THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY. PART I. 187 



fitted to the top of the furnace. Whenever the location is in danger of floods, 

 the natives build the furnace above the high-water level, roof it over and live 

 there. 



"The sap is too sweet to be palatable as a beverage when fresh, but it makes 

 a popular cider when fermented. Six hours are required to evaporate a kettle 

 of sap. As the kettle is very full, the sap would boil over if this were not 

 prevented by an open cylinder, made of strips of buri leaves, set in the kettle. 

 Sap boiling over the top of this cylinder flows back into the kettle. When 

 sufficiently boiled, the contents of the kettle are stirred with a rod bent to fit 

 the curve of the kettle. The kettle is removed from the fire and the stirring 

 continued until the sugar granulates. It is then ladled out and cooled in coconut- 

 shell molds. Very often the sugar is poured into square or circular boxes made 

 of buri leaves. The children also weave figures of chickens, and small bags, and 

 fill them with sugar. This sugar sells for 2 to 3 cents (United States currency) 

 a pound, in the woods. 



"The sirup is of a golden brown color and has an agreeable and distinctive 

 flavor superior to that of the sugar. There is no market for the sirup and the 

 sugar is sold locally, as the supply is limited. 



"No data were obtainable as to the production of sap, or the proportion of 

 sugar contained." 



A sample of buri palm sugar, manufactured in Sila)'^, Pampanga Prov- 

 ince, was obtained in the market at Dagupan. It was packed in small 

 boxes made of leaves. The weight of the sugar in five boxes was 83, 

 91, 77, 97, 82 grams, average, 86.4 grams each. These boxes retail at 

 from 3 to 5 centavos Philippine currency in Dagupan, and at the place 

 of manufacture, and in the country at 1 centavo each.^" The composi- 

 tion of the sugar is as follows : 



Analysis of huri sugar. 



Moisture 8.91 



Polarization i ^'^^^* ''^^^'''S +^8.4 



I Invert reading —22.88 



Sucrose (by Clerget) 78.5 



Invert sugar 8.89 



Protein (N X 5.5) 0.27 1.48 



Ash 2.23 



Chlorine in ash 0.33 



100.01 



This sample was dark bro\vn in color and was more of the consistency of candy 

 than of crystallized sugar. 



The most economical preservative employed for the manufacture of 

 sugar from the sap is slaked lime. Formalin might also be used to 

 advantage in addition to the lime, especially for the pui'pose of disin- 

 fecting the vessels employed as containers. Sugar, of excellent quality, 

 polarizing from 94° to 98°, has been produced in this laboratory of the 

 Bureau of Science by boiling the sap, preserved with lime, in open pans. 



^ Sample collected by Theodore C. Zsehokke, Government Forester, P. I. 



