ON THE PROCESS OF CLAYING SUSAR. 85 



If proof of the latter fact were requisite, we need only look 

 at the juice of the cane, which is nearly colourless, and would 

 doubtless yield white sugar in the first instance, if the neces- 

 sary operation of boiling did not make it brown. 



Let Fig. 5 represent a cylindrical mould of the same base, 

 and one tliird of the altitude of the conical one, Fig. 4; we 

 know that the solid contents of these masses would be equal. It 

 is evident then that the same quantity of sugar in the cylindri- 

 cal mould would contain but one third the number of horizon- 

 tal strata with that in the conical one, and consequently that the 

 proportional series of accumulating mucus would extend to 

 only one third the number of terms in the latter, that it did 

 in the former case. It is evident also that every descending 

 current would describe a right line, save only the little varia- 

 tions in passing round the chrystais; all the horizontal strata 

 therefore being equal in diameter, none could receive any fluid 

 laterally, but all would be able to support an equal quantity 

 of water without any additional cause of dissolution, except 

 the proportional series of the descending fluid, which, as be- 

 fore mentioned, would only extend to one third the number 

 oft erms, and be unaffected with any increase from a constantly- 

 diminishing surface, as in the cone. 



The plain consequence of this difference in the two masses 

 is, that a greater quantity of undissolved sugar must be retained 

 in the cylinder than in the cone, while the operation of whi- 

 tening, that is of washing away the colouring mucus from 

 the chrystals. is equally effected in both. 



No attention is paid to the mere form of the loaf, because, 

 as it is always broken into pieces before it can be used, the 

 consumers would soon accommodate themselves to any one 

 generally adopted : and for ail purposes of packing, the cylin- 

 drical shape would be most convenient. But as it might be dif- 

 ficult to " knock out" from the mould a cylindrical mass with- 

 out breaking it, so much deviation from this shape might be 

 adopted in practice, as would favour this operation; the frustum 

 of a cone therefore as Fig. 6", Plate III, nearly resembling the 

 shape of a common flower pot, is recommended. Let the 

 smaller diameter of this mould be its bottom, to be perforated 



