Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-26

slrup. As matter OF TACT. the false article
| Is sold at the price of the real. and the
| consumer suffers as usual.
The sugar beat now yields more than
half of the 6,IJo,oO0 tons Of sugar produced
annually in the word TIE production OF
beet sugar in the United States last year
was 44.O00.oOo pounds. In 1891 II was only
6000000 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. mil
( lions of acres I'm this country. between the
AID and 4sth degrees OF latitude, are as
well adapted to the sugar beet as any land
S on d ,ae n earth hive We pay to Germany se
| is produced in Prussia on the same line Of
| latitude as frozen Labrador.
The Dfscoverer OF Beet Sugar.
A Frenchman named Achard. $50 years
ago, discovered that sugar might be profita-
bly, obtained from the garden beet. He
devoted his life to the development Of what
was destined to become a gigantic indus
try. But, as Is apt to be the case with dis
coverers. he met with nothing but mis-
fortune. He died too soon to see the ripen-
ing of the first fruits Of his efforts.
The ordinary garden beet contins or
| per cent OF sugar. However, its sugar-pro-
ducing capacity has been developed by
| cultivation TO such an extent that the i'm
proved vegetable now yields from II 70
| 10 per cent, or as much as the sugar cane.
This result has been accomplished by the
selection of seed When the beets are bar
vested q few selected ones are picked out
and preserved. Choice Is made Of those
which are perfect in form, with long and
tapering tap roots smooth on the outside
| and weighing about one pound These are
stored away until spring, when tnetr quail
tiles are tested by cutting from each one
a small plug. This does not impair the
vitality OF the beets. Those bets which
are found on analysis to contain most
sugar are planted out 20 produce seed for
| the next years crop. They are called
mother beets."
| By this process Of artificial selection car
ried year after year. distinct variety,
very rich in sugar. has been obtained The
sugar beet is now grown In California, Ne
braske and Utah. After the beets are taken
from The ground, the leaves are cut OF. to-
gether with the necks. The neck contains
| 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 Submitted 70 an
elaborate process for the purpose of separat-
ing the juice. eondenstns II: and reducing
IT TO crystals. The exhausted slices termed
/ Chips" are used for cattle food The
waste material is enormous In quantity. Of
course, and the cultivation OF bests for
sugar cannot be made profitable unless Die
refuse Is disposed OF for forage.
The juice IL expressed from sugar cane by
heavy rollers. A large min VIII crush 500
tons of cane a day. The residue In used as
fuel in the factory The cane contains
Il
seventy per cent IL extracted The 5uice IL
carried to clarifying tanks. vhsre il II
treated with lime TO neutralfze The ac1ds IN
II. II is concentrated by heat 70 a syrup.
crystals are separated from the molAsDeS by
| centrifugal force in revolving baAkets OF
fine wire The molasses runs through the
gauge, leaving the crystals behind In The
process Of refining, the sugar Is dscDioxi.sd
| by passing IL through bone charcoal
The Sugar Cane.
The sugar cane 10 a kind OF grass Joint
ed reed. about twelve feet high ordinarily.
When ripe. it bears a tassel Containing
minute seeds. In this country 10 u grown
in Louisiana. Texas and Florida In the
FIRST two OF these states the taSsel b not
developed usually, the climate not being
warm enough to rfpen the plant perfeefy.
In tropical countries the cane attatns a
height OF twenty feet sofneftme& The reeds
are planted in rows eight feet apart Ths
seeds are not used for propasatSon At the
joints are germs called eyes and these.
when planted. produce the canes. The lat
ter do not stand upright. but are bent over.
A ripe cane field is a beautiful stght-A
dense jungle OF almost tnpenetrzbls
verdure.
Nearly hundred kinds Of sugars are
know n. according to Prof. Wiley. % whom
the writer is indebted for much OF his In
formation. Few OF them, however possess
any economic value. After cane sugar. do
rived from the sugar cane and from beets.
glucose Is next in commercial importance
Forty million pounds of maple sugar a-s
made IN the United States annually. The
sap. fresh drawn from the tree contains
from TO per cent OF sugar. OF sugar
from the sorghum plant 100000 pounds
were produced IN this country last year
chiefly IN Kansas. sorghum like sugar
cane. is kind OF grass. BY selection OF
been increased in I'VE years from u per
cent TO IL per cent.
The fiavors OF the various sugars are Que
to certain volatile others. Raw beet sugar
has a very disagreeable smell because Of the
presence of others which are removed in
the processes OF refining. On the other
hand the others peculiar to maple sugar
give to 1t in a raw state its delicious quality.
All sugars. when highly refined. have the
same taste and appearance. The bounties
paid to farmers of the United States for
raising sugar have cost the government
about S,5oo00o a year. The bounty 70
cents a pound for sugar that poIar ises al
so or over on a scale OF 100. The polarfscope
tests the strength of the susar-that h. the
percentage Of sucrcse or pure sugar which Il
was determined by their color. but this
method gave rise to frauds People i'm
ported white sugar that had been colorsS
artifcially so TO look like brown sugar
bleaching IL afterward
Cost of Foreign Sugar.
We paid $40 600 600 to foreigner last
year for sugar which might Just a.
wei have been produced In the United
States. In other words. that amount of
money might as well have gone into ths
pockets of American 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 70 be one OF
the greatest sugar-grcwing regions IN the
world. II is capable Of producing more
sugar cane than is grown on the island OF
Cuba. But the chief dependence OF the
future will be the sugar beet. for the culti-
walton OF which unlimited lands OF a suit
able character are available. All the re-
fined sugar now made In the United States
is turned out by few large estabhshments
under the control OF che COMPANY which
calls itself the sugar trust
An important New England industry IN
the manufacture OF rum from molasees
This is largely exported TO Africa For
every missionary who goes TO evaneelize
the dark continent a cargo OF rum a. sent
TO stimulate the natives. Drunkenness ana
| religion are thus propagated in harmony.
Queer GoinEs-on i'm Chile.