MR, F. BUTTON ON VARIETIES OF SUGAR. 
27 
of Sugar from substances which in themselves possess no natural 
sweetness. 
I use the term enormous advisedly, inasmuch as there exist in 
the United States alone, factories capable of turning out as much 
as ton thousand tons per day of Sugar made entirely from the 
starch of IMaizo. 
This artificial Sugar is all Glucose, and it can bo made from 
almost any form of woody fibre, such as sawdust, straw, paper, 
linen or cotton rags ; the best material, however, is undoubtedly 
tlie starch of some ordinary cereal i)lant. In the case of woody 
matter, such as sawdust, the rosin of the wood is objectionable ; 
but the natural starches are clean, and easily separated from the 
other constituents of grain, so that the conversion is easily done, and 
a good product obtained. ^laizc, or Indian Corn, being one of the 
best sources of starch, and a very productive crop in the States, is 
almost cxolusivoly used for the purpose there. Potatoes contain 
largo quantities of starch, and in some districts Potato-starch is 
largely converted into Sugar. 
It has long been known that Sugar could bo made from such 
materials ; but it is onl}’’ within the last ten or twelve years that 
the immense development has taken place in America. Maize is a 
prolific crop in the States, and can be obtained at a very low price, 
so low in fact, that notwithstanding the large cost of machinery 
and labour. Sugar can be made from it at one halfpenny per 
iiound. AVo can hardly wonder, then, to hoar of Cane-Sugar being 
sold retail at one penny per pound ; for although Glucose cannot 
compete with Cane-Sugar in quality, sweetne.ss, and general purity 
for domestic use, it can largel}'^ take its place for other purposes. 
In 1880 it was stated that there were twenty factories in 
America, using altogether about forty thousand bushels of corn 
Iier day, and a factory was then building in Chicago which alone 
would use twenty-five thousand bushels per da\'. 
In 1883 it was stated by a Government Commissioner, that the 
united factories in the States were then turning out as much as 
ten thousand tons of actual Sugar per da}\ 
The process by which starch is turned into Sugar is very .simple. 
It is merely heated for a certain time with dilute sulphuric acid ; 
the acid is removed by adding lime, which precipitates the 
sulphuric acid a.s insoluble sulphate of lime, or gypsum ; the clear 
