CHINESE AND AFRICAN SUGAR CANE. 
363 
ble acids are soluble in water; and if these alkalies are used 
as neutralizers, they will remain in the syrup, and become in¬ 
jurious to the crystalization of the sugar. 
Lime on the other hand forms insoluble compounds, and is 
removed by the filter from the syrup: It has been usually ap¬ 
plied in the form of quick lime, or milk of lime. In this form 
however, it will act in some measure upon the basis of cane 
sugar and convert it into grape sugar, and finally into melassic 
acid by the aid of heat. Quick lime by its action upon the 
bases of fibrine, casein, and albumen, converts them and a por¬ 
tion of the cane sugar into glucic acid, which uniting with an¬ 
other portion of the sugar, forms uncrystalizable and ferment¬ 
ing grape sugar, thus giving rise to the large quantities of mo¬ 
lasses produced at the sugar houses of the sugar makers. 
Cane sugar is no more the sap of the plant, than the juice of 
the ripe apple is the sap of the apple tree; but it is the natural 
product of the plant we are considering; and is found in them 
only in a mature state. 
If the cane be cut in two and examined with a magnifying 
glass, the crystals will be seen as distinct and white as double 
refined sugar. The object of the operator should be to sepa¬ 
rate these crystals, without altering their color. They should 
be separated with as few impurities as possible. To accom¬ 
plish this last process, many inventions and plans have been 
proposed, but all have more or less failed. 
Failing in perfection, the next object has been to clarify the 
juice from the impurities as far as practicable, because their 
presence will produce almost instantaneous fermentation. Most 
of them can be coagulated by heat and removed by the skim¬ 
mer and filter, but not all. Some will burn at 120° Fahr., giv¬ 
ing rise to coloring matter in the boilers, and a decomposition 
of sugar, during the process of evaporation, or the formation of 
other materials highly injurious to crystalization. 
Among other impurities found in the juice, in the process of 
manufacture, acetic acid is no inconsiderable one. With it lime 
forms an exceedingly soluble salt, very offensive to the taste, 
