THE MANUFACTURE OP DATE SUGAR. 15 



minates about the loth February, after which the heat of the weather 

 causes the juice to ferment so rapidly, that it is no more convertible into 

 sugar, and consequently not worth the labour of extraction and evapora- 

 tion of its water, as molasses only would be the product. Juice produced 

 during the day-time of the cold season is of similar quality, and for the 

 same reason is allowed to run to waste. 



Daily at sunrise, throughout the goor season, the industrious ryot may 

 be seen climbing his trees, and collecting at a convenient spot beneath them 

 the earthen pots containing the juice yielded during the past night. Under 

 a rude shed, covered with the leaves of the date tree itself, and erected 

 under the shade of the plantation, is prepared the boiling apparatus to serve 

 for the goor season. It consists of a hole of about three feet in diameter 

 sunk about two feet in the ground, over which are supported by mud 

 arches, four thin earthen pans of a semi-globular shape, and eighteen 

 inches in diameter ; the hole itself is the furnace, and has two appertures 

 on opposite sides for feeding in the fuel, and for escape of the smoke. The 

 fire is lit as soon as the juice is collected, and poured into the four pans, 

 which are kept constantly supplied with fresh juice as the water evaporates, 

 until the whole produce of the morning is boiled down to the required 

 density. As the contents of each pan become sufficiently boiled, they are 

 ladled out into other earthen pots or jars, of various sizes, from five to 

 twenty seers of contents, according to local custom, and in these the boiled 

 extract cools, crystallises into a hard compound of granulated sugar and 

 molasses, and is brought to market for sale as goor. 



The subsequent processes by which the goor is deprived more or less of 

 its molasses and impurities, and the drier and more merchantable kinds of 

 sugar are prepared for market, will now be briefly described. These pro- 

 cesses are always conducted by a distinct class of operators, who purchase 

 the goor from the cultivators, and bring it to various stages of purity and 

 dryness under different denominations. 



1st. Khaur is made by filling the goor into coarse sacks or gunny bags, 

 and pressing them between bamboos lashed together, or beneath heavy 

 weights, until thirty or forty per cent, of the entire weight is forced out in 

 the shape of molasses. The residue is then mixed, packed in clean bags, 

 and is ready for sale. 



2nd. Fine Khaur or Mmphool is made by repeating the above process 

 for making khaur ; the only difference being that the khaur is sprinkled and 

 mixed with water before subjecting it to the second packing and pressure. 

 This causes a further portion of the molasses to be washed and separated 

 from the mass, and the product is lighter coloured and finer than the khaur, 

 and about fifty per cent, only of the original weight of goor remains. A 

 third application of the same process is sometimes resorted to, which carries 

 away another five per cent, of the original weight, and leaves a residue 

 still drier and lighter coloured than the ordinary nimphool. 



In all nimphool and khaur sugars, however, a certain portion of water or 

 moisture remains, it being never subjected to any sun-drying or other pro- 



