510 



Analysis of Sugar Cane, 



The desiccation, however, was not complete, for on sub- 

 mitting them to the temperature of 212° Fahr. in a stove, 

 they lost 9 or 10 per cent, more in weight. 



Accordingly, the fresh sugar cane contains solid mat- 

 ters, 28 



Water, 72 



100* 



In treating the dried cane either by hot or cold water, 

 the sugar is separated from the insoluble or ligneous matter. 

 We thus find that the dried cane contains of soluble mat- 

 ter, 64.7 



Ligneous matter, 36.3 



100 



From the analysis of the vesou, it appears that these 64.7 

 parts of soluble matter consist almost solely of crystaliz- 

 able sugar. 



From these numbers besides, we may easily deduce the 

 relative proportions of the three principal constituents of 

 the fresh cane, these are w 7 ater, 72.1 



Sugar, 18. 



Wood, 9.9 



100 



The sugar cane then contains in theory 90 per cent, of 

 juice, but so difficult is it to crush, and so spongy is its tex- 

 ture, that at Martinique it seldom yields more than 50 per 

 cent, on an average. 



Probably with better machines and by crushing the ba- 

 gasse (or cane trash) a much larger produce might be 

 obtained. 



* If the 7 kil. to which the 24 kils of fresh cane were reduced hy the first 

 drying lost 10 per cent, by the second drying, there remained only 26* per cent, 

 of the original weight, not 28. 



