5o8 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Ja1*uary I, 1884. 



the juice, he wanted to be sure that the sugar was 

 not changed by a free acid.* Amoug the seven agents 

 chosen for tbe trial, sodium saliojlate was the one 

 which produced tlie be&t result. 



The seven quantities of juice with their different An- 

 tizyniotic agents were left for a month in coppers. 

 After that ihe aualysis showed the foUowiag results: — 

 Juice preserved with Sodium salicylate contained 

 90"24 7). c. of the sui/ar capable of crys'allizatioii and 

 only 3'09 p. c- Glucose (Molasses). While eume of the 

 other quantities of juice only came up to 76'51 p. c. 

 of tlie sugar capable of crystallization, and had 16"06 

 p. 0. Glucose. 



It must however be remarked that, as Sodium 

 salicylate has no antizyiuotic virtues in itself, it must 

 have been the Salicylic Acid, which it contained, that 

 produced the great effect, the Solium combining with 

 tboee Acids, which are naturally in the fresh cajie 

 juice, and leaving the Salicylic Acid in a free state. 



Already in May 1880, Ur. Phipson published in the 

 "Sugar Cane Magazine" a short paper. On some 

 points of cane sugar manufacture, in which he dis- 

 cusses the various qualities of the beet and the cane 

 as sugar yielding plants. After showing that their 

 cultivation in the held requires different treatment 

 and diflferent kinds of manure, he observes: — "But 

 whenever we leave the field and come to the mills 

 and boiling-houses, in other terms, when we are deal- 

 ing with tbe expressed juice of the one or the other 

 plant, then we find that the discoveries and appliinces 

 which have been found a'.lvantageous to tbe sugar b^et 

 grower may be safely turned to ?ccount by the West 

 Indian planter. Now it has lately come to my know- 

 ledge that a considerable saving in the process of 

 defecation has been obtained on the continent, by the 

 addition of minute quantities of salicylic acid to the 

 juice of the beet, immediately it is extracted from 

 tbe roots, and it has struck me that the same results 

 might be obtained in our cane districts, whether the 

 salicylic acid be added as such, or as salicylate of 

 lime, before the usual addition of milk of lime in 

 the ordinary process of defecation." 



The experiment recommended by Dr. Phipson has 

 been first tried on a large scale in Deraerara, and 

 the results have been most successful, according to 

 to the Monthly Magazine of Pharmacy, Chemistry, etc. 

 (London), which in May ISSl writes as follows: — 



" Altbough so short a time has elai^sed, we have al- 

 ready received ti>9timouy of this in the following letter 

 from Charles Williams, F. C. S., of the Plantation 

 Bel Air, who writes on the 5th Febr. 1881; 'I have 

 obtained beneficial results from the use of salicylic 

 acid in the manufacture of sugar from cane juice. 

 The quantitiy used varits of course according to the 

 condition of the caue juice, but tlirec ounces of salicyl- 

 ic acid (dissolved in two pints of alcohol per 1,800 

 (jallons of cane juice, improves both the colour and 

 the yield.' " 



It is certain that much of the loss experienced by 

 the sugar-boiler is due to the direct contact of the 

 geriD-loaded atmosphere with the juice of the caneos 

 it flows f'l 07n the rollers. It is at this moment that the 

 salisylic acid in some form or other must be added, 

 thereby preventing the development or tbe microphytes 

 which determine a large yield of molasses at the ex- 

 pense of the cane in the juice. 



Salicylic Acid can also be dissolved in boiling water, 

 and, while hot, added to the juice as a spray. Do 

 not use any iron utensils for the solntion, because, as 

 long as it is of a CDucentrated strength, it would turn 

 red from the contact with iron. Salicylic must not 



* Mr. Kieldahl of Copenhagen ascertaiiied in 18S1, 

 after careful researches, that the cane sugiir does not 

 suffer any inversion whatever from the apphcatiou of 

 Salicylic Acid, as long as certain proportions are neither 

 seceeded uor reduced. 



be expected to turn fermented juice into yood juice. 

