59 MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 



method are published by the Bureau of Agriculture in 

 the Philippine Agricultural Review for May, 1914. 

 Although this palm is one of the oldest agricultural 

 crops known, being mentioned in Sanskrit writings 

 some 4,000 years ago, it has only just recently become 

 of any real importance. The sugar obtainable in East 

 Indian and Malayan markets, while of good flavour, 

 is filled with impurities and has, of course, a bad colour. 

 The chemical composition of the sugar is identical with 

 that of the sugar-cane and while the protein content is 

 slightly higher than that of either the sugar beet or 

 sugar-cane, the content of sucrose, ranging to over 

 16 per cent., more than offsets this disadvantage. 

 Trouble with the precipitation of the albuminoid sub- 

 stances, gums, pectins, etc., has been the principal 

 reason hitherto for the failure to produce a fine white 

 sugar from this palm. Mr. C. W. Hines, Sugar Expert 

 of the Bureau of Agriculture, has devised a very cheap 

 method for precipitating these substances. Briefly, it 

 is as follows : the juice is heated nearly but not quite 

 to the boiling point and then allowed to cool. The 

 albuminoid substances, coagulated by the heat, fall 

 within a few minutes as a whitish layer at the bottom 

 of the receptacle; the clear sap is decanted off and the 

 residue treated in a similar manner to sugar-cane 

 precipitates. A small amount of milk of lime is then 

 stirred into the still warm sap, and this is carbonated 

 by blowing into it a current of gas (filtered to remove 

 soot, etc.) from the chimney, or, if limestone is at 

 hand, a very small furnace would furnish a flow of high- 

 grade gas. The second precipitate, consisting largely 

 of the pectins, gums, etc. (which, if boiled with the 

 sucrose cause discoloration of the finished product) are 

 either allowed to settle or are strained out. Boiling 

 then proceeds in the regular manner and a fine-flavoured 

 product, fully as white as that obtainable in the ordinary 

 cane-sugar factory, is produced. 



Considering the fact that for a period of 15 to 25 years 

 the sugar palm requires practically no attention from the 

 planter, coupled with the fact that old palms may be 

 utilized for starch each trunk giving from one to three 



