938 | REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
seed, the condition of the leaves, etc., that the manufacturer, whe 
must know before he uses cane whether it is ripe or green, is left no 
other than the test of chemical analysis. This determines the one | 
point of interest to him, namely, whether the cane has reached such 
a degree of maturity as to have made its sugar. 
_ Again, although the cane may have reached full maturity, if it 
shall have been cut and exposed to the atmospheric influences of the 
earlier part of the season for any considerable time, the sugar may 
have been changed to glucose. In moist weather this change may 
take place without any accompanying change in the appearance of — 
the cane. A notable instance illustrating this kind of depreciation 
occurred at the Parkinson works during the season just closed. A 
farmer brought in a sample of excellent-looking cane. The book- 
keeper, who has had considerable experience about sugar factories, 
examined it, and after ascertaining by the hydrometer that the juice 
contained about 13 per cent. of dissolved solids, was about to direct 
the farmer to bring in the cane. An analysis showed that about 8 
of this 13 per cent. was glucose, 3 per cent. sugar, and 2 per cent. 
other substances not more valuable than glucose. Inquiry isclosed 
the fact that the cane had been cut for three days. The weather 
had been moist, so that no change in appearance had taken place. 
To have worked such cane for sugar would have been worse than 
useless, since the glucose and other substances its juice contained 
would have held from crystallization not only the 3 per cent. of sugar 
which this cane contained, but a considerable amount more had it 
been worked with better juice. 
Instances might be multiplied to show the perplexities and disap- 
pointments which are liable to result unless a most careful super- 
vision be had of the condition of the cane when it enters the factory. 
Certainly no field of cane should be cut until the development of its 
sugar has been reached and determined by the best means available. 
In the early part of the season, while the weather is warm, all cane 
cut in the forenoon should be worked the same day, and that cut in 
the afternoon should be worked by noon the next day. During the 
cooler weather of the latter part of the season it is not necessary to 
be quite so prompt. The delays which will be admissible can be 
determined by analysis of the cane. 
Not only is it necessary to know that the cane enters the factory 
with its sugar intact, but it is important to see that it does not suffer 
inversion during the process of manufacture. To prevent this all 
delays must be avoided. The cane must go promptly and regularly 
through the cutters and cleaners as rapidly as it can be thoroughly 
diffused. Ina pile of cane chips inversion of the sugar very soon 
begins, and is soon followed, if not accompanied, by acetic fermen- 
tation. If acetic or other active acid be present in the diffusion 
cells it causes rapid inversion of the sugar under the high temper- 
ature of the battery. After leaving the battery the treatment of 
the juice must be prompt to guard against inversion. Indeed, as has 
been remarked above, every part of the factory in which the work is 
done until the juice has been reduced to a sirup should be of such a 
capacity that it can surely do its work at all times as rapidly as the 
battery can be operated. It is a matter of great importance to the 
manufacturer to know whether, at any stage of the process, inversion 
is taking place. To determine this, analysis of the average samples 
ot freshly-cut chips may be compared with analysis of the product 
at other stages. For example: To determine whether inversion is 
