272 THE SUOAR TRADE". 
polarized light by M. Emile Monier, into the constitution of sugar, and 
published in his work, " Guide pour PEssai et 1' Analyse des Sucres." 
(Paris : E. Lacroix.) This book contains a perfect mine of information 
for refiners, and it would seem that the polariscope, or optical saccharo- 
meter, by which the results given are arrived at, is not nearly so well 
known among us as it ought to be. By the use of this delicate instru- 
ment, the saccharine richness of sugar can be shown to the minutest 
fraction, and the system of classification by shades of colour, or of types, 
is shown to be delusive. A yellow sugar, of which the crystals are clear 
and good, is often richer than a white sugar, of which the crystals are 
hardly formed or badly defined. The richness also varies in samples of 
sugar of the same shade of colour. Thus, No. 12 of French beetroot 
sugar contains from 92 to 97 per cent, of crystallisable sugar— a differ- 
ence of four per cent, in richness, and a margin of four francs in the 
buying price. At the same time this sugar (No. 12), when good, contains 
97 per cent, or the same saccharine richness as some samples of Nos. 18 
and 19, worth 4s. or 5s. per cwt. more in the market. M. Monier states 
that beetroot sugar, as presented in the market, is richer than any other 
kind of saccharine matter, and gives the greatest yield when refined. 
The principal distinction between cane and beetroot sugar is, that the 
former contains from ten to fifteen times as much glucose or incrystal- 
lisable sugar. Independent testimony to the superiority of the beetroot 
to the cane sugar is given by Mr. Barron, in his report upon the Belgian 
sugar industry (" Eeports of the Secretaries of Legation," No. 6, page 
208): — "Beetroot sugar is preferred by the refiners for the volume and 
whiteness of its yield. In refining it gives a much larger yield in loaves 
than Havana or Jamaica sugar." After the beetroot, M. Monier places 
the sugars of Java, Cuba, Mauritius, and Bourbon ; and last, those of 
Martinique, Gaudaloupe, and Porto Bico. We should be curious to 
know where M. Monier would place the lower class of British West 
India sugars, on which he has apparently made no experiments. We 
fear they would end his list. These analyses throw considerable light 
on the question of why the foreign refiner can produce loaf sugar more 
cheaply than the English — it is by the use of beetroot, Java, Cuba, and 
Mauritius sugars, instead of inferior kinds. The interest taken by the 
trade in the imports of beetroot will be added to as the refiner 
makes more loaf sugar from it. With some approach to free trade in 
sugar, English refiners must be ready to make changes in their manu- 
facture, or they will continue to lose ground. In the revenue returns 
for the year 1864-5, a charge appears for British native sugar, and this 
item has led to some speculation on the part of those interested in the 
subject, as to whether beetroot had again been tried in England. That 
starch sugar was made in this city was certainly not generally known, 
as it was thought that the manufacture was prohibited by the excise. 
The following extract from the ' Times/ however, shows that a 
general misapprehension existed on the subject : — (C British made 
