1 88 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1884. 



From the defecating room the juice, containing 84 parts 

 , . ■ . d 1G parts of sugar, passes to the evaporating 

 pans, where it is boiled down to 54 parts of water and 

 ki parts of sugar, when it is called "semi-syrup." This 

 passos into a small vacuum pan, and from there into the 

 bone-black filters. These ard six in number, and are each 

 cylindrical ill shape, 4 feet in diameter and 20 feet high. 

 Here the syrup is decolorized and deodorized, after which 

 it is pumped into the large vacuum pan. This is ovoid in 

 shape, made of boiler iron, and looks like a huge retort. 

 It is 7 fi et in diameter, 9 feet high, and will hold more 



than I, gallons. In this the semi-syrup boils at 70 ° C. 



under diminished pressure instead of 110° 0. in free air. 

 This is ■•> great advantage, as it is a well-established fact 

 liiat nigh heat and much exposure to the air quickens the 

 conversion of saccharose into invert sugar. From the vacu- 

 um pan the syrup is put into large iron waggons, which 

 hold about 2-10 gallons each, and in them is run into the 

 crystallizing room. This room is kept at a temperature of 

 55° 0.| and in it the syrup is allowed to stand for several 

 days until it crystallizes. The "melado," as the syrup at 

 this stage is called, is then run into the mixer. This is 

 a long bar with fingers attached, the whole revolving iu 

 ,i iron box. In this the melado is thoroughly mixed and 

 made ready for the last process. From the mixer the 

 melado is run into the centrifugals. These, four iu num- 

 ber, ar<' tubular vessels about three feet iu length and 

 two feet high, open above and closed below. Each is 

 lined with fine copper sieve, a space of perhaps two or 

 three inches intervening between the sieve and the outer 

 wall of the centrifugal. The centrifugals are set in motion 

 at the rate of 2,000 revolutions per minute, and the mel- 

 ado is run into them, falling upon a revolving disk in 

 the centre. From this the melado is thrown with great 

 force against the side of the vessel, striking upon the 

 copper sieve, which is also in rapid revolution. The force 

 of the projection throws the syrup through the sieve. 

 while the crystallized sugar remains behind, whitening the 

 longer it "spins," as the process is called. It is generally 

 allowed to spin about fifteen minutes, after which the raw 

 .-.agar is taken out and put into barrels, and the process is 

 completed. Each centrifugal is capable of spinning 2001b. of 

 sugar iu those fifteen minutes. Besides these details, the pro- 

 cess has, of course, its secrets, which are also kept as such. 

 From the abovenamed factory I obtained a sample of 

 sugar, of which I made an analysis, which shortly will be 

 explained. In appearance the sugar looks very much like 

 the common raw sugar of commerce. But in odour and 

 taste it differs somewhat, as it has retained some of that 

 peculiar sorghum flavour, which is not disagreeable, and 

 iu which place in common raw sugar is found a taste and 

 smell of burnt sugar. 



In my analysis of the sorghum sugar I fouud the follow- 

 ing constituents: — 



Saccharose 9200 per cent. 



Glucose 4*50 „ „ 



Moisture 1'50 „ ,, 



Ash 140 „ „ 



Impurities 90 „ „ 



10000 

 The amount of saccharose was ascertained by the use 

 of the Wilde pi lariscope, which as au average showed 

 92°. With the same instrument I examined samples of 

 different sugars with the following results (the strength 

 of the solutions was 10 grams of sugar and water suffici- 

 ently to make 100 c. c; : — 



White rock candy polarized . . 100° 

 Yellow rock candy polarized . . 93° 

 Best granulated sugar polarized. 99° 

 \\ bite A sugar polarized . . . 94° 

 Common raw sugar polarized . 84 J 

 Sorghum sugar (1 experiments). 90 ° , 92 ° , 93 ° , 92 ° 

 Common raw sugar was also subjected tu analysis for 

 compai ison: — 



Saccharose 84-00 percent. 



Glucose 11"80 .. „ 



Moisture ~'' r> » <> 



0-70 .. .. 



.... B00 .. ,. 



