Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 19.djvu/264

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
252
THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.
Firmenich's, Buffalo 4,000 bushels.
Buffalo, Buffalo 5,000 "
American, Buffalo 3,000 "
Higher, St. Louis 1,000 "
Peoria Refinery, Peoria 2,500 "
Peoria Grape-sugar, Peoria 850 "
Davenport, Davenport, Iowa 1,500 "
Freeport, Freeport, Illinois 1,500 "
Duryea, Brooklyn 1,500 "
Sagetown, Sagetown, Illinois 250 "

At that time, also, there were in process of construction nine factories, with a total capacity of twenty-two thousand bushels daily.

At the same time additional machinery was in process of erection in the two Peoria factories, which increased their capacity two thousand and twenty-five hundred bushels, respectively.

The new factories were building in—

Detroit capacity, 3,000 bushels.
Chicago " 10,000 "
Geneva, Illinois " 1,000 "
Iowa City " 1,500 "
Danville, Illinois " 1,500 "
Tippecanoe, Ohio " 500 "
Rockford, Illinois " 1,000 "
Pekin, Illinois " 500 "
Marshalltown, Iowa " 3,000 "

We may safely assume that at the present time one half of these new factories are in running order. The total daily consumption of corn, therefore, for sugar-and sirup-making, is not far from thirty-five thousand bushels.

Eleven million bushels of corn during the present year will be used for this purpose, and every indication leads us to believe that the amount will be doubled in 1882.

The capital invested in this sugar industry is likewise no inconsiderable one. Taking the large and small establishments together, each thousand bushels of daily capacity represents sixty thousand dollars of capital. Over two million dollars are therefore actively employed in the glucose-works. The number of men employed amounts to about sixty for each thousand bushels capacity, making a total of twenty-one hundred. On account of the nature of the process of manufacture, the mills are run night and day, and work is not entirely suspended on Sunday.

To avoid confusion of ideas, the following statements seem necessary: The word glucose, in this country, is employed among dealers to designate exclusively the thick sirup which is made from cornstarch. On the other hand, grape-sugar is applied to the solid product obtained from the same source. The glucose and grape-sugar of the