Ci-ass TV.] STARCH SERIES—RICE STARCH, STARCH, AND STARCH GL'MS.
p. 1344). It was deemed deserving of HonourableMention.
In the Turkish collection, very good samples of theordinary gums and resins for commerce are shown, in-cluding" the following
1. Gum-arabic
_
-
-
2
-
-
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Tripoli.
3. Gum-tragacanth
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-
+. ..
—
—
Sparta.
5. Gum cherry-tree
—
—
Damascus.
0. Caramaniacum
-
-
Koniah.
7. Pine rosin
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—
—
8. „
-
-
-
Smyrna.
9. „ „
-
_
-
Broosa.
10. „ „
-
-
-
Koniah.
11. „ „
-
_
Berkoftcha.
12. „ „
—
_
_
"Wnllachia.
13. .. „
-
-
-
Tripoli.
14. Mastic -
—
—
—
Scio.
15.
-
_
—
Koniah.
16. Sandarach
_
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-
Kaissarieh.
17. Storax -
-
-
-
Smyrna.
18. ., liquid
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-
-
-
-
20. Labdamun
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-
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Rhetino.
21. Libanum-
-
-
—
22. Resin (?) -
-
-
-
The samples of arabic and of mastic are excellent. Itis slated that the resin from Anatolia is used for makingthe handles of knives, and for similar purposes.
Starch Seiues.
In examining the starch series, or rather the starchand starch-gum or dextrine series, the Jury have onlytaken notice of those substances prepared especially' formanufacturing purposes, or which they conceived mightlie advantageously employed by manufacturers. Theyhave altogether passed over those forms of starch andfarina intended, specifically, as articles of food, or which,from their cost or the mode in which they were prepared,would not be suitable for the former purposes.
The specimens of starcli from rice, exhibited by-Messrs. Orlando Jones & Co. (Class III., 128, p. 208;*,arc remarkably good, Rice contains, on an average,about 84 per cent, of starch; but, till comparatively a fewyears ago, no starch was manufactured from it, notwith-standing its low price and the large quantity of starchwhich exists in it. The reason of this was, that the oldprocess of fermentation, by means of which starch is pro-cured from grain, was not found to be applicable to rice ;and hence the latter only became available as a source ofstarch in 1840, when Mr. O. Jones introduced his new pro-cess, for which he obtained a patent. This process con-sisted in macerating the rice for about 20 hours in adilute solution of caustic potash, containing about 200grains of the alkali in every gallon; the liquor is thendrawn off, the rice dried, reduced to powder by grinding,then a second time digested in a similar alkaline lye for24 hours, repeatedly agitated: after this it is allowed tosettle, and well washed with pure cold water. The Jury-awarded a Prize Medal to Mr. O. Jones for his ricestarch.
Mr. S. Berger (Class III., 130, p. 208), of Bromley,also exhibits starch prepared from rice, which is of similarexcellence, though said to be prepared in a differentmanner. In place of employing a dilute solution of causticpotash to dissolve the “gluten'’ aud other insolublematters of the grain, Mr. Berger uses a solution of car-bonate of soda, containing half-a-pound to the gallon.The rice is steeped in cold water for 48 hours; levigatedin a suitable mill: and the pulp thus formed is treatedwith the solution of carbonate of soda for 60 or 70 hours,being repeatedly stirred: it is then allowed to settle forsome hours, the alkaline liquor is drawn off, aud thestarch is washed and purified. This process Mas patentedby Mr. Berger in December 1841. The Jury awarded aPrize Medal to Mr. Berger for his rice starch.
A third series of samples of rice starch, also preparedby a different process, is exhibited by Messrs. J. and J.Colman (Class III., 117, p. 207), who also show goodspecimens of ordinary wheat starch, and dextrine or
British gum. In February, 1842, Mr. Colman took outa patent for the manufacture of starch from rice, by theaction of dilute muriatic acid, which was employed forthe same purpose as the caustic potash and carbonate ofsoda in the pateuts of Messrs. O. Jones & Berger. Thesamples exhibited by Messrs. Colman are excellent, andthe Jury consequently awarded to them a Prize Medal.
