100 NUTRITIVE PLANTS. 



5. That the gummy matter exhibits all the characters of a tree 

 gum, except that of forming mucous acid by means of the nitric. 



6. That neither this gum, nor the saccharine matter, holds sul- 

 phuric acid in combination. 



7. That the heat of boiling water alone is insufficient to convert 

 starch into saccharine matter, as nothing is obtained but a bitter 

 matter, and a horny substance insoluble in boiling water. 



8. That sugar of milk treated with two, three, four, or five hun- 

 dredths of sulphuric acid is converted into confused crystals, which 

 have an extremely saccharine taste, and are susceptible of the alco- 

 holic fermentation. 



9. That this saccharine matter does not contain any sulphuric acid 

 in combination. 



10. That the muriatic acid effects the same changes in sugar of 

 milk. 



11. That neither the nitric nor acetic acid converts sugar of milk 

 into fermentable sugar. 



12. That sugar of milk thus converted into fermentable sugar 

 becomes very soluble in alcohol. 



13. That sulphuric acid is not decomposed in its action on starch 

 and sugar of milk : and that, from the facts mentioned, it is much 

 more probable, that the acid takes from these substances oxygen 

 and hydrogen in the proportions necessary to form water. 



We have, only to add, that the preceding experiments have been 

 repeated in our own country with similar results : but that, how- 

 ever curious such results may be as matter of chemical information, 

 neither the quantity nor the quality of the sugar hereby produced 

 can ever render it worth while to persevere in the same process, 

 except in the case of an utter dearth of West-Indian or even 

 East-Indian produce. 



Sugar Candy. 



This well known material is nothing more than sugar brought to 

 a regular form by slow crystallization. The management of it dif- 

 fers considerably from that of loaf sugar. To prepare it, the 

 syrup is clarified as usual, and boiled down to a certain point, but 

 not so much as for making loaf-sugar. It is then poured into large 



