Report of Society's Meetings. 419 



In addition to the essays, two preparations were also submitted for 

 competition, but were not within the lines of the award. One of these, 

 " Melline," was itself barely as dark as really good coloured Demerara 

 rum, and was therefore quite useless for the required purpose, whilst its 

 high price was quite prohibitory to its use. The other, " Spirit Colour- 

 ing," prepared by Messrs. A. Boake, Roberts & Co., of London, whilst 

 found to be capable of colouring rum of 45 O.P., to a full colour, with 

 an obscuration of only two per cent, produced a cloudy rum, which 

 required a long time for its clearing. 



B. HOWELL JONES, 

 Chairman of Agri. Committee. 

 J. B. HARRISON, 



Government Analyst. 

 H. R. L. VON ZIEGEZAR, 

 Agricultural and Analytical Chemist. 



The Hon. N, D. Davis, in moving the adoption of the 

 report, said that it was satisfactory to learn that as 

 much was known in this colony about Caramel as in 

 any other. There was no doubt however that some 

 estates' managers had knowledge which others had not 

 and he thought it was desirable that this knowledge 

 should be communicated to the planters generally. It 

 was he thought very unsatisfactory that no chemist had 

 competed, and he understood that the preparation of 

 colouring v/as considered by some as a trade secret. 



Mr. Llewellyn Jones in seconding the adoption of the 

 report, asked whether the competition had been open to 

 scientists outside the colony. 



The President in reply said that it was open to the 

 whole world. The information had been circulated in" 

 all sugar-growing countries. He thought they had to 

 thank the Agricultural Committee for the trouble they 

 had taken. As to the preparation of Caramel being a 

 secret, this was not the case. It was prepared in the 

 same way all over the colony, but as it was done by 



