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SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Aug. 3 i, 1888. 



brambles, and roses will find ample material close at 

 hand. The genus Batrachium is so well represented in 

 our marshy ditches and brackish pools that the majority 

 of British forms can be recognised. 



It is to the keen observation of a lady that we owe the 

 latest discovery of a choice species — namely, that of 

 Blysmus compressus — on the coast near Burnham; and, in 

 deference to the sex, we devote the last paragraph of this 

 imperfect sketch to a notice of the ladies' favourite order. 

 Ferns, however, are scarce about Bristol, and are reced- 

 ing farther from the city since their cultivation became a 

 fashion. If the ruthless uprooting and transference to 

 death in a garden continue, we may bye and bye have 

 only a few fronds of bracken left. Cetarach is a feature 

 of local botany, and one of the prettiest ornaments of 

 our limestone walls. Cystopteris and Osmuuda formerly 

 grew in Leigh Woods ; but for the first, one must now 

 go in the direction of the Mendips, where it is frequent ; 

 and for the second, to the peat moor, on the southern 

 limit of the district. On the peat grow also Laslrcea 

 Tliclypteris and L. spinulosa. There is evidence, too, that 

 Phegoptcris Dryoptej'is once grew in Leigh Woods ; the 

 place has been pointed out, but the fern is no longer 

 there. P. polypodioides is known in one spot near 

 Wells; and the occurrence of P. Robertiana at Cheddar 

 has already been alluded to. Asplenium lanccolatum, on 

 sandstone rocks in Glen Frome, has, we fear, shared the 

 fate allotted by collectors to all good things. Ten years 

 ago it was spoken of as being only obtainable with the 

 aid of a quarryman and a rope; and this information has 

 since been confirmed. 



But in spite of possible losses, we trust yet to add 

 largely to our knowledge of the rich botanical resources 

 of one of the most delightful, interesting, and exhaust- 

 less districts in the country. 



NEW PROCESS OF SUGAR-REFINING. 



TT is singular that almost at the same time that the 

 conference for the abrogation of the sugar bounties 

 begins its work we should receive intelligence of a new 

 process which seems destined to entirely revolutionise the 

 sugar-refining industry. This method, which, after re- 

 peated testing, is said to have proved capable of accom- 

 plishing all that has been claimed for it, depends for its 

 action upon the use of electricity. Its discoverer, Pro- 

 fessor H. C. Friend, of New York, who died in May last, 

 unfortunately before the realisation of its commercial 

 success, must have been mentally characterised by an 

 extraordinary combination of inventiveness and secrecy. 

 He had made a careful study of electricity, and 

 especially of its applicability to sugar-refining, for 

 several years before his work and hopes were finally 

 rewarded by the production of a hard sugar of almost 

 perfect purity. It is said that he was the discoverer of 

 quite a considerable number of useful and valuable in- 

 ventions, which, on account of his extreme aversion to 

 publicity and possible piracy, have never been disclosed 

 or utilised for purposes of manufacture. This secretive- 

 ness was, of course, equally, if not to a greater degree, 

 manifested in respect of his sugar-refining process, but 

 fortunately, there was no need to conceal the product, 

 which was fully submitted to those engaged in the sugar 

 trade. The unanimous verdict of all who examined and 

 tasted it was that no such sugar had ever previously been 

 produced, and that if it were offered for sale at the same 



price as the other kinds nothing could compete with it. 

 This led to the formation of a Company about four years 

 ago, with a capital privately subscribed for of a million 

 dollars, of which three-fifths were to be retained by the 

 inventor as payment for his discovery and the right to 

 work it at home and abroad. Not only were all the 

 shares taken up, but they have since been at a premium 

 as high as 400 per cent. Many are held in this country, 

 especially at Liverpool and Birmingham. The large 

 proportion of shares held by the Professor practically 

 gave him. control of the Company, and enabled- him to 

 manage matters in the secret manner which suited his 

 disposition and which has tended to bring about the 

 delay in practical working which has ensued. Hence, 

 although large manufacturing premises were acquired in 

 Brooklyn in 1886, and adapted to the requirements of 

 the electric process, and though much of the necessary 

 machinery had been planned and ordered two years 

 previously to that, the internal fittings are not yet com- 

 plete. The Professor had such a dread of his secret 

 leaking out that the various parts of the machines were 

 made, according to his instructions, at towns widely 

 separated from one another and from New York, and the 

 natural difficulty of fitting together the parts thus con- 

 structed was, of course, greatly increased by the fact that 

 it had to be done entirely by the very few persons who 

 alone were allowed to see or touch them. These per- 

 sons seem to have been the Professor, his wife, and a 

 Mr. Howard, whose knowledge of mechanical work 

 was necessary for designing and constructing the appa- 

 ratus, and in whom the Professor felt he could place 

 complete reliance. The promoters of the Company pro- 

 posed at the outset to keep the invention entirely secret, 

 and, of course, not to patent it, as the publication of 

 the specifications would have revealed the whole pro- 

 cess. This intention no doubt arose in the main from 

 the Professor's influence, as he did not even impart his 

 secret to any member of the Company. By means of 

 small machines constructed by Mr. Howard several 

 demonstrations of the capabilities of his process were 

 carried out, in which raw sugar was supplied to the 

 Professor by invited members of the Company, and he 

 afterwards turned it .out from his machine as refined 

 sugar of the particular size of grain that had been 

 previously determined on and named by his visitors. 

 Before the operation the visitors were allowed to inspect 

 the room and to feel the machine through a cloth which 

 was placed over it. After satisfying themselves that 

 there was nothing in the room but the machine, the raw 

 sugar they had brought, and the empty vessels to receive 

 the refined product, they withdrew and waited outside 

 the door, where they could hear the sound of the 

 machinery in motion. After about an hour and 

 three-quarters, they were readmitted, and in place 

 of the raw sugar found the empty vessels filled with 

 snow-white sugar crystals of the size they had specified. 

 Professor Friend's refusal to impart his secret to any- 

 one but his wife might easily have prevented it from 

 ever being utilised, if a stipulation had not been made, 

 on behalf of the Company, that it should be expressed 

 in writing and deposited with trustees, who should open 

 it in the case of the death of both the inventor and his 

 wife. Since his death, however, the embargo of secrecy 

 has been so far removed that the Company have opened 

 negotiations for disposing of the working rights in 

 Great Britain, some of the British colonies, and in 

 France. 



