Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-06-16
NEW DISCOVERIES IN CHEMISTRY
Chemical Reproductions of the Valuahi
 Principles in Natural Products.

.Chemtcal Approximations o1 the Naiuanie \ Principles in Natural Products.
 It will be long time before the farmer finds himself supplanted by the chemical laboratory in the production of such com modities as sugar, tea, alcohol, drugs and dye stuffs though sanguine chemists tell us that the recent triunlphs of their sci ence indicate the probability that these and other articles will some day be prof itably produced from purely inorganic materials. Synthetic chemistry, or the forming of compounds by recombina- tions of chemical elements, is making steady progress, and has already affected agriculture.
 Mir Robert Hugh Mills, in a recent lect ure, called attention to the fact that the cultivation of madder has been almost de stroyed by the chemical discovery that its identical coloring matter can be cheaply produced from coal tar. The production of indigo is also threatened by an arti- ficial production which the chemists have discovered. A while ago it was found that the cinchona tree could be proftably planted ill India, and @ fine new field of industry was believed to have opened fer the farmers Of that country. Scores of chemists, however, have been at work upon the synthesis of quinine, and their researches have advanced so far that the prediction is now confidently made that the manufacture of the principle of quinine will soon be a commercial suc- cess, and that cinchona planting will be- come thing of the past. These chemi- cal reproductions of the valuable princi- pies inherent in natural products are often easier to handle and utilize than the prod ucts from which they have hitherto been derived. and thus the tendency of manu- factures is to substitute artificial fol natural sources of supply.
 The problem Of sugar making from in organic materials has engaged some chemists for a number of years. The synthesis of glucose by Fischer and Tafe is said to promise an ample supply oi this commodity without the aid of grape: or starch. Two years ago some German chemists announced that they had pro duced saccharose, the equivalent of cant sugar, by passing an electric curren through mixture of starch, sulphurit acid and water. Nothing has yet beer heard of the commercial value of thi new product, and there is no reason tt think it will prove dangerous rival t the sweets we derive from the cane ant the beet. Some sugar growers, however have been prophesying for years tha something would happen to ruin tn sugar industry, and their alarm receive fresh impetus at every new discover, like that of Remsen's saccharine, an ex ceedingly sweet article produced iron coal tar The day may come when pro cesses Of sugar making by the use of in organic materials will seriously affect tn sugar planter, but there is no reason a yet to believe that his industry will 500 be inperiled,
 Legislation has intervened in som places to protect the dairy farmer agains oleomargarine, even where this product honestly sold as artificial butter. It not to be expected that ill many case where science supplies us with a desiraol substitute for any product. the law ca be successfully invoked to keep the worl from reaping the benefit of increasin knowledge. Future discoveries ma compel the farmer to cease raising som produce by which he has thriyed, or { change and improve his methods of agr culture; but 1t is certain that the tiliel of soil will continue to supply the chit resources of food and apparel.-Ne7 York Sun