250 THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD PRODUCTS. 



BACTERIA IN THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



A brief mention should be made of the relation of bacteria to the 

 sugar industry, which is an important phase of agriculture. The 

 relation of microorganisms to this industry is, according to our 

 present knowledge, only one of injury. After the product has been 

 harvested, bacteria may produce subsequent injury within it, giving 

 rise to well-known troubles. One source of trouble experienced in 

 sugar-making consists in the appearance, at various stages of manu- 

 facture, of jelly-like masses which may become very abundant and 

 troublesome. This has long been known and has been studied by 

 bacteriologists for many years, with the result of proving that it is 

 caused by the appearance and development of certain species of bac- 

 teria. ' Several species are known and have been carefully studied, 

 al 1 of which have the power of producing a slimy section which gives 

 rise to the jelly-like masses in the sugar product. The slimy secre- 

 tion appears to be developed from the sugar, a conclusion proved 

 by the fact that the same microorganism, when growing out of con- 

 tact with sugar, develops no slime. A second trouble is in the loss 

 of sugar by inversion. This occurs in unrefined sugar during stor- 

 age or transportation, and is due to a bacterium that has been 

 isolated and tested. 



