100 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 8, 1905. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Mr. J. R. Boveil, F.L.S., F.C.S., lias forwarded the 

 following memorandum showing the i^rico of sugar and 

 molasses at Barbados for ten years, 1895 to 1904 

 inclusive. The crop season is from the beginning of 

 February to the end of June in each year: — 



Observations on Muscovado Sugar. (Contd.) Prices of Sugar and Molasses at Barbados. 



In other parts of the world it Las been observed that 

 cargoes of sugar, even of vacuum pan sugar.s which suffer no 

 loss' from drainage, undergo changes, but these changes have 

 usually been in the direction of small lowcrings of the test. 

 Where a rise in test has been observed it has usually been 

 attributed solely to the effect produced by the draining away 

 of molasses. 



The discovery that samples of sugar, even when kept 

 under conditions which preclude the loss of molasses, may 

 increase in polariscopic test is, I believe, new and of some 

 practical importance. Of late years it has frequently been 

 observed that there is deterioration in the polariscopic test of 

 both crystal and muscovado sugar, and this (k'terioration has 

 been investigated by several workers, including Shorey in 

 Hawaii, Grieg Smith in New South ^^'alcs, Dodson and 

 Browne in Louisiana. The facts now recorded are of 

 a somewhat different nature from those hitherto reported. 



The facts here observed have important bearings in 

 several directions. In the first place they are a source of 

 trouble to the practising analyst, for samples of sugar of fair 

 appearance are found to test appreciably lower than 

 experience would lead one to expect. Should a sample of 

 such a sugar be placed in a bottle and be referred to another 

 analyst, who, under colonial conditions may not receive it 

 for a week or ten days, it will possibly be found to test 

 a degree or two higher, and confidence in analytical accuracy 

 is shaken. Again, the same samjile tested once more after 

 a lapse of some days may now reveal a tlifferent, and perhaps 

 lower, polariscopic test, when further confusion restilts. 



That at least some sample of muscovado sugar is liable 

 to these changes is important alike to buyer and seller and 

 tends to explain those discrepancies which have sometimes 

 been observed by commercial men. 



It is not clear to what degree muscovado sugar is 

 subject to these changes, that is to say, whether they are 

 common or whether they are confined to a few instances. 

 So far I in.line to the opinion that only 'gummy' .sugars 

 are liable to these changes to any appreciable extent and 

 that they do not operate in a serious degree in the case of 

 the bulk of good, dry, muscovado sugar. 



A considerable amount of work has already been done 

 in an effort directed towards ascertaining the chemical nature 

 of the changes observed and accounting for them. Reference 

 to this side of the question is purposely avoided in this 

 article, which is written with a view to directing the attention 

 of those commercially interested in sugar to a series of 

 changes to which the sugar they deal in is liable : the 

 scientific aspect is reserved for separate treatment. 



For nine years, 1895 to 1901, sugar was sold for its 

 value per 100 lb., plus !?5"00 lor the hogshead, and molasses 

 at its value per gallon, plus -^I'OO for the puncheon. 



Last year, however, the price for sugar and molasses 

 included the price of the hogshead and the puncheon. The 

 actual price of the sugar, therefore, was !?1'G9], minus the 

 value of the hogshead, equal to 25c. per 100 lb., and for 

 molasses 131c., minus the value of the puncheon, equal to 

 3|c. per gallon. The puncheon netting about 110 gallons, 

 the net value of the sugar therefore was $l-l-t|, and of the 

 molasses 9ic. 



The average value for the ten years 1895 to 1901 was 

 for sugar (100 h.) as stated above 81-Clii', and for molasses 

 IHo. per gallon. 



During the current year (1905) prices have been 

 exceptionally good, reaching in some cases as high as 

 £15 14s. 1(7. per ton of sugar and 100 gallons of molasses. 

 This is equivalent to an increase at the rate of £2 S*-. 8c?. 

 per ton on the average price in 1900. 



