I!A(a AN J) TAPEJ. 91 



KUgars Wiis exaiiiiiuil \>\ the Limliier mifi-o-ftMiiu'iitiition iiit'tlitKl. 

 The results sliowed that ghu-nsf, fructose, (/-iiianuose, j;uhictot>e, 

 maltiise, ami dextrin are feriiieiited hy both these speciei*, 

 ak'ohdl beiii^' fornieil ; whilst, on tlie <ither haml, Kju-clmrose, 

 iiieliltiose, ratrmose. and in\din are fermented hy the /^-species 

 solely, and trehalose hy the y-sjiecies exeliisively. The a- and 

 the /i-niethyl f^liicoside remained lumctetl upon hy either. 

 Potiito-stiiieh paste, li(|Ue<ied hy an addition of nutrient sjilts, was 

 sjicfharilieil more ell'eetually hy each of these two sjteeies than 

 by Mwnr Itoiu-ii in a eompaiative experiment. This aetivity 

 has already been utilised in practice, and pieference is fifiveii 

 to the two new species in workiu'r tin- annlo process. In re- 

 spect of ener^'y in the pioduction of alcohol they appear to be 

 inferior to the other ; Init this does not lower their efficiency 

 when used merely as .sjicch.tiifvin'' atrents. 



Maror Canihoilja, which was isolated from Chinese yen.>5t and 

 carefully examined by 'J'. CiiiiZASzrz (I.), will produce 1 06 per 

 cent, of alcohol in twenty days in a nutrient .solution containing 

 to per cent, of dextro.se. Sporan^iation proceeds in a similar 

 manner to the two last-named species of Amylomyces; })ut the 

 organism differs from these by forming rhizoid proce.s.ses, and 

 therefore presumably belongs to the genus Uhizojius. 



% 241.— Ragi and Tapej. 



The raw material employeil in Java for the production of 

 arrack consists of wa.ste molasses from sugar works, containing 

 about 20 to 30 per cent, of glucose (or invert sugar) and 25 Ui 35 

 per cent, of .sjiccharose. This molas.ses is reduced to al)out 15" Be. 

 (26"6' Pall.) by dilution with rivi-r watei-, and is then treated, 

 ill oi'der to reliably accelerate alcoholic fermentJitioii, with an 

 auxiliary, which is comjiarable with the leaven (!; 14S) u.sed in 

 European distillerie.s, and is known as Tapej This is prepared 

 from rice by the aid of a second aiixili;ir\ material, wliich the 

 Malay natives of .Tav.i term Ragi or Eaggi, and the Chiuese 

 settlers ftill Peh-Khak. 



According to A. (J. Vokukum.w (I.) this Ragi is prepart'd by 

 crushing together ])ieces (rich in sugar) of the sugar-cane and the 

 root.stock of galanga (A/jiinia ti(tlitn<ni), and making the product 

 into a paste with rice meal Wknt and Pkixskn (lEKiu.icis (I.) 

 stiite that garlic and other .irom.itic plants also form p.art of the 

 mixture. The paste isdivideil intt) strip.s, which are dried in the 

 sun, then broken up, mixed with w.-iter and lemon juice, and left 

 to stand for three days. The liipiid portion is afterwards poured 

 otY, the ctvirser veget,'il>le fragnuMits are removed, and the pulpv 

 residue is made up into llat, round cakes, about 4 cm in diameter, 

 which are left to drv anil harden in the sun. t^enerallv. how- 

 ever, they must first be laiil in rice .stniw for a couple of <lav.s, or 



