BACTERIA IN THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 269 
BACTERIA IN THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 
A brief mention should be made of the relation of bacteria to 
the sugar industry, which is an important phase of agriculture. 
The relation of microérganisms to this industry is, according to 
our present knowledge, only one of injury. After the product has 
been harvested, bacteria may produce subsequent injury within it, 
giving rise to well-known troubles. One source of trouble experi- 
enced in sugar-making consists in the appearance, at various stages 
of manufacture, of jelly-like masses which may become very abun- 
dant and troublesome. This has long been known and has been 
studied by bacteriologists for many years, with the result of prov- 
ing that it is caused by the appearance and development of cer- 
tain species of bacterla. Several species are known and have been 
carefully studied, all of which have the power of producing a slimy 
secretion which gives rise to the jelly-like masses in the sugar prod- 
uct. The slimy secretion appears to be developed from the 
sugar, a conclusion proved by the fact that the same microérgan- 
ism, when growing out of contact with sugar, develops no slime. 
A second trouble is in the loss of sugar by inversion. This occurs 
in unrefined sugar during storage or transportation, and is due to 
a bacterlum that has been isolated and tested. 
