Vol. XI. No. 261. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



131 



SUGAR INDUSTRY 



THE NEW YORK SUGAR TRADE 

 LABORATORY. 



Accounts of this institution were given in the 

 Agricultural News, Vol. IX, pp. 19 and 291. They 

 are now supplemented by the following information, 

 taken from the Louisiana Planter for February 10, 

 1912:— 



The accuracy of the laboratory work has been greatly 

 enhanced by the utilization of a refrigerating plant, by 

 means of which the polarizing room is maintained at a con- 

 stant temperature. The average temperature utilized in 

 1911 was 2002X'., the average maximum being 2072°l'., 

 and the average minimum 1948° C This artificial cooling 

 was found necessary during 107 days in 1911. It seems 

 that after the introduction of the refrigerating plant the cost 

 of operating the same, that is for the electric current utilized 

 for power, was !J12969, and the cost of 22,400 cubic feet of 

 water was •S2240, this being used for the ammonia con- 

 denser, making a total of .815209. 



During the year 1911, over 1.5,000 polarizations were 

 made for the buyers of sugar and over 15,000 were made 

 for the sellers. These polarizations varied in their indica- 

 tions of sucrose content from 68'69 test up to 9890 test, 

 ranging chiefly in four grades, 94 95, 95-96, 96-97 and 

 97-98. A few samples above these limits and a few below 

 were received, but these just named constituted the bulk of 

 the entire list. 



It might have been fair to infer that the eflForts of the 

 sugar-making world for a general betterment of the product 

 would be shown in the average iX)larizations made accessible 

 in this large way. From the data given, however, we can 

 hardly detect any gradual rise in the quality of the sugars 

 imported into the New York market. The government 

 statistics showed, however, at the lime of the adoption of 

 the Wilson bill, in 1894, that the average polarization of 

 sugars was about 90 per cent, sucrose. The figures for 

 the last four years, including 1908, are reported as 9483; 

 1909 as 94-88 test; 1910 as 9519 test, and 1911 as 9468 

 test. Our readers, of course, are aware that under the colour 

 restrictions of the tariff, which practically exclude all 

 sugars above Xo.l6 Dutch standard, there is very little 

 very high-grade sugar imported, and the tendency of 

 sugar producers is to work between 94 and 97 test, as 

 below 94 the regulations of the New York trade penalize the 

 importer 10c. per 100 lb. for each point below 96 test, and 

 after reaching 94 there is a drop of ^ c. per S)., in addition 

 to the penalizing one tenth. The allowance granted above 

 86 is one sixteenth for each point of test higher than 

 96, and sugars of 97 to 98 test are rather difficult to keep 

 down in colour, as not above No. 16 D.S. 



The capital necessary with which to start this enterprise 

 seems to have been contributed, or rather loaned to the 

 organization liy the leading sugar refiners and importers. 

 A charge of sSlOO per test seems to have been made. This 

 gave a revenue during 1911 of some 131,000. After the 

 general expenses, such as .salaries, rent, expenses of refrig- 

 eration, etc., with the cost of the refrigerating plant, have 



been paid oflF, the actual gain made by the organization has 

 been returned to those patronizing it, to the extent of nearly 

 one-half of the total receipts, thus cheapening the work of 

 the laboratory to the buyers and sellers of sugar by about 

 one half, and at the same time insuring positive satisfaction 

 to all concerned. 



As is usual in such organizations, special accountants 

 were delegated by the trustees to examine into the records, 

 receipts, and expenditures, and their report indicated 

 extreme accuracy in every direction, all of which in turn was 

 reported by the trustees to the importers and refiners of raw 

 sugar. 



THE EFFECT OF HOT-WEATHER 

 PLOUGHING ON SOILS. 



The results of partially sterilizing soils by heat 

 have been considered on several occasions, in the Agri- 

 cultural Kews, more especially in an editorial article 

 in Vol. IX, p. 33. The work that is described in this 

 has led to the suggestion, in India, that the increased 

 fertility, considered in some districts of that country to 

 be caused by ploughing ia hot weather, may be due to 

 partial sterilization; this was dealt with on page 107 

 of the same volume of the Agricultural News. 

 A further phase of the matter has been the making of 

 actual experiments, which are described in the Report 

 of the Agricultural Research Institute and College, 

 Pusa, 1910-11, p. 74:— 



A special study has been made of the effect of hot- weather 

 ploughing upon the bacterial content of the soil, and its pos- 

 sible relation to the undoubted increase in fertility resulting 

 therefrom. It has been found that this operation increases 

 the rate of ammonification of the soil humus, probably by 

 the selective action of combined desiccation and abnormal 

 temperature; similar results can lie obtained by heating the 

 soil to 60 C, the soil plates showing a survival of the more 

 active ammonifiers, such as Bacillux mycdides and /)'. subtUis, 

 whilst the highly aerated condition of the soil inhibits the 

 activity of surviving anaerobic spore forms. The net result 

 is an extremely rapid formation of ammonia, part of which is 

 retained by the soil and nitrified or taken up directly by 

 plants, and part is lost by diffusion; in this way rapid deple- 

 tion of the soil nitrogen must take place, and subsequent 

 fertility will depend upon the judicious use of green manures; 

 the economic value of the method depends upon the power 

 which it places in the hands of the agriculturist, of rapidly 

 converting green manure or other organic nitrogen into plant 

 food, although this may be counterbalanced to some extent 

 by loss of nitrogen as ammonia. 



Study of Pusa soil, taken from depths down to 9 feet, 

 shows large numbers of bacteria even at this low level; nitrifi- 

 cation has been found actively proceeding in the third foot 

 from the surface, the greatest amount of this taking place in 

 the second six inches. Owing to the open texture of this soil 

 it is improbable that denitrification occurs to any appreciable 

 extent, but the rapid rate of ammonification, and the vigorous 

 growth of soil bacteria, no doubt interfere with the produc- 

 tion of nitrates. 



A method of quantitative estimation of the changes in 

 soil due to bacterial action, by periodical analysis of the soil 

 gases, has given much information as to the conditions favour- 

 able for nitrification in soils; it is hoped that this method will 

 be invaluable in the future for dealing with such problems 

 as arise out of soil irrigation and drainage, and the use of 

 green manures. 



