The record-union., 1897-02-07

forated plates covered with burlap.
and in this process all the foreign, solid
and coIoring matters are deposited.
After this it is subjected TO careful
treatment with sulphurous acid, and
then a filtration leaves it almost coll
orless and ready for the evaporating
| process, where it is boiled by steam
| heat in vacuum. Then it is passed TO
the vacuum pans. where the vacuum
and heat are greater, and When the
| process of granulation has been car
| ried to the proper point, which is de-
termined by the sense OF touch, the
viscid mass is passed through the CEN
| trifugal machines Here the molasses
is thrown off, then the damp sugar
crystals are dried by hot air and packed
for shipment.
This process, intricate as it may seem
to the layman, is rapidly accomplished.
The beets go into the factory to-day;
Tomorrow they are pure white granu-
lated sugar, ready TO put into your
coffee.
1t requires between seven and eight
tons of beets to make one ton of raw
| sugar. The pulp, i. e., what is left OF the
called pulp, i. e.. what is left of the
beet after the sugar is extracted, is
an excellent fodder and in Germany
and France is returned to the farmer
in part payment for his beets. In Cal
ifornia it is only partially utilized, but
a little more experience will demon
strate its value as food for stock.
THE MONEY SIDE OF THE BUSI-
NESS IN CALIFORNIA.
To oil ;,,,,, .,,1f
question: Does the manufacture of
sugar in California pay? Those of you
who held shares in these enterprises
can answer this question better than |,
for unfortunately for me, not being a
stockholder in any sugar company, l
have not had access to the books, |
| have, however, gathered a few figures
which I believe to be correct: Seventy
seven thousand tons of beets produced
II 900 tons of sugar, i. e., seven tons
of raw material made one ton of sugar.
To produce these II 900 tons of sugar
there was an outlay for fuel, lime, la
Dor. etc, of 100000, i. e., it took $500
900 to transform 900 tons Of beets
into 1,COO tons of sugar, being cost
of SIS per ton for the manufacture of
the sugar Add to this the cost of the
beets, al 81 per ton, and it requiring
seven tons of beets to make one ton of
sugar, we have the cost of material
SIS; cost of manufacturing, SIS; ada
for errors and omissions, 81 80; and we
have the cost of one ton of sugar,
S47 90
The price obtained for this sugar was
S6I 30 per ton; deducting above cost
of SiI N nd ha no
profit of $50 per ton ON 1000 tons,
equals $220, 900 for one season as a re-
turn upon a capital of say 81 ,000, 900,
or say - per cent. per annum. If this
estimate is 30 per cent. too high we still
have a profit of II per cent, and we
know that capital is we'll pleased with
a return of 10 per cent. per annum.
These figures are not surprising wnen
compared with statements from two
factories in Germany. where the annual
profits for 1890 are shown to be 30 per
cent. and Is per cent. respectively. To
purchase 1900 tons of beets at 81 per
ton, it requires S30S, 900; to work the
same, $500, 900; consequently the work
ing capital should be half a million.
and 100000 will pay for the requisite
plant, consequently a properly equipped
beet sugar company requires a capital
Of say 81 600 600. Sugar however is
cash article, and a company with in
telligent financiering could be we'll con-
Quoted upon a capital of half that
amount, for the season is short, say
four months and the working outlay is
soon recOuped. 1t is quite within the
range of probability to state that some
of our local sugar enterprises have
earned 30 per cent. per annum upon the
capital actually invested. And this in
spite of the fact that we have not yet
in California a manufactory construct
ed upon the most improved methods.
1t is supposed by many that we are de-
pendent upon foreigners for the neces-
| sary machinery, but 1T has been demon
strated that the American machinist
can supply everything required. and
there is little doubt that when the in
ventive genius and the practical facu-
! ties of the skillful Yankee are called
into play that even present methods
will be much improved.
| CAPITALS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
With the splendid returns awaiting
| investment in this industry, why is
| it that there are only three factories in
California? The answer is that this is
| the beginning and, as in every other
| field, it is necessary for some one to
pioneer and clear the way. Aside from
a financial considerat ton, the industrial
benefit to the State would be enor-
nous, for it is estimated that 5000 in
| habitants directly and indirectly par
| ticipate in the disbursements of a sugar
| factory.
| The proposition is now demonstrated,
and 1T will not be many years before
California s sugar crop Will have be-
come scarce, and she will return to
wheat or whatever may be more prof
| liable. To say that there is to-day an
over production of sugar in the world
may be true as compared to the con-
sumption; but the chea pening of the
price in all Europe, except England.
may increase the consumption to mere
than double the present figures. While
| the Englishman is eating seventy
pounds of sugar, the Finlander uses but
one and one-half pounds, the Spaniard
| five, Italian seven. Russian nine, Ger
| man twenty. Frenchman twenty
seven. If all these people could buy
their sweetness as we do. they would
probably have none to sell to US, and
we could distribute among our own
people the gold we are sending abroad
1t will doubtless be conceded that it
would be wiser for us to buy our sugar
| from our own people than to purchase
it abroad.
SOME SUGAR INDUSTRY POLITICS.
In order that we might attain this
desirable position, the Government of
the United States in 1890 made a con-
tt4a ri with fba nc,nlp er,s.ai,,er 80 ~