aiO Experhnents on the Pi'eparation of fiugar. 



14. Experiments iv'ith the Skirret, Slum Sifamm. 



Margraf obtained from a pound of frefli fkirret-roots 

 eighteen ounces of dry fugar ; and half a pound of dry roots 

 gave him three drams of real fugar. The objeft of my ex- 

 periments was to obtain merely a fyrup fit for domeftlc pur- 

 pofesj but, on account of the many farinaceous particle? 

 which ihefe roots contain, the preparation of dry fugar from 

 them, as Margraf remarks, was attended with many diffi- 

 culties. As they cannot well be rafped, on account of their 

 fmallnefs, a bufliel of them, which weighed twenty-fix 

 pounds, was pounded in a ftone mortar with the addition 

 of a little water, and the juice exprefl'ed : the refiduum was 

 wallied in cold water, and, being again exprelTed, I obtained 

 a turbid fweet liquor. I fuifered it to remain eight days in 

 a cool place, and found that a great part of the farinaceous 

 matter had dcpofited itfelf, and that the liquor was become 

 clear and tranfparent. Being clarified with the white of an 

 egg, and then iufpilfated, I obtained five pounds of an 

 agreeable fyrup of a bright brown colour. From this it ap- 

 pears that thefe roots are too dear to obtain from them a 

 cheap fyrup. 



15. Experitnents with Parfnips, Paflinaca fativa Linn. 



The peculiar fweetnefs of this woody root induced me to 

 fubjecl it to a fimilar examination, though Margraf had before 

 obferved that little fugar was to be obtained from it. With 

 this view I treated, in the fame manner as the preceding, 

 a bufliel of the roots, which weighed twenty-four pounds, 

 and obtained 5^ pounds of an agreeably tafted fyrup, but 

 which had not entirely loft its natural tafte. Had my other 

 occupations admitted, I fliould have endeavoured to afcer- 

 tain the proportional quantities of fugar contained in deter- 

 minate quantities of thefe fubftances; but as this has been 

 impoffiblc, I muft refervc them for another opportunity. 



III. Account 



