Year: 1861

Important Discovery in Sugar
Making.
From the American AgriculturaIist


In a late number of the Journal d' Aq-
ricuVt're, the editor, NJ. Barral, speaks Of
the new process of NJ Rousseau fer the
fabrication of sugar. as being likely to
cause revolution in this branch of indus
try. We are inclined to receive with dis
trust the glowing accounts that the French
are wont to make of their great discoveries,
yet we cheerfully acknowledge that some
Of these have proved Of great advantage to
agricultural science, and hope that this
new process may, on further trial. be
found to possess all the merit claimed for
1T, and that our western farmers may be
able to use it successfully in the manufac-
ture of sugar from the sorghum. The
chemical agents employed are cheap, have
no injurious action on the human system
or the saccharine juices. The repeated
filtrations through animal charcoal, which
are now used for refining sugar, are said
to be unnecessary. and the evaporation of
the syrup can be effected in simple appa-
ratus,


The juice that is extracted from the
saccharit arous plant is generally colorIess
as long as it remains IN tAe cells of the plaat
but changes rapidly on exposure to the
air, because it contains albumenoid mat
ters and other substances, which are col
ored brown or black by the action Of
oxygen. NJ. Rousseau removes the aIbume-
nod matter by heating the saccharine juice
in boiler with three thousandths of its
weight of sulphate of lime plaster of paris)
pulverized. When the liquid reaches 212o,
all the coagulated matters rise to the sur
face and unite in a firm head, and perfec-
tly clear juice remains, which may be drawn
eff The juice if left exposed to the air,
viii become as black as ink, and if from
to s per cent, Of hyprated peroxide of iron
be stirred IN, 1t is freed il few minutes
from all the changeable organic matters
and continues for an indefinite period col
oiiess. Nothing now remsins to be done
but to evaporate the water and thus obtain
crystaized sugar. NJ. 3arral remarks
that be has been able to Try the expert
ment only in the laboratory, but he has
tried it enough to satisfy him that the ap-
plication on ii large scale Will be successful.
In subsequent number O; this Journal be
reaffirms his belief in the value of this
discovery and says that he has made val
liable sugar by this process. He moreover
says that ii a few days an experiment will
be made on large scale, and in Septem-
Der next, after the gathering of the beet
crop this process will be employed in one
OF the large sugar houses in France, and
several farm sugar houses will be fitted up,
which the farmers can visit, and ascertain
for themselves all the profit that they can
derive from this discovery. This process
has no pereeptible effect in removing the
coloTing matter of brown sugar after the
juice has become oxydized by exposure to
the air the repeated fltrations through
animal charcoalare then necessary to refine
the sugar.


We will here mention, for the benefit of
OR western friends, the remarks of an ex-
perienced sugar refner of this city, that
one reason of the failure to make sugar
from the sorghum, in many cases, is that
the whole stalk is ground up, top and all
whereas the top should be cut off, and only
the main body of the stalk ground. The
top often contains an acid which hinders
the sugar from crystalizing, but does not
prevent the making of good syrup.


GOOD BEDDING FOR STOCK.


A good deal has been said within the
past twenty years about stabling cattle on
floors made of scantling or poles placed SO
that the dropplngs and wet would pass
through and fall into cellars or boas from
whence it could readily be carted. 1t has
been argued that the animals were kept
more dry and healthy, and that they did
not need straw or litter for bedding Ex-
perience is the true test in cases Of such
! kind of practice, and little common sense
observation soon dissipates the theoretical
notions of the inexperienced In some
cases where these kinds of floors have been
put down, they have been taken up, and
good plank flooring put down in their
places.


In the summer let an animal be turned
out, and it will pick out dry sandy knoll
on which to lie down. In winter turn a
lot of cattle into yard with sheds. some
OF which have straw, and others that have
no straw spread on the ground, and it viii
be found that the strongest animals invar;-
by ta'te possession of the best Uttered
sheds, and make for themselves lair as
soft and comfortable as the material will
afford. That animals in stables have not
the same choice is no reason that they do
not prefer it. In late communication to
the Country GentIenan Levi Bartlett re-
ours to this subject and quotes the follow
ing two authorities


I'm late number Of the Journal of the
Royal Agricultural Society, England, is