The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-02-02


5eets into slices one-eighth of an inch
hick, three-eighths of an inch wide
and of various lengths. The sliced
beets now pass through revolving
chute into the great circular diffusion
battery. This consists of twelve
wrought iron cells each holding about
126 cubic feet and having an open
Iaanhole on top with a swinging cover
The bottom is arranged to open and
close by hydraulic pressure.
1t is in this diffusion battery that
the interesting process of separating
the saccharine matter from the beet
is performed. This is done by the use
Of water heated to a certain degree,
from which it must not vary. The hot
water is turned on ten times in sue
cession, each time taking more of the
sugar, until at last ii has extracted
I'll but about one-eigth of one per cent.
OF the sweetness stored in the beet.
The juice now flows to an automatic
register, which records the quantity
and temperature. From the register 1t
passes to heater which is heated 20
so degrees centigrade, and it then
passes onto the carbonators or clari-
flying pans, where a portion of the I'M
purities are removed by the application
of lime, the refuse matter combining
with the lime and settling to the bot
tom of the pan. The sucrate of lime
is then decomposed by pumping car
bonic acid gas through the liquid, thus
in no Of ipfa
Donate of lime. When this operation
is completed the whole contents of the
carbonator, 1850 gallons, are pumped
by means of plunger pump having a
capacity of 5000 gallons per hour
through a mammoth filter press. This
removes the residue of the clarified
ton, the juice being treated twice with
carbonic acid and once with sulphur
Gus acid. In the last process all the
lime is removed. The diluted liquid is
now concentrated in quadruple effect
evaporation to fifty per cent. solution
From here there are two operations.
To make the finest quality of sugar
it is necessary 10 run it over bone
black. which removes impurities that
cannot be taken out in any other way.
After this process the liquid is as clear
as water, and is then boiled into sugar
in vacuum pan. This is a closed
kettle ten feet six inches in diameter
and twenty-three feet high. 1t holds
p tons of sugar In this kettle the
sugar is graduated and forms a pro-
duct technically termed "melada," a
mixture of molasses and sugar, rs per
of tho bo t.
dropped into a mixer, which holds the
entire contents of the kettle The sy-
rup is next thrown off by means of cen
trifugal force. The moisture which re-
mains is removed by passing the pro
duct through sugar dryer. 1t is now
ready 10 pack, and at last we have the
finished product of the Utah Sugar
Company.
We have been watching the process
exactly twenty-four hours, during
which time we have seen the beets
leave the shed and the sugar there
from packed in bags or barrels.
But the Utah Sugar Company does
more than raise the beets and make
sugar OF them. Since the inception of
the enterprise they have experimental
in producing seed, and now consider
that they are far beyond the expert
mental stage, as this year they have
raised about ten tons. The quality is
excellent. and the cost only about two
thirds that of the imported seed. The
methods employed and the difficulties
attending the raising of beet seed were
set forth in previous article 1t is a
Business requiring the utmost care and
wstciifulness, in order that it shall be
kept up to the standard, and beets rails
ed from it shall not retrograde to their
original sugar contents of three or four
Fer cent. Every progressive factory is
me king experiments with various seeds
from all parts of the world, so as TO
attain the very best results 1t is a we'll
known fact that seed adapted to one
locality is not always adaptable to an
other, but Utah seed-growers believe
that their State is so well suited to the
industry that they can grow and ma
ture seed which shall give good results.
IL would seem that their claim is ten
able from the fact that French capital
ist Of extended experience in beet seed
culture intends to locate in Utah and
commence the business, with the ex-
peetation of untimely supplying the
whole United States
The beet sugar industry of Nebraska
was started in 1888 at Grand Island.
but merely as an experiment. In 1889
The State University conducted expert
ments, and the first factory was pro-
5eeted, but it was not until 1890 that
beet sugar was commercially produced
IN any quantity. A second factory, that
at Norfolk, was completed in the fol-
lowing year. and the product has been
increased from about 100000 pounds
il 1850 to something like 5000. 900
pounds in 1895. The financial denras-