The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-09
HISTORY OF SUGAR.
A. Child OF Civilization, Born In the Ia

ity TO another Is TO certain extent,
identical with the progress OF ad-
vanced nations Born and bred In
the far East this industry was des-
tined 10 reach its greatest growth In
the more enlightened West, and the
events In its history are therefore to
be studied with interest by the peo-
pie OF the Occident From All hum
BILE start the industry OF sugar-mak-
ing has grown 10 be one OF the most
| important. There are something like
30 different kinds OF sugar, but only
one OF these, cane sugar, Is used
| TO any great extent as an article OF
food, although glucose, another vari-
ETY., is sometimes employed in the
arts. There are several sources from
which cane sugar may be obtained
the sugar cane, the beet, the date
palm, sorghum and the sugar maple.
or the total production OF cane sugar
about 60 per cent is from sugar cane,
35 per cent. from the beet and one
half OF one per cent from the maple.
Bengal is supposed TO be the home
Of the sugar cane, but there Is a
species, which by some botanists IS
considered as distinct from the Ben
gal plant, while by Others it is sup
posed TO be only variety OF the same
Species which owes its nativity TO
China. There is possibility, IL these
varieties are really the same plant,
that they came from common start
I'm years long past At any rate sugar
cane was cultivated and used for
sweetening before the beginning Of
the Christian era in both Bengal and
China. In these early days OF its use
the product was known as "honey OF
canes" and sugar as we know ii was
not mentioned until about 1900 years
ago. About 100 A. D., it was spoken
OF by Greek writer and described
as salt-like, sweet, granulated sub
stance which came from India This
shows that the art OF making sugar
much like our own, was known at
that time and probably had been
known In India long before. Its
Greek name. saccharum, which was
derived from the Sanscrit meant
gravel. The sugar cane, saccharum
Of botanists, therefore gets its name
from the granular nature OF the
product which we call sugar.
The art of boiling sugar was known
at an early date in Gangetic India
and from this country it was intro
duced into China In the first part Of
the seventh century. But it is prob
ably TO Egypt that we owe the retln-
ing OF sugar Even to the present
day coarse sugar. or that little refined,
Is known In India as Chinese sugar
and that Of finer quality as Cairene
or Egyptian. About the time Of the
Arabian conquest OF Persia sugar was
manufactured in the latter country
on large scale and was prepared
with art" as early writings say.
From Persia It's manufacture spread
TO the west The Persian word
"Shakar," which was applied to the
product Of the cane, probably ac-
counts for our word sugar.
1t is interesting TO note that the
first uses Of sugar were in medicine
and further that the first advances i'm
the art Of its refining were made by
the famous physicians Of Arabia
The progress of sugar-making was
slow but steady, its dissemination
after the beginning Of the 18Th cent
ury being largely carried on by the
Spaniards Their first venture in
sugar growing was made In Madeira
i'm 1920. In l494 it was carried TO
San Domingo, and early in the 10th
century it spread over the occupied
portions CT the West Indies and South
America. Sugarcane growing played
prominent part in the early history
of this part Of the world For the
first twenty years Of the 10th
century the sugar industry in San
Domingo advanced with great strides,
and 1t was with the revenues received
from this source that Charles V oh.
tanned funds for his palace building
at Madrid and Toledo.
In 1919 100, 900 pounds Of sugar
were shipped from Venice, then the
center OF the sugar trade, TO London,
by one Tomasso Loredano, to be ex-
changed for wool. This seems TO be
about the first sugar to be brought to
Great Britain. At that time it cost
Is. 9ld. (43 cents per pound, and was
used only in medicine, until the in
creased use of tea and coffee in the
18th century brought it into
the list of principal food staples. In
100 the amount Of sugar used in
Great Britain was 10, 900 tons, while
now over |, 200, 900 tons are used there
annually. Loaf sugar was invented
by Venetian in the latter part Of
the 18th century, and for it he re-
ceiyed a reward OF 100, 600 crowns.
Sugar identical with that obtained
from the cane was, in the 10th cent
ury, found TO exist in the beet and
numerous other tleshy roots which
grow in temperate regions
The first beet-sugar factory was
established in 1901 in Bresau, Ger
many. The progress of beet-sugar-
making in the following years was
not especially rapid and in Germany
IL ceased altogether with the down
f,n 80 Nnnn1AAn I. I,,t In