 It only prevents and stops fermentation. The defecation, 

 (clarifying) with lime cannot be entirely dispensed 

 with by the use of Salicylic Acid, thongh the quant- 

 ity of lime required will be reduced. It has been 

 noticed, that the sug.u- obtained from the salicylated 

 juice, did not turn deliquescent on the vo.\age, and, 

 therefore, kept a fliniy crystalline shape superior to 

 tbe condition of other sugar after the voyage. 



THE BUEBEKIN DELTA SUGAR DISTRICT. 



[Om' visit, in its beginnings, to this district, which 

 (if plenty of labour is available and irrigation system- 

 atically adopted) will be one of the richest sugar 

 pioducing districts in the world, will ever remain one 

 of the most pleasant reminiscences of oui' Austral.m 

 experiences. With men like Mr. Jtffray of Sloane & 

 Co., 10 provide the capital, and such men as MacmUlan, 

 Graham, Mackenzie and ohtrs to direct labour and 

 machinery, tue progress of the Bur.lekin Delta cannot 

 but be rapid. There is not as much rain as could be 

 wished ; but the river and the lagoons provide an un- 

 failing supply of water for the deep rich soil. It is 

 curious to St-e names like Airdmillan, Seaforth, Drynie, 

 &c., familiar in the Highlands of Scotland, reproduced 

 in tropical Australia. — Ed.] 



Amongst the districts in North Queensland that 

 have of late become of importance, the Burdekin Delta 

 distiict has rapidly come to the front. Years ago a 

 selection was taken up by Mr. Macmillan, the 

 present managing shareholder of the Delta Sugar Com- 

 pany, with the intention of cultivating sugar. A 

 company was formed, but owing to the great depres- 

 sion in Mackay, caused by a severe visitation of rust, 

 prospects were so discouraging that it was thought best 

 to suspend operations. In the meanwhile, Mr. Graham 

 took up the now beautiful estate of Lilliesmere, con- 

 taining 6,000 acres, which he planted with fruit 

 trees, at the same time planting out a few acres of 

 cane, the plants for which he obtained from the Pioneer 

 Estate at Mackay. Whenever three joints had devel- 

 oped on these plants, he used to cut down and plant 

 out again, until he had about 7 or S acres under crop, 

 and also a nursery containing some 14 or 15 varieties. 

 This patch of cane formed the nucleus from which 

 the plants of the district have been obtained. 



Ou changing the species of caue grown, the rust 

 vanished from the Mackay district, and the returns 

 were so encouraging from subsequent crushii gs that 

 it was considered justifiable to recommence the form- 

 ation of a company on the Burdekiu. October next 

 will be the third year of their operations, and since 

 Mr. Macmillan became manager. 



During 'SI and '82 there was a great demand tor 

 6u<"»r laud, and the res; urces of the Burdekin Delta 

 dirtrict becoming known, the country was rapidly 

 taken up, and is now completely occupied. The extent 

 of available laud is about 250,000 acres, and the whole 

 of this is admirably suited 10 the cultivation of sugar- 

 cane. 



The soil is an alluvial deposit of black loam, with 

 a sandy subsoil; localities on which water has lain 

 being somewhat clayey. This deposit is the result of 

 the flooding of the Burdekin river, and which has been 

 swept down from the ranges. Approaching the sea 

 its waters have been backed up by the tides, forming 

 comparatively still water and allowing the sediment 

 to settle on the land. In all probability a universal 

 flood is a thing of the past, owing to the bed of this 

 river having deepened and widened, aud having become 

 more oapabie of carrying off its flood waters. At any 

 rate, for the pist fifteen years nothing of any con- 

 .scquence has occurred, although '81 was a year of 

 serious fljods in many parts of the country. In '82 

 there were partial lloods oTer cane that was thea 



