Experiments on the Preparation of Sugar, 105 



going obfervations to you at this time ; for it was much my 

 wifli to have afcertained, before I wrote to you, whether in 

 any inftance a fingle plant can be the offspring of two male 

 parents. The decifion of that queftion muft of neceffity have 

 occupied two years, and muft therefore be left to the teft of 

 future experiment. 



II. Chemical Experiments and Obfervations on the Prepara- 

 tion of Sugar f-om vegetable ProduBions found in Europe. 

 By SiGisMUND Frederick Hermbstadt *. 



T. 



HE chemical examination of vegetable fubftances, and 

 the refearches made refpefting their admixture and compo- 

 nent parts, flirnifli fufficient proofs that the Eaft and Weft 

 Indies are not the only countries \\hich nature has blefled 

 with faccharine plants. Saccharine matter is difflifed in fuch 

 abundance throughout the vegetable kingdom, that nothing 

 is necefiary but perfeverance to difcover thofe individual links 

 of the grand chain from which it may be extrafted in the 

 greateft plenty, in the purcft manner, and at the cheapeft 

 rate. 



Of all the plants hitherto examined for this purpofe. There 

 is none, without doubt, that approaches fo near to the fugar- 

 cane as the maple-tree, particularly the fugar-maple accr 

 faccharlntim, and the filver-maple acer dafycarpum. Thefe 

 trees have been employed in North America more than half 

 a century for making fugar, and during the laft eight years 

 with very grea^ fuccefs. I have learned by my own experi- 

 ments, purpofely made oji various kinds of the maple, and 

 on a pretty large fcale, for three years, fince the winter of 

 1796, not only that they may all he employed with greater 

 or lefs advantage for the production of fugar, but that the 

 fugar and filvcr maples which grow in Germauy, and even 

 on indifferent foil, when their juice is boiled, will produce 

 fugar ful'y equal to the raw or mofcavado fugar of the Weft 

 Indies, and at fo clicap a rate, that a pound will not coft 



♦ Frim Schrifte.n da Ccfrtlfikaft naivrforji bender Frcmidc zn Bnl'.yj, 

 Vr;l. ir. 

 Vol.. VII. P more 



