A'OL. Xlir. No. 307. 



THE AGKICULTUR^L NEA\-S. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



DENATURED SUGAR. 



Sugar for human consumption in France costs 

 6^/. per B). But apart from this kind of sugar there is 

 a large amount sold under the terra 'denatured' sugar, that 

 i-, sugar to which some substance has been added to make it 

 unfit for food —which is exempt from that taxation which 

 causes the high price of the sugar for consumption a- food. 

 The Louisiana Planter (Decemlier 20, 1913) after giving 

 this information, publishes a very interesting extract from 

 the Literari/ Difiest in connexion with the various uses to 

 which sugar can be put for manufacturing purposes. First 

 of all sugar i.- a common ingredient of many compounds for 

 removing and preventing boiling scale. The shoe blacking 

 industry uses sugar and molasses to a considerable extent. 

 In Europe there seems to be a tendency to use Mackings 

 of the older type which are made by the carbonizing action 

 of sulphuric acid on sugar. The product is neutralized and 

 other ingredients added, such as powdered oil and sometimes 

 glycerine. 



Perhaps one of the most important industrial uses for 

 sugar is in the manufacture of soap. Sugar i.s used in this 

 connexion in the place of glycerine. In Germany there is 

 a considerable demand for sugar in the manufacture of 

 explosives, though in the colour and dyeing industries, it is 

 perhaps more widely employed as a reducing agent and as 

 a base. Tanneries, too, use sugar in 'tilling' leather, and to 

 some extent in removing lime from hides in the 'dehairing' 

 process. It is interesting to note, also, that ordinary copying 

 ink is made by the addition of one part of sugar to three 

 parts of writing ink. 



The silvering of glass mirrors provides another use for 

 sugar. After inversion with acids, it is here used to reduce 

 a solution of silver nitrate which deposits a coating of silver 

 on the glass immersed in solution. 



The hardening and strengthening action of sugar in 

 mortar was known to the ancients In recent times, the 

 Museum of Natural History of Berlin h:is been rebuilt with 

 mortar consisting of one part of lime, one part of sand, and 

 two parts of sugar. 



In many chemical operations sugar is used as a source of 

 carbon of high purity, and in the future it is possible that 

 sugar may become of great industrial importance through its 

 nitrocompounds. Nitrosaccharose (sucrose octonitrate) is 

 a product of gun cotton, which it is said can replace the 

 latter in its numerous applications in explosives, collodion, 

 celluloid and the like. 



According to the Ivternutional Sofior Journal (October 

 1913), to enable cane factories to work for a longer period of 

 the year it is proposed to proceed in the following way: By 

 the usual means, milling or diffusion or a combination of 

 both processes, only about 50 per cent of the sugar in the 

 cane is exrtacted. The partially exhausted material is then 

 dried in such a manner that it may be indefinitely preserved 

 and stored. At the end of the grinding aea.son the desiccated 

 material is treated again by milling or diffusion or both, and 

 fully exhausted. As advantages of this procedure it is 

 claimed that an important economy is effected. In the first 

 operation when only half of the sugar is extracted, the juice 

 obtained is of high purity. In the second operation, a large 

 proportion of the albuminoids, gums and waxes being 

 coagulated or otherwise rendered insoluble in water, a juice 

 of higher purity than ordinarily again results. . 



FURTHER NOTES ON THE REPORT OF 



THE STANDARDIZATION COMMITTEE. 



There can be no doubt that the principal problem in 

 the plantation rubber industry which requires solution is the 

 question of variability in quality. In the evidence given by 

 witnesses before the committee of standardization this matter 

 is persistently referred to. The experts in (juestion are also 

 unanimous in regard to the suitability of the scheme recently 

 put forward for evaluation, that is, the fixation of the 'iea,\' 

 value of plantation Para. The fundamental point to bear in 

 mind is that the valuation of samples by mere rule of thumb 

 inspection is unreliable and gives only the 'apparent' value: 

 the 'real' value of rubber can be told only by actual test of 

 manufacture. 



The report of the standardization committee (published 

 in the India RuhUr Journal, December 20, 1913) contains a 

 very useful list of recommendations for estate use in the 

 matter of rubber preparation. First of all, points are given 

 which must be observed in the treatment of latex, and iu the 

 curing of rubber. In this connexion, cups should be used 

 which can be easily cleaned: copper vessels should be avoided. 

 The addition of water to the cups is unnecessary; water on 

 cuts is not advisable; and latex should be collected with 

 despatch. In the factory, cleanliness is absolutely necessary 

 in every respect; neglect in this direction in inexcusable. 

 The bulking of latex is strongly recommended: the mixing of 

 all latex undoubtedly tends to produce a rubber of greater- 

 uniformity. As regards coagulation, acetic acid is recom- 

 mended as the best coagulant at present. The mixing of the- 

 acid and latex must be thorough, whilst uniformity must be 

 preserved in the strength of the coagulant solution. For the 

 preparation of crepe rubber, any quantity of latex may be 

 coagulated in bulk, but for sheet rubber, not more than 50- 

 gallons of latex should be treated with acid in one batch. 

 In connexion with the treatment of latex, the use of formalin 

 is recommended under certain circumstances. 



In the preparation of rubber, the morning following 

 coagulation is adjudged to be the best time for working oflT 

 the fresh rubber, and the extent to which rubber is worked 

 on the machines must be the minimum necessary. Thickness- 

 of the rubber determines the rate of drying: pale crepe 

 should be thin, but sheet rubber should never be too thick, 

 though always uniform. As regards care of machinery, it is 

 found that defects in crepe rubber are generally due to lack 

 of attention in this connexion. Machines must be well 

 cleaned and inspected each day before commencing work;, 

 worn parts must be replaced at once; trays projecting beyond 

 the end of the rolls must be condemned and narrower trays-' 

 substituted. Care must be taken as regards lubrication. 



In conclusion, sorting and packing must be thorough, 

 and no rubber of varying shades of colour should be put up- 

 together. Similarly grading must be done thoroughly in 

 accordance with the lines laid down by the company. A» 

 regards boxes for packing, there exists no doubt that thesfr 

 should be constructed of planed wood only. Splinters in the- 

 rubber are highly undesirable. 



In conversation with Mr. H. C. Pearson (editor of the 

 India RiihI.er World and well known author of several works 

 connected with the rubber industry) the question of rubber 

 interests in the West Indies was brought up. Mr. Pearson 

 attaches some importance to the future prospects of these- 

 islands as distributing centres of rubber seed. Mr. Pearson is- 

 at present staying in Barbados and is busy writing a new bookv 



