from European Vegetable VroduB'tons , 107 



In order, therefore, that Germany, and in parlicukr the 

 Pruffian ftates, may not be fo long deprived of an opportu- 

 nity of eftablifliing manufaftories of fiigar from indigenous 

 productions, it would be of great benefit if, among the many 

 faccharine plants which nature has beftowed on Germany, 

 one were difcovered capable of producing a fubftitute for 

 Weft India fugar, until plantations of the maple-tree can be 

 formed. This confideration induced me, while employed in 

 refearches refpefling maple fugar, to begin a feries of expe- 

 riments, the objeft of which was, to examine what the old 

 and modern chemifts had done on this fubjeft, and to en- 

 large their difcoveries by my own. The refult of my expe- 

 riments was as follows ; 



I. Experiment on TurViJh IVhcat in order to procure 

 Sugar from it. 



Turkifli wheat, [zea mays,) according to Mr. Von Jufti *, 

 contains a great deal of real fugar in the knots of the young 

 ftalks. Mr. Jacquin, of Vienna f, frequently fucceeded in 

 preparing fugar from the ftalks of Turkifli wheat; and the 

 fame thing is alTerted by Mr, Marabelli in a treatife which 

 he publiflied on this fubjeft. The manufafturing of fugar 

 from the ftalks of Turkifli wheat> and efpecially fuch as grows 

 in a marfliy foil, has been tried alfo in Italy on a large fcale j 

 l»ut it has been found that the fugar procured from this pro- 

 dudlion is too dear^ when the price of it is compared with 



plalanui and acer planto'ules, in the forcfts of Prince Htnry of Pruflia at 

 P.hcin(bcro, were tapped Lift winteF (179^;) without One of them fuftain- 

 ipg the leaft injUry. In Order to try how far it was poffible to kill a 

 niaple-tree by tapping, I caufed two trunks to be bored with twenty-four 

 hijlts each, and when the fap had eeafed flowing, the holes not only were 

 left open, but eighteen deep wounds were made in each tree with an axe, 

 and all the branches were lopped off; yet both thefe trees remained found, 

 niid next furnmer all the woUnds had clofed up of themfelves. The cafe 

 Is not the fame with the birch, which, when tapped, and deprived of a 

 great deal of fap, immediately dies. The third objeftion is fo ridi- 

 'tulous, and fo contrary to experience, that nothing needs be faid on the 

 fuujefi.— H. , 



■' See his Oconcw. Schriflen, Part I. p. 397, and Part II. p. 191. 



\ CrcU's ChctJi. Auiiiilen for 1794, Vol. I, p. 96. 



P » that 



