the pro-
duct may be expected to increase.
The owners of the Nebraska factories,
who are experienced sugar makers from
louisiana, are enthusiastic over the
beet, and believe that in time it will
entirely supplant the cane for sugar
making. There is an abundant capital
now ready to embark in this industry
in the South, which only awaits the
determination Of the question as to
what points are most favorable for the
industry, and where the beets can
best be grown in quantity to pay the
farmer and quality to pay the manu-
facturer. To determine this, it is pro-
posed to place selected seed in the
hands of careful men in various sec
tions, under intelligent supervision, SO
as to test accurately the production
and quality of the beets. There will
be no broadcast scattering of seed to
all applicants, since experience has
shown that no accurate results can be
had in this way. But the tests will be
made with care and scientific accuracy
the coming season, and the probabili-
ties are that North Carolina may Sc
cure one or more of the proposed fac
tories. We think every encourage
ment should be given the enterprise,
and that it will open up for our peo
pie source of agricultural profit as
yet hardly conceivable.
Respectfully submitted,
w. F. MASSEY.
Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly
f.,r To