674 



THE DETERIORATION OF RAW AND REFINED 

 SUGAR CRYSTALS IN BULK. 



By R. Greig Smith, M.Sc, Macleay Bacteriologist 

 TO THE Society. 



Through the kindness of Messrs. Steel and Walton, of the 

 Colonial Sugar Refining Co., I was furnished with several samples 

 of cane sugar which were undergoing a slow process of inversion, 



The 



that is, the cane sugar was beinj 



altered into invert sugar 



samples included various grades of the best class of refined sugars, 

 and to all appearance consisted entirely of saccharose. 



The first sample was taken from a laboratory sample bottle 

 which had been opened many times to test the progress of the 

 inversion. It was a small-grained moist refined sugar, and during 

 storage in a loosely corked bottle, had shown the following per- 



For the figures I am indebted to 



centages of reducing sugar. 



Mr. Walton. 



Date. 

 12-3-01 

 19-4-01 

 25-5-01 

 25-6-01 



Storage. 



days 



38 days 



74 days 



105 days 



Eeducing Sugar %. 

 0-21 

 0-61 

 0-83 

 1-01 



The bacteriological examination of two portions 

 following relative numbers of microscopic fungi. 



i. 

 Bac. levaniformans, normal type 

 ,, derived tj^pe 



Inert bacteria 

 Sfreptothrix sp. 

 Aspergillus glaucus ... 



gave the 



4 



11. 



2 I 

 5/ 



21 17 

 With larger quantities of the sample, greater numbers of 

 colonies were obtained, but they did not differ in any great degree, 



