1060 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



jority of cases of deterioration of sugars tbe fall iu polarization can be con- 

 nected with bacterial activity, according to tbe autbors' investigations, tbough 

 such a change may be noted without bacterial action being evident. So long 

 as sugars do not contain more than 1 per cent of moisture the danger of bac- 

 terial action is small, since moisture is a requisite condition for bacterial 

 growth. 



" Four distinct organisms are of frequent occurrence in Hawaiian sugars, one 

 of which was of very frequent occurrence in sugars which deteriorated; these 

 are now being studied. 



" The capacity of sugars for absorbing moisture varies largely, and this is an 

 important factor in determining the keeping qualities of the sugars. Some 

 evidence exists that the amount of moisture absorbed is connected with the 

 amount of chlorids in the sugars. 



"A sugar when dried will, when exposed to a damp atmosphere, absorb mois- 

 ture; such a sugar will then be in a condition liable to deterioration. In fac- 

 tories which experience trouble with deterioration of sugars we suggest the 

 experimental use of an interior paper lining as a means of protecting the sugar 

 fi'om atmospheric changes." 



Investigations on the use of sulphur and its combinations in the sugar 

 house, F, Zerban (Louisiana Stas. Bui. 103, pp. 80, dgms. 6). — The studies 

 reported have to do with the kind and amount of sulphur as sulphites in the 

 Louisiana sugar house products and with the character of such products, and 

 the use of different amounts of sulphur, as well as studies of different methods 

 of clarification. This study of clarification from a chemical, economic, and 

 legal standpoint was undertaken in -view of the food inspection decision of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture that sugar products shall not contain 

 over 0.035 per cent sulphur as sulphites. 



According to the author's results, a minimum quantity of sulphur dioxid in 

 sugar products necessitates liming the juices to as near neutrality as possible. 



From the results obtained the author concludes that " the use of a smaller 

 amount of sulphur than that usually employed by any one planter is not neces- 

 sarily followed by a decrease in the sulphur content of his after products. Only 

 if we use so little sulphur that we keep within the limit of the solubility of 

 sulphite of lime, a further reduction of the sulphur causes a reduction of it in 

 the after products. This limit is reached with about 0.00-0.07 per cent of sul- 

 phur dioxid. But this quantity is itself so small that it will not aid sufficiently 

 in the clarification of our cane juice, and a further reduction would not accom- 

 plish the purpose of clarification. Although it does not make much difference 

 from a legal standpoint how much sulphur we. use, if we go beyond a certain 

 quantity, it does make a great deal of difference in the clarification. The more 

 sulphur we use, the more impurities are removed and the greater is the decol- 

 oration obtained. . . . 



" Only a very material reduction in the quantity of sulphur used in sulphita- 

 tion results in a reduction of sulphur dioxid in the after products. 



"The quantities of total sulphur for equal concentration are very nearly 

 constant in all runs, at least do not vary long enough to be of any conse- 

 quence. . . . 



" The sugar manufacturers working with modern effects and vacuum pans 

 may use less sulphur than open-kettle houses, and their products will still con- 

 tain a quantity of sulphur dioxid far above the limit of 0.035 per cent. They 

 may even cut down the sulphur used in clarification without reducing it in their 

 molasses. And if they were to use so little sujphur that the molasses contains 

 less than 0.035 per cent, a large part of the impurities which we can at pres- 



