THE COMPOSITION OF THE CANE. 



The Reducing Sugars of the Cane. The reducing sugars of 

 the cane consist almost wholly of dextrose and levulose. Wiley, working on 

 sub-tropical cane, found both these sugars, but Winter, in Java, with tropical 

 cane, found only dextrose. Geerligs, 4 however, showed that in Java dextrose 

 and levulose are both formed, but that the latter is used up more rapidly in 

 the plant's economy, and tends to disappear, and this observation has also been 

 made by C. A. Browne, 6 in Louisiana. Finally, as has been shown by Wiley, 4 

 the reducing sugars may be entirely absent in perfectly ripe cane. In over-ripe 

 cane they again appear, due to the inversion of the saccharose. 



The Non- Sugars of the Cane. The following bodies have been 

 identified in the cane ; a doubtful identification is shown by italics : 



Inorganic bases : potash, soda, lime, magnesia, iron, alumina, manganese 

 oxide, titanium oxide. 



Inorganic acids : sulphuric, phosphoric, silica. 



Organic Acids : malic, succinic, oxalic, glycolic, acetic (in damaged cane), 

 citric, tartaric, aconitic. 



Nitrogenous bodies : albumen, nucleins, albumoses, peptones, amines, 

 amido acids, xanthine bases, lecithins. 



Non-nitrogenous bodies : Fat, wax, chlorophyll, anthocyan, pectin, xylan, 

 araban, gum, cellulose, lignin. 



Composition of different Parts of the Cane. According to 

 C. A. Browne 6 the average composition of Louisiana cane is as shown in the 

 following table: 



The Nitrogenous Bodies of the Cane. These have been 



found by C. A. Browne 6 to be thus divided in Louisiana cane : 



Per cent, on cane. 

 Albumen (coagulable and soluble in pepsin) -059 



Nucleins (coagulable and insoluble in pepsin) -040 



Albumose and peptones (not coagulable) -033 



Amido acids (aspartic acid) "145 



Amido acid amids (asparagine) '232 



Ammonia (NH 8 ) -008 



Nitric acid , -071 



Total nitrogenous bodies .... '588 



15 



