The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-04

formed We find them unsatisfactory and in.

Some prefer Que bybteHly U0Chube v Rlvph nun
Der Of tons OF cane ut one sugsr-house yleios
better results in money than the same number
Of tons OF cane, manipulated by different sys-
tenn, In another sugar-honse.
This deduction is not TO be depended on, as IL
ignores the degree Of maturity OF cane; ~
noros the nature OF the soil In which the cane
grows. and IL ignores the capacities OF mills ana
skill il the treatment Of juice and OF syrups'
No correct and reliable test Of the superiority
Of one system OF manufacture over anotner eau
ever be obtained until experiments are maoe
upon Che same kind OF cane, ground on ,ne ssme
mill and It's Juices manipulated with the same
akiiI. and Its syrups then concentrated INTO su-
car. under conditions that will establish, by 40
tusl results. which System OF MANUFACTURE ID sne
best. su..s ~. an
narimant alone. under the supervision and con- |
troll Of science. and under conditions which, In
The chemical laboratories, give accurate snd III
oontrovertible results.
ANS svatema of manufacture and come TO ex-
amino the details of the processes OF manuiac-
care. how many contradictions, now many un.
acerteiptiss do we encounter Inc methods OF
srcsson are apa praetoe
apply lime TO cold juice and some to hot juice;
snts,s nae one or two cubic inches oil lime to
gallon OF juice, this year, while an adjoining
sugar-house,. treating the same ne kind OF juice
la the use OF the fumes OF sulphur no hxed
rnles have been established. There must be q
point where. more or loss, sulphur will prove in
furious. What is that poinH Should more or
less sulphur be used on Uninsured juice. or
upon Juice rich in sugar, or upon JUICE soureo ny
freeze and thaws2 -,
IA il beneficial to apply more sulphur than will
bleach the juice2 or Is it theory, unsupported
by facts, that the fumes OF sulphur not only
bleach the Juice, but act 90 On antiseptic and
arrest scid, by checking incipient fermentatioDt
What quantity OF sulphur can be safely used
per gallon OF Juice, without inverting the crys-
faliEable sugar.
The operation OF which the true proportion Of
lime and sulphur can be accurately determinedf
The most OF these questions are determined
blindly, without fixed rule, BY men unskilled ID
The theory, and who have only certain indlvl s.
method BY which sugar is msde-whether TO the
best or least advantage neither they nor their
employees can determine.
We have universally. adopted lime as the sole
defecAting agency; but have we any data that wan
'blned with or even superseded BY other agencies,
whereby better clarifoation, giving larger re-
suits in sugar, may be more certainly obsained2
The object to DO sought is not merely an ap,
psrently better DELEGATION, but process that will
i've better results in quantity and color OF sugar
Gan j planter make these experimental I
think not, unless he DO prepared to sacrifice
large pRrt OF nlb CTOp III oApoihuohsp WAi0A Aa@y
mot produce any satisfactory result.
When we consider our present system OF boil
ing our syrups into sugar we find no definite rules
no fixed data. II 10 upon this final process that
depends our success Many planters ma thst
found In their ability 10 give good or bad color
and grain to their sugars That there are Ger
taip fixed and definite principles governing the
business Of eugar boiler cannot be doubted !;
but who OF our planters can say what are these
4pr,In~ ND ,rincipIeaf
The business OF refining sugar from low grades
or sugar has received the full benefit Of scientific
experiment and study. Each large refinery has
enechemist or more devoted to the exclusive
study and development Of its business; and exten-
sive and learned treatises have been published,
exhaustvely explaining the science and art OF re-
timing sugar.
low grades OF sugar is very different and dis
tanct process from manufacturing sugar from
cane tuice, containing gum, coloring matter. salts
and Ill the feculencies from which We vainly
struggle to liberate our juice by irregular and
This year, In two weeks after the freezes, diff.
entities In granting sugar began TO appear, which
continued 10 increase TO such an extent that
enormous losses have resulted.
We say that the cane s0ured. that acid was
formed, that the saccharine matter was destroyed
BY fermentation; and the result was the loss OF
millions Of dollars; but who can say that suoh
loss might not in greater part have been quail
ned or avoided if the experiments Of the iabora-
tory and the researches Of science had been ex-
haustively devoted TO the study OF the particular
chemical changes that were occurring In the
canes, and to the inquiry, what particular remedy
or antidote or counter agent might be used to
modify or neutraze the baneful effects Of such
chsnges2 It may be thAt nothing could have been
done; but as nothing was or has been attempted,
no one can affirm that science would have been
unable TO aid us.
The resources OF science are great. and no art
fat ia m
Gifted by its aid. 1t might be supposed that the
Art of the dairy was 80 old that nothing could be
taught in reference to it; yet President White, OF
the Cornell University. speaking on The best
in the chemistry Of the dairy has been worth
millions Of dollars to the dairy interest by in
creasing tts products.
The Agricultural College OF Massachusetts, in
stituted researches into the phenomenon OF the
circulation OF sap In plants, and embodied the re-
suits In . single report. Prof. Agassiz stated
that the production OF that single report "amply
paid every dollar that the State had bestowed
upon the institution
What science can effect when devoting itself.
under favorable conditions. to the development
OF an industry is well illustrated In the manufac-
ture Of beet sugar.
Il was science that discovered that q particular
species OF beet contained saocharine matter, and
it was science, richly endowed and systematically
employed by government, that taught the
method and processes by which sugar could
be probably extracted from the beet. and which,
in the lifetime Of man has created vast indus
try which has successfully competed with the
sugar cane culture. and which has driven cane
sugar ont OF the markets Of Europe.
Il is not intended to say that science has never
aided the sugar planter. On the contrary, bril-.
liant services have been rendered by many
learned men; but 1t is, nevertheless, true that
in this country we never have had any continuous,
sustained and systematic effort to obtain from
science all the aid and benefit possible for the
Development Of our home culture.
Whatever has been done has been effected by
individuals; but it is impossible TO realize the
full benefits OF science unless government
furnishes the means for study and experiments
TO be systematically pursued through q series Of
years.
Il was thus that beet culture was developed in
Europe, where governments caused every study
and experiment to be extensively made By
science, which has thus been enabled to create q
great industry, worth to Europe thousands OF
millions OF dollars.
To determine questions affecting our particular
interest we require not one, but many expert
monts, 90 that the results Of . series Of years
may indicate the truth. Who can affirm that our
1. l.. L., 1nkn An