Mower County transcript., 1898-03-30
Beet Sugar Making.

. Beet Sugar Making. = .."E |
Mayor F. I. Crane addressed the |
Austin High school last Thursday
morning on the sugar beet industry
IS he saw it in Nebraska.
The sugar beet is a medium sized
pear shaped vegetable, generally whit
sh in color, and containing about 80
per cent of water aud varying
Of sacharine matter, depend
ing on nature of soil, climate, time of
cutting, etc.
Pure seed is essential and two or
three varieties should be planted to
protect the grower against unexpected
changes in weather and-to provide for
an early and late harvest.
The seed is imported each year from
Germany and France. The first
factory was built in l747, but little
attention was paid to the matter till
1878 when VIM. III established an
experimental station at Berlin. Sugar
was made in crude way till about
1872, when the French experimental
school discovered new processes of
production and Napoleon. secured
large governmental aid to growers,
both by direct appropriation of funds
and removal of duties. In Phila-
delphia factory was started in 1880;
but it was not successful, till 1860.
The machinery now used is large and
expensive and much attention must
be given to the instruction OF. farmers
in the growth of the beet in order to
make it's culture profitable.
There is about 8 as much sugar in
the beet as is in the cane and the pro-
cess of extraction is fully as compli.
Gated, owning to the presence Of
foreign substances which must be
eliminated by chemical processes.
At Grand Island, Nebraska, is a
large private plant and the exact pro-
cess is kept secret.
The first step is to determine the
amount Of sugar and degree Of purity
in the farmers supply brought in,
which is done by putting the samples
through a washing process. From
this revolving washer the beets are
taken to an elevator where they are
weighed. Thence they go to the
slasher, which slices them. About
5000 tons are cut each "a hours.
The juices are now extracted by means
Of . diffusion battery and the liquor
is then put through the purifying
process. This juice is treated to a
lime and acid preparation to remove
the impurities, then carried to vacuum
pans; made into syrup and eventually
into crystalline sugar. A series of
steam coils run through these pans
and thus increase the boiling surface
of the apparatus and facilitate evapo-
ration. About 1000 barrels OF sugar
are turned out each three hours. The
sugar crystals are mixed with molasses,
which is removed in revolving ma
chimes by centrifugal force, the
molasses passing out through sieves
on the surface. This molasses is
sometimes reboiled and again sub.
jected to the same process from which
comes an inferior grade of sugar.
The raw sugar is then put through
refining process. This plant at
Grand Island, Nebraska, is owned by
capitalists Of New York City. 1t has
capacity Of $50 tons of beets pei
day and an out put of 38 tons OF
sugar per day. 1t was established
nine years ago :and now employs 17C
men. Operations are continued fol
about 1923 days of the year, and re-
quire 5000 acres to furnish the supply;
eighty wells are necessary for the
water supply.
Farmers raise beets in that vicinity,
because they pay best. The profits
per acre are about $24. The pulp
makes good food for cattle and the
other waste makes good fertilizer
The cultivation is comparatively sim
pie, when one gets the chief principles
and conditions in hand. One man
can care for three or four acres day
Land values have. increased from $25
and $35 per acre to $75 and $l00. II
was difficult at first to get the farmers
to undertake the beet culture; but
now that the protitableness is demon
strated and the necessary instruction
has been given them, they take
up the work with eagerness. The
labor is done chiefly by women and
children, but the returns are such
that farmers can employ any kind O.
labor. -.
The manufacturers make annua
contracts with the growers. BeetE
must yield IL per cent sugar in ordel
to be acceptable, but the compan!
will not pay higher prices for those
having a higher percentage of th'
same which seems to be an unfai
/ treatment TT has been thoroughly