Some very good specimens of starch and starch-gumare exhibited by R. G. Tucker, of Teuton, near Notting-ham (Class III., 121, p. 2U7). The former in the state inwhich it is used by the Nottingham lace-dressers; thelatter, as it is obtained by the action of a carefully-gra-duated temperature in starch; fit for the use of dyers, whouse it to give body and thickness to the colours whichthey employ in dyeing cotton, woollen cloths, and silk.It is also used by paper-stainers, or printers; and as acheap but strong gum in the manufacture of adhesivelabels. The specimens shown by Mr. Tucker are excel-lent, and the Jury awarded to him a Prize Medal.
In the preceding cases, account has been taken notmerely of the superior excellence of the samples of starch,but at the same time the Jury have also taken into con-sideration the novelty or ingenuity of the process, andother circumstances which appeared to them to demandpeculiar notice. The specimens shown by Messrs. Brown& Polsox, of Paisley (Class III., 123, p. 208), con-sisting of several varieties of starch and dextrine fromwheat, potato, aud sago, are good, and deserve HonourableMention. The preparation of starch from sago, or ratherthe purification of sago meal, which consists chiefly ofstarcli, is now carried on to a very considerable extent.Messrs. Brown & Poison appear to have been the first toemploy chemical means in bleaching or improving thecolour of sago-meal, and by the introduction of certainimprovements in this process they succeeded in rendering! the bleached starch more perfectly soluble in water thanit is in its ordinary state. The samples exhibited by-Messrs. Kkckitt & Son, of Hull (Class III., 125, p. 208),of the same substances, are also deserving of HonourableMention. The other samples of starch shown in theEnglish Department are all good; and several of them,indeed, judged merely for quality alone, are excellent.Some very beautiful starch, prepared from sago, is shownby R. Wotherspoon, of Glenfield, near Paisley (ClassIII., 124, p. 208). The Jury deem these, and likewisethe samples of potato-starch shown by E. Tucker, ofBelfast (Class III., 122, pp. 207, 208), each deserving ofHonourable Mention.
The Jury also deem worthy of Honourable Mention,
, the specimens of starch shown by Messrs. Shaxd andMuckakt, of Montrose (Class III., 126, p. 208); andthat of A. Steniiouse, of Perth (Class III., 154,p. 193*).
An excellent series of specimens of starch from varioussources is exhibited by Messrs. D. and W. Miller, ofMusselburgh, near Edinburgh (Class III., 127, p. 193*).The Jury considered these, as well as the specimens ofstarch aud dextrine shown by C. Cooney, of Dublin, (Class II., 70, p. 200*), and those of II. C. Jennings,of London (Class II., 99, p. 197), severally deserving ofHonourable Mention.
In the collections of the Honourable East India Com-pany (pp. 874, 875), there are several samples of starchsuitable for manufacturing purposes; and there is little■ doubt that they might be prepared in any quantity, andsent over at a low price, as the Rajah of Vizianagram states that any quantity of excellent arrowroot may behad in the northern Circars for about 4s. erf. per cwt.
The specimen of Maranta starch, or arrowroot, ofMessrs. Cockburn, of Moorshedahad (pp. 874, 875), isparticularly fine, and the Jury accordingly awarded to ita Prize Medal.
The Cassava starch, or fecula of the Jatropha , ex-hibited by Messrs. Speede, of Calcutta (pp. 874, 875),was also found to be remarkably good, and the Juryaccordingly awarded to it a Prize Medal.
Good specimens of sago, and sago-meal or flour< (pp. 874, 875), obtained from the sago-palm, Arenga; saccltarifera (Sag iter us Jiumphii), are contributed from| Sumatra, Singapore, and Cuttack .