A'OL. VIII. No. 186. 



THE AGHICUJ.TUIiAL Nl':\vs. 



IT'J 





m(Xr^^yf^&. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Sugar in Cuba. 



The fuiLiiightly Produce Market Report of Messrs. 

 Gillespie Bros., dated I\Iay 14 last, contains the follow- 

 ing- in regard to the Cuban sugar crop of the present 

 season : — 



Heavy rains commenced to fall on May 10, with the 

 result that the nnnibev of centrals still grindin<,' fell from 119 

 last week toseventy-tive at the present time. This nuinbei-,how- 

 ever, is still much larger than during the previous two year.'', as 

 there were only twenty-three grinding in 1908, and twenty- 

 eight in 1907. 'J'he total output of the island to date is 

 1,1.'60,000 tons as compared with 851,000 tons last year, and 

 1, •290,000 tons in 1907. During the latter year, 137,000 

 tons were produced at a later date than this, the total out- 

 put — 1,427,673 tons — being a record crop. With the large 

 number of centrals still grinding this year, it is to be 

 expected that the output will be a large one and the final 

 figure should be very close to the record crop of 1907. The 

 average prices for sugar during the pre.sent season have been 

 considerably better than in 1907, and the Cuban |ilauters have 

 had a good yeai-. The total stock of sugar now held in these 

 ports is estimated at 337,000 tons, against 160,000 tons last 

 year, and 414,000 tons in 1907. 



hel 



Useful Data fcr Sugar Planters. 



At a lueetint,' of the Barbados Agricultural Society, 

 on Fridav, May 28 last, the Imperial Commissioner 



of Agriculture read a paper on the subject of Central 

 Sugar Factories. In order to make clear his arguments. 

 Dr. Watts brought iorwaid a good deal of nsefid 

 data. The following notes: formulae, tables, etc., liaving 

 reference to the relationship that exists between the 

 percentage of fibre in canes, and the yields of juice and 

 sugar that may be expected under different manufac- 

 turing conditions, are here reproduced from the paj>er, 

 as being of general' interest and value to sugar 

 planters : — 



Our ideas concerning the composition of canes and the 

 amount of juice which it is possible to obtain from them may 

 be rendered much clearer by a very simple formula, which, 

 although not perfectly accurate, affords approximations that 

 :ire sufficiently near for our purpose. The quantity of juice 

 contained in a cane may be calculated approximately thus : — 

 Froiu 100 deduct one and one-third times the percentage of 

 fibre in the cane. On this as.suinption we obtain the 

 following : — 



10 percent, of fibre = 86'7 per cent, of juice. 



11 ,, j» )) j» ~ ^•-' "^ '' M )T n 



V2 „ „■ „ „ =S4-0 „ „ „ „ 



J • ' ,, 1, ») )i = 0-* i ,, ,, ,, ,, 



14 ,, ,, ,, ,, = HI o ,, ,, ,, ,, 



lo „ „ „ -, =80-0 „ „ „ 



16 „ „ J, „ = 78'7 ,, ,, „ ,, 



it ,, ,1 »i }j ^^ t t O jj ,, ,, ,, 



A number of exiieriments have demonstrated that the 

 ordinary three-roller mill leaves in theinegiss from 1-50 to 

 ISO parts of juice per 100 of fibre, or even more if very poor 

 work is being done. The megass from a single mill with 

 a cane splitter contains about 120 to 130. That connng 

 from a tr;iin of mills consisting of a Krajewski cane crusher 

 and two three-roller mills, in which maceration is effected, 

 contains from 6o to 70; while the megass coming from 

 a train of mills consisting of a Krajewski cane crusher and 

 three three-roller mills emidoying maceration may be reduced 

 to a content of 25 to 30. 



If we tabulate the results which may be obtained from 

 various systems of milling as eftecteil on canes of ditterent 

 fibre contents, we obtain interesting figures : — 



Such a table enables us to realize at once the enormous 

 influence exerted by the fibre of the cane upon the quantity 

 of juice which is obtainable. Thu.s, a good single mill will 

 obtain from 71"7 to 54'7 per cent, of juice according as the 

 cane contains from 10 to 16 per cent, of fibre. The table idso 

 enables us to see at a glance the influence, on the crushing, of 

 the perfection or imiierfection of the mills employed. 



In Older to show the influence of the fibre in the canes,, 

 and the influence of the mill on the number of tons of cane 

 required to make a ton of sugar, the following table has: 

 been pre[iared : — 



Tahle sJicnring the tons of cane required to make 

 1 tun of ■•^ugar from canes of dijferent fibre contents 

 under difereiif nilllin;/ conditions, assnminy juice to- 

 ciintiiin l'9-'> lb. of sucrose per gallon. 



All these figures justify the general conclusion that 

 under conditions where 13A tons of canes are required to 

 make a ton of muscovado sugar, a ton of crystals can be 

 made in a modern factory from 9 tons of canes. If the canes 

 dealt with are of such a quality that more or less is required 

 in one case, a corresponding amount more or less will be 

 required in the other. 



