492 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



munication of important practical moment, bearing upon the 

 feasibility of obtaining sugar from cane that has fallen to the 

 ground and thrown out roots into the earth from its joints. 

 It lias generally been supposed that the development of these 

 roots takes place at the expense of the crystallizable sugar; 

 but a critical comparative analysis, made by Dr. Koehl at the 

 plantation Las Cafias, of juice extracted from the normal cane, 

 and from that which had thrown out the roots in question, 

 shows that the development of the latter does not interfere 

 appreciably with the amount of sugar in the cane, or, at least, 

 to so slight an extent as not to affect the saccharine richness 

 of the plant. For this reason, fallen cane, and cane which has 

 been thrown down by hurricanes, can be turned to almost as 

 good account as if it had remained erect. 



IMPROVEMENT IX REFINING SUGAR. 



A much-needed improvement has lately been made by Dr. 

 Seyforth, of the Brunswick sugar refinery, in regard to the 

 purification of sirups and molasses in the manufacture of sug- 

 ar, especially that from the beet. As is well known, the juices 

 and liquors employed in the first extraction of beet sugar from 

 the raw material, as well as the sirups resulting from the 

 sugar-refining process, generally contain a certain quantity 

 of alkaline substances. By treating the saccharine juices 

 with milk of lime, several of the bases of the alkaline salts 

 present in the juices are separated from the acids they were 

 at first combined with, and, by thus being set free, and re- 

 maining mixed with the sugar, impede crystallization. One 

 part of alkaline matter can absorb as much as four parts of 

 sugar, and some kinds of molasses contain as much as eight 

 per cent, of alkali. 



Various-means have been used to remedy this defect; among 

 them, more particularly; sulphuric and phosphoric acids, the 

 use of which, however, is in most instances unadvisable, or 

 various reasons. Sulphurous acid has also been recommend- 

 ed, and used with excellent advantage. 



The methodpfDr. Seyforth consists in introducing the sul- 

 phurous acid, either in the form of gas or as a weak active 

 solution, into the vacuum pans. In this way it becomes pos- 

 sible to bring all particles of the sugar solution (or sirup) into 

 contact with the sulphurous acid, and to eliminate, by the 



