512 



Analysis of Sugar Cane. 



Would it not be possible to extract this quantity by bringing the 

 ground cane into contact with water nearly boiling ? 



On the other hand it is certain, and all chemists are of one accord 

 on this point, that the present processes of evaporation and boiling 

 leave much room for improvement, and that they give rise to the 

 formation of a great deal of molasses. 



M. Peligot, it is true, has operated only on a single quality of 

 vesou and on one species of cane, for which he was indebted to M. 

 Gradin. Perhaps if he had tried other specimens of vesou, and 

 other species of cane, he might have arrived at results somewhat 

 different. 



However that may be, the cane contains more sugar than was be- 

 lieved. 



A great quantity of sugar remains in the bagasse. 

 Cane juice is merely sugared water. 



The manufacture from the cane juice is at present conducted by 

 very imperfect processes. 



There is therefore every reason to hope, that important improve- 

 ments may be introduced into the art of extracting sugar from the 

 cane, and that by these causes, a much larger quantity of sugar will 

 be obtained than by the processes hitherto followed." 



Extract of a Letter ofM. Guibourt. 



" I will not here call to mind the important labours of Dutrone 

 and others besides, but I think it right it should be known, that an 

 apothecary, a chemist as able as modest, whom fortune has carried to 

 a distance from his country, has availed himself of his residence 

 at New Orleans to make a complete analysis of sugar-cane, and the 

 results he has obtained are well worthy of citation. M. Avequin, 

 an extract of whose memoir is to be found in the Journal de Chemie 

 Medicale of 1836, pp. 26 and 132, has found like M. Peligot, that the 

 cane though it yields to the best mills only about half its weight of 

 cane juice or vesou, contains however 90 to 91 per cent., " so that," 

 he writes, "of a Planter who makes conveniently 300 hogsheads of 



