SUGAR. 249 



and chemically, I know quite well, that alcohol may be got 

 out of coal gas. Some fellow of late, I perceive, has been 

 trying to get up a joint-stock company for extracting alcohol 

 out of coal gas n'importe. This is a novelty, and in some 

 sense a mystery ; sugar is the only practical spirit-maker at 

 the time being. 



The palm tribe, then, is rich in sugar rich in actual 

 cane sugar; the juice of certain palms being even richer than 

 cane juice itself. Very much of the sugar which comes to us 

 from the East Indies has a palm-juice origin. If, then, palm 

 juice be richer in sugar than even cane juice, it might seem 

 probable that palm may supersede canes as a source of sugar 

 supply in time. Such a result, however, is not likely to come 

 to pass ; and this for obvious reasons. 



The great merit of canes is, that they accord well with 

 the general necessities of systematic agriculture and concen- 

 trated labour. You, we will assume, possess a field of sugar- 

 canes, and / a plantation of palm-trees. Your canes actually 

 hold less sugar than my palm-trees ; but the question now is, 

 Who will get his sugar soonest, easiest, you or I ? Let us see 

 how the case stands between us. On your part, when your 

 canes are ripe, you send your people servants, voluntary 

 or involuntary into the field to cut down the canes; and 

 these being cut, you send them to the mill and roll them ; 

 so you get the whole sugar treasure of your estate in one 

 compact bulk, and it only remains for you to extract, by com- 

 petent processes, your sugar. 



How am I dealing meanwhile by my palm-trees ? Every 

 morning I should have to send out a gang of naked climbing 

 savages, each of whom, with pipkin in hand, would work his 

 way up a palm-tree, change pipkins, and bring down the 

 juice. Then, saccharine juice will not keep ; it easily fer- 

 ments ; consequently it has to be converted into sugar by de- 

 tail, in small lots as collected. Thus stands the case between 

 us; and being so, you will readily perceive that your canes, 



