RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN NIPA-SUGAR 
MANUFACTURE 
By A. H. WELLS 
Chief, Division of Organic Chemistry 
and 
G. A. PERKINS 
Chemist, Bureau of Science, Manila 
THREE PLATES 
Interest in the problem of palm-sugar manufacture naturally 
changes from year to year according to the variation in the 
price of sugar. At present writing the dull market effectually 
removes any possibility of large investments in the nipa-sugar 
industry. Nevertheless, in certain portions of the Islands, 
where nipa is abundant, and pesos to buy cane sugar are scarce, 
nipa sap continues to be used to a limited extent for the pro- 
duction of sirup for local consumption, and the possibility of 
manufacturing crystallized sugar remains an interesting one. 
Since the work of Gibbs,! Pratt, and others,? no extensive 
nipa-sugar experiments have been undertaken by the Bureau 
of Science, and the present paper, therefore, makes no claim to 
be complete, but is merely a compilation of observations which 
the writers have made from time to time during the past two 
years. 
THE NIPA PALM 
Although nipa is usually described as having a branching root- 
stalk or rhizome, the consequences of this fact are not always 
realized. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the conse- 
quences are not exactly known at the present time. Gibbs seems 
to assume that the nipa has a definite life period,* but the writers 
have not been able to find any evidence of a natural decline or 
death of the plant. The decay that can be observed can hardly 
be called the death of the plant, but is rather a continuous pro- 
* Gibbs, H. D., Philip. Journ. Sci. § A 6 (1911) 99-206. 
* Pratt, D. S., and others, Philip. Journ. Sci. § A 8 (1918) 377-898. 
* Philip. Journ. Sci. § A 6 (1911) 116, 117. 
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