344 ON THE JUICE OF THE SUGAR-CANE. 
the juice from the cane, and it always becomes more manifest in two or 
three hours by a temperature above 20° centigrade. The abstraction of 
these globules from the liquid has the result of retarding by a day the 
process of fermentation ; and when at the same time the albumenoid 
substance is withdrawn, the juice undergoes no appreciable alteration 
for the space of two whole days. 
It is sufficient, then, to raise rapidly to the boiling point the newly- 
extracted cane-juice, and to filter it immediately, in order to have a per- 
fectly limpid liquid which can be kept for a considerable time without 
any alteration. 
On the one hand, the extremely fermentable property of the juice of 
the cane influenced by these globules and by the albuminous substance 
coagulated by heat ; and, on the other hand, the possibility of elimi- 
nating these substances as well as the other organic remains by means 
of rapid boiling and filtering in such a way as to obtain a limpid fluid, 
are facts which simply require to be named in order to make their im- 
portance readily understood. 
In the ordinary practice of the sugar manufactories in this colony at 
the present day, such a process would have three advantages : — 
1. To avoid the immediate fermentation of the juice while being 
able to keep it a whole day at least without any trace of alteration. 
2. To diminish the formation of uncrystallizable sugar. 
3. To act on a limpid liquid which, being concentrated, preserves all 
its limpidity and primal purity. 
I think it necessary to add a few words to demonstrate more clearly 
these last two advantages. The globular and albuminous substances 
essentially contributing to develope the acidity of the juice, are one of 
the principal causes of the glucose transformation of the sugar. When 
they are eliminated, it becomes, in fact, easy to determine that such 
acidity is only feebly increased by the action of heat, and always re- 
mains very inferior to what it would have been in the contrary case. 
It is to be remembered, on the other hand, that the means made use 
of to effect the defecation and to purify the juice from the impurities it 
brings down with it, as well as from impurities produced during evapo- 
ration are, in spite of every effort employed, powerless to effect its com- 
plete purification, and it contains, when in the state of syrup, a 
very large quantity of particles principally of extremely minute frag- 
ments of coagulated albumenoid and granular matter. 
These particles, by reason of their weak specific gravity, are with 
great difficulty separated when in a state of rest from the clearing mate- 
rials employed, and are mostly found mixed with, and attached to, the 
grains of the manufactured sugar, the quality of which is thus always 
more or less changed. During manipulation they are also frequently 
the point of departure for the crystals about to form, and to which they 
communicate a dull and brownish colour, which being inherent in the 
