Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-02-20

MAPLE SUGAR BOUNTY.
Questions Asked by Farmers Answered
The Polariscopc.


The Polariscopc.
A communication received by the FREE
Press from Calais resident states that
from Col Forbes letter in regard to the
sugar bounty it seems that there is no
doubt that the farmer who makes 800
pounds OF sugar is sure of his ~ cents.
Farmers in that vicinity however, are not
yet clear on several points, and the CORE
spondent asked the following questions, to
which replies,were received from Prof. j.
l.. Hills OF the experiment station.
Question-Ilow will the farmer know
how hard to do his sugar to stand
the test of the pclariscopeY Answer
This il not known at present, but it is cX-
pected that number of experiments will be
made this coming spring designed to test
this question. Results will be published
and circulated in way to prove of advan-
tage to farmers before the season OF 1892.
Question--Who will test this sugar An
swer-lt is pretty wellknown as to who
will do this work and 1t can be stated before
long.
Queston-Will he he obliged to keep his
sugar until he has 800 pounds before he can
sell and get the bounty; Answcr-Frobab
not. but a positive anawer can not be given.
Qneston-lf he is obliged to keep it. in
the bounty will it not Answer-Shoud
say that it would, particularly with the
first runs. The last runs of sugar will
rarely go up TO 80, but it is probable that
the bounty will be so adjusted that the
farmer will also receive it on this sugar.
Question-Will not the reduction of two
cents per pound on graduated sugar reduce
the price of maple in toe same proportion
Answer-Shoud think that the effect
would be to reduce the price in considerably
the same proportion, and that the bounty
was largely designed to make up this def
cheney
50 many questions are being asked by
farmers about the poarscope, its cost. Use,
etc, that the following description will be
of interest.
The polarsrope is an instrument some
what resembling telescope SO constructed
that whom tube is put in the middle OF il
filled with q solution made by dissolviug a
certain weight of the sugar under examna-
ton i'll certain quantity of water and then
is pointed at n strong light, tho light is re
Elected out of the tube until prism Of crys-
| tai, called Iceland spar, is SO turned in the
tube that the light passes through and into
the eye Of the observer. The moving of
this prism is measured on a scale, and on
this scale The per cent OF sugar present may
he read. If distilled water be placed in the
tube the scale reads zero; If solution of
26.Oj grains Of pure sugar in 100 cubic
centimetres be placed i'll the tube, the scale
reads 100; thus if the same weight OF a
sugar of unknown quality be dissolved in
tho same volume Of water, the reading Of
the scale, whether it may be located be
tween zero and 100, viii be the per cent of
sugar present The use of the polariscope
by individual farmers is utterly out of the
/ question, both on account of its cost, and
/ the fact that only an experienced
chemist can understand the method
of test The instruments are made in
this country, but all that are used here are
imported from Germany, those manufac-
turcd there being much superior. With
duty paid a polariscope would cost ordinar-
I " about (l1J. If one test only was made,
it woId take fully one half hour, and u
rapid days work could harry turn out more
than 60 tests The task of testing will thus
entail vast amount of labor, and the
exact method by which it will be done is
| not known.