BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 353 



of any desired degree of consistency, varying from completely lique- 

 fied centers of the cordial type to so-called slightly flowing 

 centers, may be produced at very little expense. Invertase may also 

 be used in further reduced quantities for the primary purpose of 

 causing inversion of sucrose just sufficient to keep the centers moist 

 for a greatly increased period, the drying out or aging of these types 

 of candy being thereby much retarded. 



Cane-sugar industry. — In continuation of the program outlined 

 in last year's report, a systematic investigation of the refining value 

 of raw sugar is now actively under way. Variations in the suit- 

 ability of raw sugar for the production of standard granulated 

 sugar may affect the returns to the plantation. Not only the par- 

 ticular process used in the mill for clarification of the juice, but 

 also the variety of cane and various cultural conditions are appar- 

 ently of great importance in this connection. The character of the 

 soil appears to have an influence on the amount of inorganic con- 

 stituents. Variations in the character of the impurities contained 

 in raw sugar have in many cases caused great difficulty in refining 

 and have consequentl}'^ acted unfavorably to the interests of the 

 planter. One of the principal troubles, difficult filtration of raw- 

 sugar melts, is evidently of a colloidal nature. 



Since the effect of the clarification processes used in the raw- 

 sugar factory consists primarily in the elimination from the juice of 

 colloidal material, it has been necessary first of all to devise means 

 whereby the character and quantity of the colloidal matter present 

 in the juice before and after clarification can be accurately deter- 

 mined. Means for doing this have not heretofore been available. 

 The special methods and apparatus devised in the investigation of 

 this problem make it possible for the first time to determine ac- 

 curately the character and quantity, and eventually the exact origin, 

 of the colloidal material originally present in the cane juice, that 

 which remains after clarification, and that which is present in raw 

 sugar. This work also makes possible a more exact determina- 

 tion of the value of various processes now in use for clarifying 

 cane juice in both raw-sugar and white-sugar manufacture. 



In further continuance of the work outlined last year, an investi- 

 gation has been started for the purpose of determining sugar losses 

 by inversion in different methods of manufacture. Very little accu- 

 rate information on this important problem is available. Such data 

 will be of value to domestic sugar technologists in helping them to 

 select the most efficient and most economical method of manufacture. 

 In order to prevent continued losses, there is urgent and immediate 

 need for a determination of the fundamental conditions required to 

 give efficient clarification of cane juice in connection with plantation 

 white-sugar and raw-sugar manufacture and to reduce or eliminate 

 losses caused by inversion of sugar. If the conditions most favorable 

 for accomplishing these two objects do not prove to coincide entirely, 

 it will be desirable to adopt a compromise procedure which will, on 

 the whole, give the best results. Since the most favorable chemical 

 condition for the clarification of the juice may vary decidedly with 

 the quality of cane, it is necessary to consider fully this phase of the 

 question in arriving at a solution. 



During the past few years final or blackstrap molasses has com- 

 manded a very low price which is not at all commensurate with the 



