Vol. XIII. No. 329. 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



385 



There woukl appear to be a connexion between the 

 amount of the moisture in the sugars analysed, and the 

 deterioration experienced on storage, but the lowest percentage 

 of moisture in the lot of samples which showed diminished 

 polarization was very much below the average of those which 

 did not show such diminislied polarization, while in the other 

 lot in which the degree of polarization was maintained 

 throughout the test, the percentage of moisture was much 

 higher than the average in the lot of samples in which 

 deterioration in this respect occurred. 



The average of acidity in the two lots was much the 

 same, showing that this condition was not responsible for 

 the deteriorating changes. A bacteriological examination 

 of the sugars wa.s made to endeavour to determine whether 

 the pre.sence of organisms was associated with the deter- 

 ioration. Counts of the number of organisms were made on 

 receipt of the samples, and again after intervals of two 

 months and of four months. Several organisms were dis- 

 covered in these sugars, and while the results of the examina- 

 tions varied verj- considerably, yet they led to certain 

 conclusions being arrived at. The authors state as follows; 

 'Actually we think that the results of these determinations 

 allow us to say; (1) that generally deterioration of sugar can 

 be connected with bacterial activity; (2) that, however, cases 

 occur where sugars deteriorate excessively, and in which the 

 deterioration can not be attributed to bacterial activity .... 

 (.1) that sugars containing a large number of organi.sms 

 retain their polarization, provided they contain but little 

 water.' 



In the trials of the effects of sterilization on sugars it 

 was found that where sugars known to be infected with large 

 numbers of organisms were sterilized or kept in the presence 

 of formaldehyde, the polarization remained stationary, but 

 that these sugars when not sterilized or treated with formal- 

 dehyde showed a very large fall in the polarization. 



Other trials were made to determine the amount of 

 water present in sugars at which deterioration began, and it 

 was found that in the presence of the bacteria which are 

 associated with a falling otf in polarization, sugars containing 

 more than 1 per cent, moisture will in all probability 

 deteriorate, while in the case of those in which the water 

 is less than 1 per cent., the polarization will probably remain 

 constant. 



It is also shown that there is a connexion between the 

 wa.shing of sugars, and deterioration, since washed sugars 

 show a tendency toward diminished polarization. This is 

 ascribed to the dilution of the film of molasses over the grain 

 of sugar, which when concentrated prevents bacterial action, 

 and to the introduction of additional organisms in the water. 

 If sugars are to be washed, only distilled water should be 

 used for the jjurpose. A considerable amount of other 

 information is given in the bulletin under consideration, but 

 the points which are fundamental in the question of deteriora- 

 tion of sugars on storage have been brought out in the abstract 

 given above. 



The following summary is reproduced: — 



•(1) In the grea,t majority of cases of deterioration of 

 sugars the fall in polarization can be connected with bacterial 

 activity. 



'(2) Sugars may fall in polarization without evidei^je of 

 this fall being due to bacterial activity. 



'(3) For bacterial action to take place a certain amount 

 of moisture must be present; so long as the sugars do not 

 contain more than 1 per cent, of moisture the danger of 

 bacterial action is small. 



'(■t) Four distinct organisms are of frequent occurrence 

 in Hawaiian sugars, one of which was of very frequent 



occurrence in sugars which deteriorated; these are now being 

 studied. 



'(5) The capacity of .sugars for absorbmg moisture 

 varies largely, and this is an important factor in determining 

 the keeping qualities of the sugars; some evidence exists 

 that the amount of moisture absorbed is connected with the 

 amount of chlorides in the sugars. 



'(6) A sugar when dried will, when exposed to a damp 

 atmosphere, ab.sorb moisture; such a sugar will then be iu 

 a condition liable to deterioration. In factories which experi- 

 ence trouble with deterioration of sugars; we suggest the 

 experimental use of an interior paper lining as a means of 

 protecting the sugar from atmospheric changes.' 



It may V)e of interest to West Indian readers of the 

 Agricultural Neivs to note that a considerable amount of 

 work in this connexion has been done in the Leeward Islands. 

 This work, referred to in the bulletin abstracted above, 

 appeared in the Agrindtural Neivs, Vol. IV, p. 98, in a paper 

 by Dr. F. Watts, C.M.G., entitled Observations on Muscovado 

 Sugars, and one in the West Indian Bulletin, Vol. VII, 

 p. 226, in a paper entitled Fermentation Changes Occurring 

 in Muscovado Sugar, by Dr. Watts and Mr. H. A. 

 Tempany, B.Sc. 



BEET SUGAR IN CALIFORNIA. 



Is there any difference in pure sugars? There is none 

 chemically. Perfectly pure sugar from beet root is chemi- 

 cally indistinguishable from the similar product from sugar- 

 cane. On the other hand, we have had housewives, not only 

 in the West Indies, but also in England and America, 

 declaring that there is a very great difference between them 

 in their physical properties. Cane sugar is a better pre- 

 servative than beet, they say, and is a better sweetener, less 

 cane sugar being needed for household use than beet. 

 Apparently the Californian beet growers intend to try to 

 eradicate this idea from the minds of sugar consumers. 

 According to Modern Cuba for October 1914, they have 

 raised a fund to finance this educational campaign, and to 

 advertise their sugar as 'California'. The first gun of their 

 attack seems to be a quotation from the well-known 

 Dr. Wiley, the late Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry of the 

 United States, who stated during his tenure of that position 

 that: 'refined sugar, whether it is made from cane, beets, 

 corn, or any other product, is the .same chemically and 

 physically.' 



It must be remembered that the beet sugar industry of 

 California is a very large 6ne. In 1913 over 90,000 acres 

 in that State were planted in beets, producing 230,000,000 B). 

 of refined sugar, employing an estimated capital of over 

 $1.5,000,000. 



Granulators or Sugar Drying Machines, with 



their current of hot air, are being used to get the sugars 

 made, whether yellow or white, as dry as possible. To 

 make the tropical cane-sugar industry a greater success, 

 sugars must be produced to stand warehousing without 

 injury. To do this the ordinary centrifugal machines do 

 not seem to be entirely effective. 



The inventors of the modern sugar drying machines, such 

 as are known as sugar grfi„iulators, can easily dry good 

 vacuum pan sugars of an} cclo .., if first well purged in 

 centrifugals, to less than oiio X)er ceut. of water, rendering 

 them practically safe from dc' erio'-atioii. The use of a current 

 of hot air enables this to be eflfec^ xl without any other cost 

 than that of the apparatus.— ZoiitsMua Planter, November 7, 

 19U. 



