16 



NORTHERN SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



it is grown now throughout the country 3.00 per cent, of uncrystalliza- 

 ble sugar will not Ije a high figure. My experiments and observations 

 show that in general, we cannot count on a better ratio than one of 

 anoptose to three of sucrose as an average for the whole country. 



SOLUBLE SOLIDS NOT SUGAR. 



Under this head we must consider the soluble starch and gums, the 

 acids, the chlorophyl, the mineral substances, and all else not sugar, 

 soluble in water or expressed by the mill with the juice. In every case 

 where I have tested a sorghum juice for starch, I have found that body 

 present. I have made no attempts to determine its quantity. 



Some varieties of canes have gums besides the starch. J'hese gums 

 resemble the hydrocarbons, and are doubtless isomers of starch or 

 sugar. They have a strong rotatory power to the right, like starch, and 

 the dextriae derived from it by long boiling. 



The starch and dextrine have to be taken into consideration in opti- 

 cal analysis. Thus a raw sugar which polarized 93^ on direct reading, 

 only calculated 89 per cent, after inversion. Thus an amount of dextro- 

 gyratory ihatter not sucrose was present to increase the readings four 

 degrees to the right. In meladas, sirujjs, and molasses, on the other 

 hand, the first polarization generally gives too low a result, owing to 

 presence of invert sugar. 



The free acids vary in amount from .1 to .2 per cent. There is also 

 acid present combined with the potash and other bases found in the ash. 

 It is probable that a large number of acids will be found in the cane. 

 Among those which have already been detected 1 may mention malic 

 and aeon i tic. 



The formula of malic acid is H2 ('4 H4 O5, and its calcium salt Ga C4 

 H4 O5. 



The formula of aconitic acid is H3 Oe H3 Oe, and its calcium salt Gas 

 (Ge H3 06)2. 



It requires nearly 2.5 parts of slaked lime to saturate 1 part of malic 

 acid, and a little over 2 parts for 1 part of aconitic acid. In estimating 

 the acid of cane juice it is usually determined as malic acid. One liter 

 of cane juice having an acidity of .15 per cent, would contain 1.5 grams 

 free acid, requiring 4 grams calcium hydrate for its saturation. The 

 lime compounds of these organic acids are quite insoluble, and can 

 therefore be separated by subsidence or filtration. 



ASH. 



The mineral constituents of the cane are recovered in the ash, but 

 not in the form of combination in which they exist in the canes. The 

 average amount of ash in the canes is not far from 0.62 per cent. 



