Vol. XII. No, 292. 



THE AGKICULTUnAL XI-W.S 



21.' 



In cliKsing tlii.s Inok rif questions it may not. iifrhapi!, 

 be out of place to ask an additional one— How niucii iipplied 

 chemistry and engineering ought raanageri and overseers to 

 be acquainted with? The answer to it is, — at least the infor- 

 mation in this book. 



TIIK CAXE Si'GAR FACTORY : Hy Y J. Scard, 

 F.I.C. 7'/ie ]\'e<t India Committee. London 191:3. 



To those holding junior positions in conne.xion with 

 sugar cane factories, ihis handy volume will prove extremely 

 useful The subject matter is arrangeil concisely in the form 

 of question and answer in a similar manner to that adopted in 

 the Cater/iixm of Ayrirnltiircil Chev-istri/, by Professor 

 Johnston, and in the A li C of Cotton Cultimtion of the 

 IVrnphlet Series of the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 fur liie West Indies. As with all works of this type, the use 

 of the book must be accompanied by a practical acquaint- 

 ance with the various points dealt witli : it is not a book 

 to be studied systematically, but to be referred to in times 

 of difficulty, and at times when the young overseer or 

 engineer or chemist is not fully conversant with the objects 

 and principles of any particular operation of which he is in 

 charge. 



In the first section of the catechism, which concerns 

 the sul'joct of milling, the questions and answers connected 

 with maceration should jirove particularly helpful. The 

 second section, on clarification, e.vplains the operations of 

 liming and the uses of siiliihurous, phnsphoiic and Ciirbouic 

 acids. The succeeding subject is filtration, followed by 

 some thirty questions and answers on concentration, which 

 explain the causes of common difficulties encountered in th'e 

 management of the multiple effect. In riew of the impor- 

 tance of the subject, a large amount of attention is given 

 next to crystallization, and after dealing with the subject 

 of centrifugalling, the author proceeds to question on 

 matters of stetim sup()ly, mainly in regard to boilers, heat 

 units, draught and the burning of megass generally. The 

 questions are live and to the point, as for example: — 



'(^), A largo extra fuel consumption is being incurred in 

 a factory with apparently no reason for it in the machinery 

 department. What should be don«f 



'A. (a) See what is the amount of fibre in the cane 

 If percentage much below 12 per cent, an explanation is 

 given. (b) Have the fine gases examined by the cheinist, if not 

 clone in the regular routine. If thc.<r ^how bad combustion, 

 cause either faulty furnace or wrong supply of air, (c) Examine 

 megass analyses. If these show more than 4.S per cent, 

 water, a cause may be here (d) If these are satisfactory, 

 have the percentage of ash determined in the megass. The 

 presence of an undue amount may account for bad results. 

 (e) If necessary, determine by experiment the water evapo- 

 rated per lb. megass. If this is below IS lb, per Itj. megass, 

 condition of furnace unsatisfactory ' 



The main portion of the work just reviewed concludes 

 with a few general references to scientific control, and some 

 ten pages of questions on distilling rum. Jfost of the latter 

 are, of course, purely of a chemical nature. 



Some useful tables are appended to the main body of 

 the work, together with a lengthy glo.->sary of technical terms, 

 which will be found invaluable for purposes of reference, 

 combining, as it does, technicalities if both chemistry and 

 engineering. 



A FORTHCOMING PUBLICATION ON 

 THE BANANA. 



The origin of this book, which is being published by the 

 author (William Fawcett, B Sc. F L.S , late Director of 

 Public Gardens and Plantations, Jamaica) was a paper on the 

 cultivation of the banana read at a West Indian Agricultural 

 Conference at Barbados under the presidency of Sir Daniel 

 Morris. The paper was first printed in the IIV*/ Indian 

 Bulletin, and afterwards in the Hulh-tin of tlie Botanical' 

 Department, Jamaica. 



At the request of the Secretary of the We.~t India. 

 Committee, due to a further demand, the paper was brought 

 up to date and republished last year in the WeU India 

 Committee Circular with very considerable additions and, 

 several illustraticns. A wish has been expressed in certaia 

 quarters by those interested in the cultivation of bananas 

 that these articles should lie put into book form so as to 

 be convenient for reference The opportunity was taken to 

 increase very largely the information already given, re-write 

 much of it, and iidd several chapters on fertilizers, the 

 banana as a nurse plant nnd catch crop, diseases and pests, 

 the fibre of species of banana such as .Manila hemp, the 

 making of alcohol from bananas for industrial purposes, 

 and other matters A review is also included ol all the 

 species of banana, wihether wild or cultivated, and notes are 

 added of botanical and horticultural interest 



The consumption of bananas is increasing rapidly year 

 by year, and consequently more land is continually being- 

 put under cultivation in every part of the world. Much 

 use, besides, is being made of the banana plant as a nurse 

 plant and a catch crop. W'hen the culture is on a commer- 

 cial scale, it is necessary for planters to enter upon it ir>. 

 a scientific as well as in a practical manner, just as they do in, 

 dealing with rubber, sugar, or cacao. This book is intended 

 to assist such planters in many ways, and also to be a guide 

 to those who are taking up the culture for the first time. 

 It is hoped that it may also prove interesting to the general 

 reader, as it deals with the life-history of the plant, its 

 cultivation in various parts of the Tropic,^, the immense 

 value of tie banana as a food both as fresh fruit and alsc> 

 dried as banana figs or made into flour Another matter of 

 general interest dealt with is the history of the development 

 of the fruit trade both in the United States, where it has 

 assumed enormous proportions, and in Europe where it is! 

 still in its initial stage. 



Some correspondence has passed between the Colonial.. 

 Office and the British Cotton Crowing Association witlk 

 reference to cables received by the former from the Chair- 

 man of the Dominior f'oyal Commission, relative to cotton 

 growing in Australia. The Commission are of opinion that 

 the question of cotton growing in Australia is worthy of 

 closer inquiry, and the Commonwealth of Australia offer t» 

 contribute £.J00 towards ttie expense of an expert to ha seut 

 out by the Association for the purpose of reporting on the 

 possibilities of growing high grade cotton in Australia. 

 The consideration of this question has been deferred, 

 pending receipt of particulars which, it is understood, are- 

 coming forward by mail. 