H 10-00 



The moisture and ash of granulated sugar weri 

 ascertained and found to be respectively 0'65 and 'ill 

 per cent. This shows in reference to the moisture, that 

 the more glucose contained in the sugar, the more moist- 

 ure is absorbed. As to the sorghum sugar the Comparison 

 is very satisfactory, as it contains S per cent more sacchar- 

 ose than the common raw sugar, and only 2 per cent 

 less than A sugar, which has gone through a refining pro- 

 cess. This very satisfactory result is due to the improved 

 machinery, of which the vacuum pan and the centrifugals 

 arc the most important, and without which the idea of 

 sugar making, from sorghum, at the present sugar prices, 

 might he given up as almost hopeless. But as it is, sor- 

 ghum sugar can compete with' other sugars, both hi price 

 and quality. — American Journal of Pharmacy. 



FARM AND GARDEN BESTS. 



Those theorists who are desirous of studying the so- 

 called "laws of evolution" in conjunction with the dogma 

 of " the survival of the fittest" might find a deal of mental 

 pabulum in the various pests that trouble the farmer, and 

 through him the whole human race. Apart from science — 

 which cannot err — there are a number of visionary specul- 

 ators who by their specious arguments and plausible theories 

 seem to be desirous upon the one hand of .proving that 

 man was -'evolved" from the lowest organized matter, 

 through many stages, including the monkey, till he became 

 the creature that he is today, aud upon the other hand 

 they argue that he is inferior to all other animals, because 

 hi' his not naturally covered with wool or hair, that he 

 must be nursed for several years when young, that lie is 

 not provided with sharp claws, teeth, horns, sting, or other 

 defences of the "higher" animals; and last of all. that 

 man's upright attitude is contrary to nature, and that he 

 is more fitted for the quadripetal mode of progression. 

 Unfortunately for their arguments, these theorists apply 

 them only tonr.au in the abstract — apart from their noble 

 selves and their immediate friends. They speak as gods, 

 and whilst criticising the whole universe, not one atom of 

 which they have the power to create, they arrogantly de- 

 clare that this portion of the work of (he Creator is de- 

 fective, that it is not perfect, aud the other needs improve- 

 ment. This is not so with the scientific enquirer; for he 

 works out his enquiry until he has found the truth, and 

 the further be enquires the more is he convinced of the 

 perfection of all organized life and the marvellous adapt- 

 ability of the various organs in each individual for sup- 

 porting existence under varying circumstances of locality, 

 tempi rature, and the like. The theory of natural selection, 

 no doubt, has a very great deal to commend it, and there 

 are almost infallible evidences that several of the higher 

 forms of animal and vegetable life have been "evolved" 

 from those of a lower state of existence ; but it does not 

 follow, because the seal is warm-blooded it is a mammal, 

 and has the boues representing toes and legs within the 

 portion of its body that is generally called a tail, that it 

 is either a shark iu the course of elevation into a terns- 

 trial quadruped or another being transformed into a fish. 

 It is well known that the seal is polygamus — the largest 

 and strongest, taking charge of any conceivable number of 

 f, males — so with the male deer — but upon the principle 

 of natural selection, both those orders of animals ought 

 to have developed into very large aud powerful beasts and 

 fierce and well-armed withal— yet man finds little difficulty 

 in overmastering either. 



What has ti.is to do with farm and garden pests? 

 Directly, very little: but indirectly it has a very important 

 hearing upon them. To man was given from the begin- 

 ning toll d in otl over all things living upon the earth, 



and if he would prevail, he must persevere in exercising that 

 supremacy. There are too many nowadays who forget or 

 ignore this right, and whenever any farm or garden pests 

 appear and devastate crops, weakly attribute the plague 

 to influences or circumstances over which they have no 

 control; and ignorautly propound or stupidly adopt theories 

 concerning it which are as wide from the truth as the 

 polo are asunder. This would not matter were there not 

 such important interests at strike, and did not the persons 

 who promulgate such mischievous ideas occupy positions 

 which cause them to be looked to as being to some 

 authorities upon such matters. Thus, two or three 



