SEPAEATIOX OF THE SUGAR FROM MOLASSES. 369 



Molasses. 



Molasses is the name given to the liquid product which is, by 

 either of the processes given, separated from the sugar. 



In speaking of "available sugar" in a juice or syrup, it was ex- 

 plained that the glucose and inverted sugar present in a syrup would 

 prevent its own weight of sugar from crystallizing ; also, that some of 

 the mineral matters present in the syrup, exerted a similar action in 

 holding the sugar in solution. Molasses, then, is a mixture cimtaining 

 in solution all those impurities originally present in the juice, which 

 were not removed iii defecation or skimming, and the sugar Avhich 

 has been held in solution by such impurities. It generally holds in 

 solution a certain amount of sugar which was not removed in the 

 first crystallization, and this is often so great as to warrant the 

 molasses being boiled in the vacuum pan a second, or even a third 

 time for sugar. These successive crops of sugar thus obtained, are 

 called seconds or thirds, and the molasses fi-om them is also termed 

 second and third molasses. 



Of course, each additional quantity of sugar taken from the mo- 

 lasses only ser%'es to concentrate the impurities more and more, so 

 that the last molasses are almost worthless, except for distillation 

 into rum, or for the production of spirits. In the crude operations of 

 the sugar plantations, the amount of sugar left in the molasses is so 

 great, that large quantities are imported and worked over by the re- 

 fineries ; and the residual molasses, purified by the bone-black filtra- 

 tion to which it is subjected, is rendered still a very acceptable com- 

 mtxlity for domestic use. 



The average percentage composition of a molasses, when all the 

 sugar which will crystallize has been obtained, is nearly as follows : 



Beet molasses. Cane molasses. 



Cane sugar 55 00 35 00 



Orsanic'matter not sugar 13 00 10 0<) 



Glucose trace 30 00 



Water 20 00 20 00 



Ash 1.2 00 5 00 



100 00 100 00 



We have then from the above, the "available sugar" from the cane 

 as equal to the cane sugar or the sucrose, less the sura of the glucose 

 and mineral matter, since, in practice, it appears that the sum of 

 these above represents the amount of sucrose held in solution iu the 

 molasses. 



If, then, as is most probable, the juices of sorghum and maize are com- 

 parable with the juice of sugar-cane iu this regard, it will be seen that 

 our estimate of available sugar has been placed too low, since, in every 

 24 



