Vol. IX. No. 219. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



291 



THE NEW YORK SUGAR TRADE 



LABORATORY. 



With reference to a descriptiuii nt' this labonitoiv 

 tltat a])]ieared in the Agricultural News, Vol. IX, Nu. 

 202, the following notes, prepared by Mr. H. A. Tempany, 

 B.Sc, .Snjjerintendeijt of Agriculture for the Leeward 

 Islands, after a visit to that institution by him, are of 

 ]iarticular interest. They relate more especially to the 

 details of the methods of sugar-testing, arjd thus ht-lp to 

 iriake the account comjilete: — 



The normal weight of sugar is weighed out, transferred 

 to a flask by means of a sugar funnel and dissolved in water, 

 a shaking machine being used to facilitate solution. Clarifi- 

 cation is effected by means of basic load acetate .solution, 

 using the least quantity required to promote clarification. 

 The laboratory is fitted with a special room in which the 

 operation of polarizing the samples is performed, the temper- 

 ature of which can be maintained constantly at 20" C. In 

 summer, the air is cooled by means of an ammonia refriger- 

 ating apparatus: in winter it is warmed by means of a radiator. 

 The temperature is checked by means of an automatic 

 temperature recorder. After the samples have been dissolved, 

 they are transferred to this room and allowed to assume 

 a temperature of 20' C. before making up. When this has 

 been attained they are made up to 100 metric (true) cubic 

 centimetres, filtered and polarized, the usual precautions being 

 adopted to prevent loss by evaporation. The polarimeters 

 used are specially constructed Schmidt and Hiinsch instru- 

 ments, standardized at a temperature of 20° C, for a normal 

 weight of 26 gm. of sugar dissolved in water, and made up 

 to a volume of 100 true cubic centimetres: they are of the 

 half-shadow type, and are illuminated with electric light. 

 By this means, all necessity for temperature corrections is 

 avoided, since the samples are made up and polarized at 

 the temperature of standardization of the polarimeter. 



The sugars are bought and sold on the means f)f the 

 three tests, namely, that of the brokers' chemists, that of the 

 refiners' chemists, and that of the sugar trade laboratory. 



TRINIDAD, ST. VINCENT AND TORTOLA, 



AND THE CANADIAN EXHIBITIONS. 



The following account of the exhibits sent from 

 Trinidad appeared in a recent number of the Fort-of- 

 Hixiin Gazette: — 



One of the principal features of the Trinidad stall will be 

 the serving up of the pure chocolate manufactured by Messrs. 

 Cowan it Co.. of Canada, from cacao sent by local dealers, to 

 persons attending the show. The exhibits are arranged in 

 five sections, the first of which aims at .showing the cacao 

 from its germinating stage to its various products. This 

 part of the exhibit is made up of material preserved in formal- 

 deyhde vapour and formalin. Living plants and herbarium 

 specimens are also included in this section, so are drugs 

 derived from cacao, such as oil of theobroma and the alkaloid 

 theobromine. Photographs of cocao in various processes 

 of curing, and specimens demonstrating the chocolate manu- 

 facture, have been taken by Mr. Jacobson, and will accompany 

 the exhibits. Material in this section has been generously 

 furnished by the Department of Agriculture, Me.ssrs. Gordon, 

 Grant A- Co., Lucien's C^hocolate Factory, L. Krauth, and 

 rom Valdeora estate. The second section consists of samples 



of estate cacao from the principal estates in the colony, 

 including Soconusco, Ortinola, La Vega, San Antonio, 

 McBean, San Remo and La Mascot. Section three comprises 

 commercial samples of well known brands of the golden bean, 

 viz., Fontabelle Bell Vue, Dulcimona, Costa Ariba (all from 

 Gordon, Grant's). Trinidad planters and superior Venezuela — 

 Paul H. Scheerer A- Co.; La Gloria— George R. Alston &. Co., 

 Pueblo and San Vincente Lascelles, do Marcado A- Co.; fine 

 plantation and ordinary Trinidad —A. G. Porteous 1- C ;. Ltd.; 

 Esperanza — L. J. Bernstein it Co.; dark and light graded — 

 Cocoa Planters' Association; Trinidad estates and ordinary — 

 F. J. Alden. In section four are displayed products of the 

 Trinidad chocolate manufacturers, Messrs. A. Soublette, 

 L. Krauth, and Lucien it Co., who are exhibitors in this sec- 

 tion. The fifth section is devoted to the different varieties 

 of the Trinidad cacao. In it will be found those sent by the 

 Department of Agriculture, some of which have been pre- 

 served in formalin, and others which are intended to be 

 shown in a fresh state, in formaldehyde vapour. Some hun- 

 dred photographs illustrating the cacao industry and views 

 of the colony itself have also been sent, as well as copies of 

 Mr. .1. H. Hart's well-known treatise on cacao. 



The .St. Vincent Sentry g'lws an account, as follows, 

 of the exhibits sent from that colony to the Toronto 

 Exhibition: — 



The first instalment of local exhibits for the coming 

 Canadian E.xhibitions was forwarded, under the auspices of 

 the Permanent Exhibition Committee, by the S.S. 'Ocamo'. 

 Mr. \V. H. Patterson, of the Agricultural Department, dis- 

 charging the onerous duties of secretary with his usual zeal, 

 has succeeded in getting together an admirable collection 

 of exhibits, representing all the industries of the colony. For 

 the Toronto E.thibition, which comes off first, from August 27 

 to September 9, four cases have been despatched, containing 

 bottled samples of sugar, molasses, starches, cacao, rum, honey, 

 peas, beans — of which there is also a collection of the wild 

 varieties for ornamental purposes — pre.served fruit and pick- 

 les. There is also a collection of specimens in boxes. Pretty 

 samples of our famous Sea Island cotton, and the finest quali- 

 ties of St. Vincent arrowroot have been despatched among the 

 exhibits, and relying on the decorative taste of representatives 

 of Messrs. Pickford it Black, who have undertaken to arrange 

 the specimens from the West Indies and British Guiana, we ven- 

 ture the opinion that the St. Vincent table or stand, although 

 smaller, may be asinteresting andattractive as any in the Colon- 

 ial Section. There will be yet another opportunity of sending 

 up perishable exhibits for the St. John's show, and then some 

 of our vegetables may be forwarded. We observe, from 

 a glance at the samples, that Mr. C. J. Simmons is particularly 

 prominent among the exhibitors. He has taken the trouble 

 of sending specimens of every variety of produce from his 

 estates. Such a practical display of interest in the movement 

 is worthy of commendation, and the whole colony is indebted 

 to him: for the good that may result from the exhibition 

 would reflect on St. Vincent in general, and the benefit would 

 be shared by every local producer of the article for which 

 a demand has been thereby created. 



A ciiHuuunieation received from Mr. \V. C. Fishlock, 

 Agricultural Instructor for the Virgin Islands, shows 

 that he has arranged the despatch of samples of the fol- 

 lowing articles for the Canadian Exhibitions: cacao and 

 ci )tfee in bottles and bags; sugar, arrowroot, tous-le-mois 

 starch, concentrated lime juice, jireserved limes and rum, 

 in bottles; cassava cakes; native hats; and Sea Island and 

 native cotton. 



