SUGAR. 



SUGAR. 



threw three rows into one, thus forming wind 

 rows across the field, taking care to place 

 the foliage of one stool of cane over the butts of 

 the previous one, and laying them to the height 

 of 3 or 4 feet, like a thatched roof. In this way 

 the cane can be kept several weeks for grind- 

 ing and pressing. " Mattressing" the cane for 

 a limited period, even after the frost, so far 

 from injuring its product, will, he says, in- 

 crease it in Florida. Mr. Macrae says, that in 

 Florida, no prudent man will under any circum- 

 stances attempt a sugar crop alone, and he advo- 

 cates the sugar culture only in connexion with 

 cotton. In the West Indies from 3000 to 6000 

 pounds of sugar are produced to the acre, whilst 

 in Louisiana about 1000 Ibs. of sugar per acre 

 is considered an average yield. The crop in that 

 state in 1847-48, was 240,000 hogsheads, each 

 estimated at 1000 Ibs. gross, with 20 gallons ol 

 molasses, and sold at the very low price of 2?, to 

 5 cts. on the plantation. It is calculated that 

 $300 capital is required for the production of 

 each hogshead of sugar and barrel of molasses. 

 The expenses of working an estate, including 

 wear and tear of machinery, have been stated at 

 $60 to 15 for each slave employed. The ave- 

 rage product 5 hogsheads to the hand, or about 10 

 per cent, profit upon the capital. Mr. Forstall, 

 in his communication to the Commissioner of Pa- 

 tents (1847), estimates the profits at 5, and some 

 years only 2| per cent. He says that when sugars 

 average 4^, and cotton 6 cents, the results per 

 slave are nearly the same, with the advantage in 

 favour of the cotton crop of requiring only * Jess 

 cost of machinery. The slaves employed in 

 the sugar culture increased from 1828 to 1844, 

 from 21,000 to 50,670; the total capital from 

 $34,000,000 to $60,000,000. The report of the 

 Commissioner of Patents for 1848, contains much 

 highly valuable information relative to the sugar 

 crop, especially the article, with drawings, by 

 C. L. Fleischman. 



Whilst the crop of cane sugar is increasing 

 annually at the South, that from the maple is 

 becoming greater in the Northern and Western 

 States. The amount of sugar made in 1840, 

 from both sources, has been reported at 

 155,100,809 pounds. In Michigan alone, there 

 is said to be no less than 30,000 acres abound- 

 ing with the maple. These trees have been 

 estimated at an average as worth to the farmer, 

 for the purpose of su<?ar-making alone, from 2 

 to 3 dollars each. The proportion of sugar- 

 maples per acre in the sugar districts has been 

 computed at 30. See MAPLE. 



Under the head of MAIZE reference is made 

 to the proposed manufacture of sugar from In- 

 dian corn, one acre of which, of luxuriant 

 growth, has been estimated to produce from 600 

 to 1000 pounds and more of good sugar. The 

 manufacture of sugar from the beet, so exten- 

 sively carried on in France and other parts 

 of Europe, has lately given promise of suc- 



iu the United States. 



To succeed fully, the manufacture must be 

 carried on upon a large scaic, v, lUi ample capi- 

 tal. Many excellent essays upon the subject 

 may be found either separate or published in 

 various agricultural periodicals. 



Chemical composition of Sugar. The progress 

 of mod >rn chemistry in ascertaining the pre- 

 cise elements of various substances, has de- 



veloped some highly interesting facts relative 

 to sugar, showing the very slight difference 

 between its composition and that of many other 

 matters to which it apparently bears not the 

 least resemblance, such as starch, saw-dust, or 

 common woody fibre, linen rags, &c., which by 

 slight additions have been actually converted 

 into sugar. By some chemists, and particu- 

 larly Prout, starch is considered as sugar 

 partly organized, containing but a small quan- 

 tity of carbon and hydrogen more than sugar, 

 the excess however being sufficient to prevent 

 crystallization or conversion by nature into 

 sugar. The following table, prepared from the 

 statements of Berzelius, Raspail, and Dumas, 

 y Dr. Prout, shows in a curious and interest- 

 ng light, by what mere shades of difference in 

 heir constituent atoms, substances, which to 

 the sense appear as far apart as the zenith from 

 the nadir, are separated. Water is composed 

 of definite and well-ascertained proportions of 

 oxygen and hydrogen, and in the formation of 

 sugar, starch, acetic acid, and lignin, or the 

 pure woody fibre of trees and plants, these two 

 materials are found united in the same propor- 

 tions as in water; the only ingredient added 

 for their completion being carbon. These sub- 

 stances, sugar, acetic acid, starch, and lignin, 

 may therefore be considered as composed of 

 carbon and water in the proportions here given. 



Carbon. Water. 



Sugar. 100 parts of sugar from starch 



contain .... 36-20 63'8<J 



From honey - 36 36 63'64 



From East 'India moist - - 40'88 59-12 



From leet-root and maple - 42'10 57'9fl 



From English refined - - 42 05 58 05 



From sugar candy, pure - 42-85 57'15 



Acetic Acid 47'05 52-95 



Starch. Arrow root in its ordinary 



state 36-04 63'0 



From wheat in its ordinary 



state 37-50 62-50 



From wheat dried 212 - - 42-80 57-20 



Liirnin. In its ordinary state of dryness 42-70 57'30 



From willow dried 212 - 49-80 50-20 



From box do. - - 50-00 50'00 



Dr. Prout, in his Bridgewater Treatise, re- 

 marks, " that both starch and wood can by dif- 

 ferent artificial processes be converted into 

 sugar or vinegar. But we are unable to re- 

 verse the process, and convert vinegar into 

 sugar, or starch into wood." The chemist Bra- 

 connet has ascertained that a pound of linen 

 rags yields rather more than a pound of sugar. 



Mr. Guthrie of Sackett's Harbour, in his 

 attempts to make sugar from potatoes, pro- 

 duced large quantities of molasses, but with all 

 his skill was unable to crystallize or grain it, 

 without the introduction of some deleterious 

 substance, lead, for instance ; and consequently 

 all his was used in a liquid form, of the con- 

 sistence of thick syrup, or rather honey. The 

 potatoes were first converted into starch, and 

 then, by boiling in sulphuric acid, diluted, for 

 some hours, into sugar. The directions in the 

 Encyclopedia Americana for this process are, 

 2000 parts of starch, 8000 parts of water, and 40 

 parts strong sulphuric acid the mixture to 

 boil some 36 hours in silver or lead; but Mr. 

 Guthrie accomplishes the conversion by thu 

 use of steam in about 6 hours. The produc 

 lion of sugar or molasses is possible from a 

 great variety of materials provided by nature, 

 such as the cane, maple, beet honey all plants 

 4R 1021 



