Vol. IV. No. 79. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



115 



THE SAMPLINr. OF MUSCOVADO SUCAK. 



Muscovado sugar is frequently ' potted ' directly into 

 bags, that is, the niassecuite is placed in the bags and 

 allowed to drain there, the sugar being shipped in the bags in 

 the condition in which they remain after the niolas.ses have 

 drained away. It therefore follows that the sugar at the top 

 of the bags is dry and free from molasses, while that at the 

 bottom is wet and almost saturated. 



It appeared of interest to ascertain the polariscopic test 

 of the sugar at various points in the bag and to ascertain also 

 the true average test after careful)}' mixing the whole of the 

 contents. 



A bag of sugar was therefore selected and examined in 

 the following way. By means of sampling irons or tryers, of 

 the official pattern prescribed by the United States 

 Government, samples were taken at a distance of every 

 3 inclies from top to bottom of the bag. The bag was 

 standing upright, and the tryer was driven horizontally right 

 through the bag from side to side so as to pass through the 

 middle line in each case. In this manner eleven sanii)les 

 were drawn, but only ten successfully, the awkward position 

 from which the eleventh sample was taken caused some loss 

 a,nd the sample was rejected. A .sample. No. 14, was then 

 taken by driving the long trj'er from bottom to top of the bag 

 in the middle line (to effect this the bag was placed on its 

 side); another similar sample, No. 15, was taken in the reverse 

 direction, namely, from the top to the bottom. A sample, 

 No. 1, was taken from the extreme top, and another, No. 13, 

 from the extreme bottom. After the samples had been taken, 

 the sugar was all removed from the bag and carefully mixed 

 by turning over with spades, the heap was then quartered, 

 the alternate quarters rejected, and the remainder mixed and 

 quartered, the operations being repeated until a small 

 laboratory sample (No. 16) was .secured. The results 

 obtained on testing the .samples are given below: — 



The bag of sugar selected proved to contain 'gummy' 

 sugar of the kind described in the former part of this paper : 

 the average test was rather low, and possibly drainage had 

 not been very perfect. In this case the average test was 



afforded by the sample taken 12 inches from the t<ip of the 

 bag. It is possible that in a drier and less 'gummy' sugar 

 the average test would be given by a .sample taken somewhat 

 lower. 



The difference in test between the sample No. 13, taken 

 from top to bottom, and No. 14, taken from bottom to tup, 

 is instructive as showing that when taking a long sanqjle there 

 is a tendency for sugar t<3 fall from the distant end of the 

 tryer as it is withdrawn so that the resulting sample errs by 

 falling somewhat closer to the condition of the bulk at the 

 point where the tryer is inserted rather than representing 

 a true average, a point to be kept in mind when sampling 

 a bulk which varies greatly and progressixely along the line 

 in which the sample is to be taken. 



Science and Sugar Production. 



The U.S. Consul-General in Berlin reports in the 

 Louisiana Planter the opening of a new Beet Sugar 

 Institute in that city on May 8. After giving figures 

 to show the extraordinary rise of the beet sugar 

 industr}', he says : — 



It is recognized here, above all, that the abolition of 

 export bounties liy the Brussels Conference ended definitely 

 a long and important chapter in the history of beet sugar 

 production and that the industry, deprived of that form 

 of artificial stimulus, must henceforth work out its own 

 future upon new and independent lines. It is to be 

 a battle in which scientific methods, profoundly studied 

 and skilfully apiilied, alone can win. To concentrate all 

 the light which science can give upon the task of 

 producing most economically from a given area of land 

 the largest weight of beets with the highest percentage 

 of saccharine element, to harvest the croji, extract, cleanse, 

 and evaporate the juice, and to conduct each step of the 

 process down to the marketing of the refined sugar with the 

 utmost .skill and avoidance of waste — this is the lesson 

 w liich the new institute is designed and equipped to teach. 

 The day of hit-or-miss fertilizing of beet lands — if, indeed, it 

 ever existed in Germany — is definitely past. The successful 

 sugar grower and manufacturer of the future must have at 

 their command and utilize constantly, patiently, and skilfully 

 all that science and experience can teach of correct methods 

 and consummate manasement. 



* This was imperfectly sampled owing to position : as the 

 : sampling iron was withdrawn a portion dropped. A second 

 ; sample was taken with little better success, the sample was 

 therefore rejected. 



VEGETABLE PRODUCTS OF THE 

 WEST INDIES. 



We extract the following from the ' Proceedings 

 of the Scientific Committee' published in the Journal 

 of the Royal Horticaltaral /Society for December 

 1904:— 



On June 28, 1904, Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.M.G., gave 

 an interesting account of the cultivation and introduction 

 into the English markets of new fruits now being raised. 

 Thus, the Litchi has been brought fresh from Trinidad ; its 

 cultivation requires alternations of bright sunshine and water, 

 so that its success depends upon artificial irrigation in the 

 dry season. JIangos can now be also imported fre,sh, as well 

 as much-improved Smooth Cayenne pine-apple.s, of the type 

 grown in St. Michael's, the average price being 4s. Bananas, 

 usually imported from .lamaica and Costa Rica, are now 

 received from Barbados. The fruit is of the dwarf species, 

 Musa Cavendishii. They realize 5s. in England, the price 

 at home [in Barbados] of a bunch being Is. They are packed 

 in paper and cotton-wool, with the soft part of the leaves. 



