The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-02

within reach of people of moderate MEANS
| a tablespoonful of it added to any sugar
| solution being sufficient to transform the
latter into maple syrup. AS a matter of fact
the false articl, is sold at the price of the
| real and the consumer suffers as usual
| The sugar beet now yields more than half
of the 6,750000 tons of sugar produced an
| nually in the world. The production of
| beet sugar in the United States last year
| was A O00, 900 pounds. In 1891 it was only
| 100000 pounds. 1t is rapidly growing,
while the output of the sugar cane is stand
ing still. The cane can be grown only in
the far SOUTH On the other hand, millions
of acres in this country, between the AID
and 4Sth degrees of latitude, are as well
adapted to the sugar beet as any land Oh
the earth We pay to Germany $16,000,000
per annum for beet sugar, which Is pro-
duced in Prussia on the same line of lati-
tude as frozen Labrador.
THE DISCovERER OF BEET SUGAR.
A Fenchman named Achard, $50 years
ago discovered that sugar might be profita-
bly, obtained from the garden beet. He de-
voted his life to the development of what
was destined to become gigantic industry.
But, as is apt to be the case with discover
ers, he met with nothing but misfortune.
He died too soon to see the ripening of the
first fruits of his efforts.
The ordinary garden beet contains 5 or 6
per cent of sugar. However, it's sugar-pro-
ducing capacity has been developed by Gull
tivation to such an extent that the i'm
proved vegetable now yields from IL to 10
per cent, or as much as the sugar cane.
This result has been accomplished by the
selection of seed. When the beets are har-
vested few selected ones are picked out
and preserved. Choice is made of those
which are perfect in form, with long and
tapering roots. smooth on the outside and
weighing about one pound. These are
stored away until spring, when their quail
tiles are tested by cutting from each one
a small plug. This does not impair the
vitality of the beets. Those beets which
are found on analysis to contain most sugar
are planted out to produce seed for the next
years crop. They are called mother
beets.''
By this process of artificial selection, car
ried on year after year, variety, very rich
in sugar, has been obtained. The sugar
beet is now grown in California, Nebraska
and Utah. After the beets ARE taken from
the ground, the leaves are cut off, together
Will bIo HICKS. Ing uoCk 1COutdluS tOo
much potash and other mineral matters.
The roots are then washed in a machine
SO as to remove every particle of dirt, after
which they are sliced and sui mitted to an
elaborate process for the purpose of separat-
ing the juice, condensing it, and reducing
it to crystals. The exhausted slices, termed
Chips are used for cattle food. The
waste material is enormous in quantity.
l.@fo ~ IA; fo,
sugar cannot be made profitable unless the
refuse is disposed of for forage.
The juice is expressed from sugar cane
by heavy rollers. A large mill will crush 500
tons of cane a day. The residue is used as
fuel in the factory. The cane contains
ninety per cent of juice, but only about sew
enty per cent is extracted. The juice is
carried to clarifying tanks, where it is
treated with lime to neutralize the acids in
it. 1t is concentrated by heat to syrup,
which is evaporated to form crystals. The
crystals are separated from the molasses by
centrifugal force in revolving baskets of
fine wire. The molasses runs through the
gauze, leaving the crystals behind. In the
process of refining, the sugar is decolorized
| by passing it through bone charcoal.
COST OF FOREIGN SUGAR.
We paid S120,000,000 to foreigners last year
| for sugar which might just as well have
| been produced in the United States. In
other words, that amount of money might
as well have gone into the pockets of Amer
| lean farmers.
| The time will doubtless arrive before
many years when the United States will
| produce all the sugar consumed in this
country. A vast area now being drained in
southern Florida is destined to be one of
| the greatest sugar-growing regions in the
| world. 1t is capable of producing more
| sugar cane than is grown on the island of
| Cuba. But the chief dependence of the fu-
| ture will be the sugar beet, for the cultiva-
| ton of which unlimited lands of a suitable
| character are available. All the refined
sugar now made in the United States is
| turned out by few large establishments
| under the control of one company, which
calls itself the sugar trust.
| An important New England industry is the
manufacture of rum from molasses. This is
| largely exported to Africa. For every miss
| ionary who goes to evangelize the dark con-
tinent a cargo of rum is sent to stimulate
| the natives.