Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-03-15

d;ffusion battery, is of a brown color.
ard as it is full of organic matter, it is
sent to cylindrical tanks, where a dose
of milk of lime precipitates the foreign
mGtter and takes out the brown color.
Then carbonic acid gas is passed
through the liquor to rid it of the ex-
cess oc lime and the liquor is put
through filters and comes out a light
straw color. ready for the boiling down
process. The evaporators in which the
juice is boiled down are large tubular
boilers, and with them is a pump for
eXhausting the air of the boilers and
vacuum pans.
The exhaust steam from the engine il,
the heating agent, and the vacuum is
increased as the juice passes from one
pan to the other. After the last boiling
the juice is pretty thick syrup. and
after it has been filtered it goes into
the large vacuum pan, some 10 feet or
more in diameter, where it is boiled
down to the grain.
The sugarmaker, through a peephole,
watches the boiling liquid, and when
the small grains of sugar begin to ap-
pear he adds more of the sirup. and
keeps up this feeding and enriching
process until he has secured grains of
sugar of the required size When this
end is attained the molasses-like mass.
which is thick with granulated sugar is
Jumped into the centrifugal machine.
These are copper drums that revolve at
extremely high speed. The centrifugal
force tends to throw the molasses and
silup and liquid through perforated
walls. leaving the sugar dry and white
behind. This process is aided somewhat
by jetting water into the sugar. and il
is a little trick of some sugar-makers
70 adu Diulns TO the water so as to get
that lustrOus white color which l. the
aim of Sugar-makers.
In most respects the process Of MAKING
cane sugar after the Juice is secured is
similar to that employed in making beet
sugar. The preliminary processes how
ever vary considerably. The sugar
cane-in Louisiana. for instances ready
Tor harvesting early in October Thu
cane cutters. armed with broad-bladed
long Knives, go into the cane fields when
the chemical tests have shown that the
cane is at the required richness of sac
charine matter. The leaves are strippeJ
from the standing stalk with the back of
the blade; the top of the cane is trimmed
off and then the cane is cut as close 70
the roots as is possible.
In modern plantations a narrow-gauge
railroad runs through the cane fields.
wagons carry the cane to the side of the
railroad and the little engine hauls the
tons of undeveloped sweetness TO the
mill. Under the cane shed gangs of ne
groes, men and women, place the cane on
the travelling carrier which conveys it to
the mill, where it is crushed The cane
is crushed twice. in some mills It is
brought back and put through the same
pair OF rollers, but in most mills after
gong through the rollers of the first mill.
Il,
1t is crushed-is conveyed to a second
mill, where it is again crushed. The
bageSse Is sent sent to the boiler room
and burned as fuel.
The juice which runs from the crusbed
cane is sticky liquid, greenish in color
and full of bits of cane, leaves and dirt.
1t runs through strainer into a we'll,
where It is permitted to settle for a little
Whlle before 1t is pumped up into the clar-
liners. 1t Is necessary to get the milk Of
lime into this juice almost immediateIv
after IT flows from the crushed cane, for
Ms tne Juice .Sa begins 1 to ferment instantly
juice thick scum rises, which is
skinned off: After going from one ciar-
ifier to another, and being SKINNED each
time. the juice is pumped into the
the grain. as Is done in the beet sugar
process. After that the molasses and
granulated sugar are put into the centri-
ingai machine. where the liquid is thrown
Off. leaving the sweet crystals behind.
The sugar made at the mills is crude
and unfinished compared to that which
is turned out at the refineries. But re-
timing sugar Is a business entirely dis
tinct from the crushing of the cane and
boiling down of the juice to molasses and
sugar.
The making of maple sugar Is an ex-
treme.y simple operation compared with
that OF making beet and cane sugar All
maple sugar Is practically a homemade
product. although in Vermont there are
concerns that make business of turning
out the sweetness which Is Characters
tically American. There Is much maple
sugar made In the Wisconsin woods, and
the farmers get out in March when the
snow is getting soft and the sap is work
ing itself up toward the treet0ps,
Holes about an inch in diameter are
bored into the tree with an auger, and
the sap drips out In fine stream. Spouts
made of malleabe iron or wood are
driven into the holes and buckets are
placed under the spOuts to catch the
dripping sap. The sap is collected ana
taken to shanty. where it is boiled dawn
in open kettles. The process is crude and
the sugarmaking season is a time of fes-
tival with the farmer folks. The sap Is
boiled until the crystals begin to FORM
the liquid is dipped out and the sugar is
ready.-Malcom Mcdowell In Chicago Re-
cord Harold