SUG k Is to be subje^ed to a weight, 36Ung by rollers, by a screw, or by a wedge, •' with the help of a steam engine," the adion of a mill, or any other means of applying force. Thus, part of the colouring matter, as well as other impurities, will be thrust out J and, from the moisture expressed, sugar, molasses, or rum may be obtained, by the usual pro- cesses. The pressure may be re- peated, according to circumstances, and the relative purity of the sugarj after which it may be refined by the methods usually praftised. Sugar having become an article of ahiiost indispensable use to every person in civilized life, various at- tempts have been made, with a view to procure it from other vegetables; and particularly from the follow- ing, namely : 1. The White Beet; the sac- charine properties of which were discovered upwards of 50 years since, bv M. Makgraaff; and his
- process having been improved by
^I. AcHARD of Berlin, we shall state the method of preparing sugar adopted by the latter. The fresh beet-roots are first washed, and submitietl to the aSion of a mill, which reduces them to a pulp : next, their juice is extracted by means of a press, and boiled over a gentle fire, till it is converted into a tliin syrup. It must now be care- fully separated from the mucilage, adhering to the bottom of the caul- dron, or kettle ; then strained, and boiled a second time, till it acquire a proper consistence for crystalJi- aation ; a point which can only be ascertained by experience. The syrup is afterwards poured into tin vessels, from two to three inches deep, that the grain may crystal- lize : these vessels are diredicd to N^, XXV. — 'Voi., ir. SUG [i6i be placed on frames, in a , room heated. by a stove to a conside- rable, but uniform temperature ; and, in the course of two or three weeks, the sugar will be separated in the form of small crystalline grains. The whole is then poured into linen bags; in which, on com- pression, the sugar remains, whde the strained liquor is received into vessels ; and, after undergoing si- milar processes, it will yield aa additional quantity of saccharine matter. — By this managemenf, 20lbs. of roots produce, upon an average, one pound of sugar ; and, to such perfection has it been car- ried, that M. AcHARD is enabled to sell the sugar at 3d. per pound, — As we cannot enter into farther de- tail respecting the culture, prepa- ration, &c. of the Beet-root, we must refer those readers, who wish for more minute information, to Mr.A.'s " Cir CUV} stantial Account ;" of which a translation appeared in Mr. Nicholson's Jowrwa/ for Sepr tember, 1799, 2. The Sugar-MAPLE, of which we have given an account in vol. iii. p. 1(54-65. — The juice of tins tree is obtained by tapping; and, after being colleded in proper vessels, and boiling it in the usual manner, it is converted into sugar, which is little inferior to that ma- nufactured from the sugar-cane : as it is now prepared on a large scale in America, with the greatest success, the culture of that valua* ble tree deserves to be more gene- rally attended to in Britain. There are various other plants which af- ford sugar, particularly parsncp- roots, skirrets, carrots, and Indian- corn : the latest experiments that have been made with these vege- tables, are those of M. Hermb- M STAEDT,
