348 



DATE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN BENGAL. 



Glucosazone is formed by glucose, levulose or mannose. Hence 

 the only sugars which can be present in the date juice are cane 

 sugar, glucose, levulose and perhaps mannose. 



Mannose was tested for in the following 1 way : 



10 gms. of Akrah sugar were dissolved in 25 c.c. of water, clari- 

 fied with a pinch of anhydrous basic lead acetate and filtered. The 

 lead was separated by means of sodium phosphate and the solution 

 again filtered. One per cent, of its volume of glacial acetic acid 

 was now added and the volume made up to 75 c.c. ; 5 c.c. of phenyl 

 hydrazin, 5 c.c. of glacial acetic acid, and 12 c.c. of water were 

 now added. The mixture was then well agitated for half an hour 

 and left for 24 hours. Three tests were carried out but in none was 

 the hydrazone of mannose formed. 



We must conclude then that the sugars normally present in the 

 juice of the date palm are the same as those which occur in the sugar- 

 cane. 



COMPOSITION OF DATE JUICE ASH. 



About one gram of ash was prepared by concentrating the juice 

 and igniting the residue. A pure white ash was thus obtained. 

 It had the following composition : 



K20 

 NagO 

 CaO 

 McO 



Co 2 



C1 2 

 So 3 



Insol. silica 



H 



Soluble silica 



Per cent. 



55-08 

 7-85 

 0-48 

 2-51 



13-30 



12-89 

 4'64 

 T57 

 0-82 

 0-80 



It is to be noted that the ash is very rich in potash and that 

 it also contains a rather high proportion of chlorine. 



1 Bull, de 1'Assoc. des Chim. de Sucr r et de dist., 1901, 18 (10), 758-( 



