288 Chemical Preparations. 



has been ineffectually tried. Crystals of muscovado and loaf sugar 

 have been thrown into it, and have lain in it for months without ac- 

 quiring any accession of size ; and unless the sugar be contaminated 

 with lead, I suspect it will be made to crystallize with difficulty, if at all. 



A bushel of potatoes weighs about sixty pounds, and gives eight 

 pounds of pure, fine, dry starch. This amount of starch will make 

 five pints of sugar, of the weight of nearly twelve pounds to the 

 gallon, equal to seven pounds and a half to the bushel of potatoes, or 

 a little less than a pound of sugar to the pound of starch. The 

 sugar is not as sweet as the muscovado sugar, nor is it actually as 

 sweet as its taste would indicate. 



This sugar may be used for all kinds of domestic purposes. It 

 ferments with great hveliness and spirit, when made into beer, yield- 

 ing a healthful and delicious beverage, and on distillation, a fine cider 

 brandy flavored spirit. It would however be most useful in making 

 sweetmeats, and may be used upon the table in lieu of honey, for which 

 it is a good substitute. It has already become a favorite with most 

 people who have become acquainted with it. Its taste is that of a deli-, 

 cious sweet, and as an article of diet is unquestionably more health- 

 ful, and less oppressive to the stomach than any other sweet ever used/^ 



Sacket's Harbor, July, 1831. 



Akt. VI. — Remarks on various Chemical Preparations; in a letter 

 from S. Guthrie to the Editor, dated Sackefs Harbor, JV. Y., 

 .Sept. 12, 1821. 



1. Fulminating Preparations. 



Dear Sir — I have delayed sending the chlorate of potash I prom- 

 ised you, together with some other things, that I might be enabled 

 to add a sample of nitrated sulphuret of potash, or a modification of 

 fused " fulminating powder" of the old books, and likewise cornplete 

 some experiments I have been making on the action of caustic potash 

 on fulminating mercury. 



I send to day the promised box. It contains one pound of chlorate 

 of potash. It is contained in two papers — the lesser one has some 

 fine crystals of larger size than usual, but the whole is remarkably 

 fine and pure. 



* The use of a bottle (one fifth of a gallon) in my family, fully supports Mr. Guth- 

 rie's statements. 



