164 VEGETABLE PRODUCTS — SUGAE. 



tears. The characters of gum from the same species of plant are 

 liable to considerable variation ; the same tree may yield a transparent 

 or an opaque, a light or a dark coloured gum. Old stunted trees, in 

 hot and dry seasons, jdeld most gum. Arabin exists with cerasin in 

 the gum of the Cherry and Plum. Mucilage is present in many of the 

 Mallow tribe, as Malva sylvestris, and Althsea oiEcinalis or marsh mal- 

 low, also in Linseed. In Sphaerococcus crispus, mucilage is present, of 

 which the formula is Oi^ Hj„ Oj„. Bassorin (G^^ B.^ Oj,,) forms the 

 chief part of gum-tragacanth (the produce of several species of Astra- 

 galus), and of gum-bassora. It exists in Salep, procured from the 

 tubercules of Orchis mascula. Cerasin (Cjj Hj, Oj,,) is that part of 

 the gum of the Cherry (Gerasus), Plum, and Almond trees, which is 

 insoluble in cold water. Pectin is a substance procured from pulpy 

 fruits, as the apple and pear. It forms a jelly with water, and when 

 dried, resembles gum or isinglass. It is changed by alkalies into 

 pectio acid, which is found in many fruits and esculent roots. 



Sugar. — This substance, which forms an important article of diet, 

 exists in many species of plants. Sugars have been divided into those 

 which undergo vinous fermentation, as Cane and G-rape sugar, and 

 those which are not fermentescible, as Mannite. Gane sugar, C^j Hj, 

 On, is procured from Saocharum officinarum (sugar-cane). Beta 

 vulgaris (beet-root), Acer saccharinum (sugar-maple), and many other 

 plants. It has been conjectured that the Calamus or sweet cane 

 mentioned in the Old Testament, may be the sugar cane. At all 

 events, the plant was known as early as the commencement of the , 

 Christian era. In the East and West Indies, at the present time, 

 numerous varieties of cane are cultivated, such as Country cane. Ribbon 

 cane, Bourbon cane, Violet or Batavian cane, which are distinguished 

 by their size, form, the position and colour of their joints, their foliage, 

 and their glumes. Bourbon cane is richest in saccharine matter. 

 Canes demand a fertile soil, and for their perfect maturation they 

 require from twelve to fourteen months. Those which are grown from 

 planted slips are plant-canes, those which sprout up from the old stems 

 are rattoons. After being cut, the canes are crushed (the pressed canes 

 being called legass), the saccharine juice is extracted, evaporated, and 

 crystallised, as Raw or Muscovado sugar, which is afterwards refined 

 in vacuo, so as to form foa/ sugar. In 1870 the import of unrefined 

 sugar in Great Britain amounted to 12,798,631 cwts., and of refined 

 sugar 1,710,176 cwts. 



Maple Sugar is much used in America. It is procured from the 

 sugar maple (Acer saccharinum) by making perforations in the stem, and 

 allowing the sweet sap to flow out. Two or three holes, at the 

 height of eighteen or twenty inches from the ground, are said to be 

 sufficient for an ordinary tree. The season of collecting is from the 

 beginning of February to the middle of April. Beet Sugar is the 



