248 SUGAR. 



the stems of most grasses either generate cane sugar, or tend 

 to generate it. Lately, a sort of spurious or imitation sugar- 

 cane has been brought from China, and cultivated pretty 

 extensively, not only in Southern France, but in various of 

 the North American States. 



This particular sugar-cane, botanically known as Sorghum 

 saccharatum, does not refuse to grow in England, but here it 

 secretes little or no sugar. In North America considerable 

 amounts of sugar, i. e. crystallisable cane sugar, are obtained 

 from sorghum juice; and also varying amounts of another 

 variety of sugar, not yet indicated in this sketch, namely, 

 glucose or grape sugar. The next species of grass which 

 merits our attention as a producer of sugar is maize, or Indian 

 corn ; the stems of which, when grown under favourable con- 

 ditions, are somewhat rich in sugar. 



Perhaps, however, the vegetable family most rich in su^ar 

 is the palm tribe ; especially the cocoa-nut and the date palm. 

 In order to impress on the memory the saccharine qualities 

 of the palm tribe, it is only necessary to call to mind the 

 numerous accounts published by travellers of the intoxicating 

 qualities of certain liquors made from fermented palm juice. 

 Most of us may have read how certain happy savages, when 

 they want to get tipsy, climb up some friendly palm; then 

 boring a hole into the base of its spathe, or top-knot, cabbage- 

 like expansion tie a pipkin thereto, and wait until the pipkin 

 has become full of palm juice ; which latter, when set aside 

 to ferment, becomes intoxicating. Now, whatever juice or 

 liquid is capable of fermentation and generation of alcohol 

 must hold sugar of one or two sorts, or else mixtures of the 

 two, the sorts being sugar of the cane and sugar of the grape. 



In a general way, and not to be pedantic, it may be said 

 that sugar, and only sugar, can generate alcohol.* Literally 



* Only glucose or grape sugar, to be scientifically precise ; but inasmuch 

 as cane sugar readily changes to glucose, the distinction may be practically 

 disregarded. 



