184 LEGUMIN0Sy5i:. 



winter, is stacked in the yard around the factory ; it is mostly uf tlic 

 thickness of the fingers, with here and there a piece of larger size up to a, 

 diameter of nearly 2 inches ; some of it sprouting. 



As required, the root is taken within the building and crushed under 

 a heavy millstone to a pidp, water-power being employed. It is then 

 transferred to boilers and boiled with water over a naked fire. The 

 decoction is run off and the residual root pressed in circular bags like 

 those used in the olive-mills. The liquor which is received into cisterns 

 below the floor is then pumped up into copper pans, in which the 

 evaporation is conducted also over the naked fire — even to the very 

 last, care being taken by constant stirring to avoid burning the extract. 

 The extract or jxtsto is removed from the pan while warm, and taken 

 in small quantities to an adjoining apartment where a number of women 

 are employed in rolling it into sticks. It is first weighed into portions, 

 each of which the woman seated at the end of a long table tears with 

 her hand into about a dozen pieces. These are passed to the women 

 sitting next who roll them with their hands into cylindrical sticks, the 

 table on which the rolling is done being of wood, and the jMsta moistened 

 with oil to prevent its adhesion to the hands. Near the further end ot 

 the table are some frames made of marble or metal, clean and bright, so 

 ai-ranged as to bring the sticks when rolled in them to the proper 

 length and thickness. When thus adjusted, they are carefully rangea 

 on a board, and a w^oman then stamps them Avith the name ottn 

 manufacturer. Lastly the sticks laid on boards are stacked up in 

 room to dry. . 



In some establishments the vacuum pan has been introduced for ^ ^ 

 inspissation of the decoction. At the great manufactory of Mi'- 1- ■ 

 Clarke at Sokia near Smyrna, all the processes are performed by stea 

 power. 



Description— Liquorice juice of good quality is met with ^^ 

 cylindrical sticks stamped at one end with the maker's name or ir\&^ 

 They are of various sizes, but generally not larger than 6 to 7 mc 

 long by about an inch in diameter. They are black, when new or wa 

 slightly flexible, but breaking when struck, and then displaying ^-sn-J^ 

 edged fracture, and shining conchoidal surface on wdiich a i®^ ' ^ 

 bubbles are perceptible ; thin --i^*-*— "-- fvonslnrput. The ex^ 

 has a special odour and dissolves in unc xx.vu... v.^^- - x 

 sweet taste. By complete drying, it loses from 11 to 17 pei 



TTT ^ r r^ 11 



splinters are translucent. The ex _ 

 yes in the mouth with a V^^^^'^'^^S 



water. 



Several varieties of Stick Liquorice are met with in Enghsh c ^^^ 

 merce, and command widely different prices. The most famous .^^ 

 Solazzi Juice, manufactured at Corigliano, a small town of '-"^^^^pon 

 the gulf of Taranto, at an establishment belonging to the sons o .^^^ 

 Onorato Gaetani, duke of Laurenzano and prince of Piedimont^^ a ^^^^ 

 who inherited the manufacture from his father-in-law, the y^^ ^^^ 

 Domcnico Solazzi Castriota. The Solazzi Juice destinca ^^^ 

 the English market is usually shipped at Naples ; it has for many ) 

 been wholly consigned to two firms in London, and in ^"^"^^'Lion 

 always equal to the demand. Of the other varieties we may roe ^^ 

 ijco-racco. mamifiPfnvo/1 „+ j-v i„i,i- t 4. ^r MocQimirs xsaii'^.^^ 



coast 



