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CANE SUGAR.writer has knowledge of cases where consignments of ' molascuit' completelyunderwent this fermentation in transit between Demerara and London.Butyric Acid Fermentation.—This fermentation is technicallyof importance in the rum industry as the flavour of fine rum is by someauthorities believed to be intimately connected with its presence; in cerealdistilleries it is considered most harmful, as not only does it decrease theyield of alcohol but also forms objectionable products as butyric acid andbutyl alcohol.Viscous Fermentation.—This term has now only an ill-definedmeaning, but occurs frequently in older writings on fermentation; it is usedin reference to fermenting liquids becoming ropy or slimy, and was once notan uncommon phenomenon; in European distilleries this disease has beenassociated with certain well-defined bacterial species ; in rum distilleries it ismot unknown and may often be traced to lack of cleanliness and to attempting.to work with too little or no bactericide.*Gumming.—The 'gumming' of cane juices has been studied by Greig:Smith, n who found that this was due to a bacillus which he described andnamed Bacillus lemniformans ; this organism is also one of several responsiblefor the deterioration of sugars; Lewton Brain and Deerr 13 isolated fromHawaiian sugars several forms which also produced large quantities of gum ;formerly this fermentation would have been classed as a ' viscous fermentation.'Leuconostoc Mesenterioides.—This organism, known as 'frogspawn,' has the faculty of converting sugar solutions into a gelatinous, viscousmass; it is a well-known type and has been reported from Europe and Java whereit has been the cause of blocking up pipes used for the conveyance of juices.Spontaneous Fermentation of Cane Juice.—Watts andTempany 14 found that yeasts and an undetermined bacterium were concernedin this process; alcohol was produced by the yeast and acids by the bacterium,of which about one third were volatile acids; the fermentation was both aerobicand anaerobic, and was inhibited by the presence of phenol indicating that alreadyformed enzymes do not play a very prominent part in the souring of juices.Spontaneous Combustion of Molasses.—Crawley 15 has recordeda ease of molasses on storage becoming charred, the damage being supposed toto have been initially due to micro-organisms; consignments of ' molascuit 5have suffered a similar change on board ship.Nitric Fermentation of Molasses.—In beet sugar factories theafter massecuites on storing sometimes show a nitric fermentation. A densered cloud of vapour due to the presence of nitrogen dioxide is observed to hangover the massecuites; this is ascribed to decomposition of the potassiumnitrate present under the influence of bacteria, but really very little is knownon the subject. The writer is unaware of any similar phenomenon beingobserved in cane sugar factories.* The use of bactericides in distilleries is explained in a subsequent section.518