Vol. XV. No. 381. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



38» 



THE SUGAR CROP IN PORTO RICO AND 



SANTO DOMINGO. 



The LouiMava Planter (October 7) pnlilishes 

 the following interesting information regarding the 

 ■extension of sugar prorlnction in' Porto Rico and .Santo 

 Domingo: — 



The pres.s telegrams have given complete statistics of 

 the sugar production in the island of Porto Rico for the 

 .season just closed. The data have "been compiled by the 

 Insular Treasury Department, which shows that the island's 

 sugar output was 48.3,.590 short tuns. As the sugar statistics 

 of the world generally are now kept in the long English 

 ton of 2,24:0 Bb., or the metrical ton of 2,220 R)., the 

 data given by the Insular Treasury Department are a little 

 ambiguous. Regarded in this way the crop would amount 

 to 431,777 long tons, as against 308,178 long tons last year 

 and 325,000 long tons the year before. The extraordinary 

 increase of over 123,000 tons makes an increase of about 

 40 per cent, in a single year, and would be record breaking 

 for almost any sugar country on earth. The value of the 

 Porto Rico sugar crop to the producers is said to be about 

 53 millions of dollars. We note, however, that th^ quota- 

 tion given is -'i.'c., and presume that from that the cost 

 of transportation to the mainland is chargeable, and that the 

 net price received would be but little, if any, over 5c. 



TUE Sll(;.\R CROP IN SANTO DOMINGO. 



We have recently received from the American Ooiisul- 

 Oeneral in Santo Itomingo some interesting data concerning 

 the production of sugar there. The sugar in Santo Domingo 

 is packed in bags, the average weight of which is stated to be 

 about 310 B)., and to make the calculations comparable 

 with the rest of the sugar world, 7 bags can be estimated 

 for a ton, and we find that the present expected grand total of 

 the three leading districts amounts to 1,033,000 bags, or say, 

 148,000 long tons, for the probable crop of 1916-17, which 

 of course is now only an estimate. The actual crop of the 

 year 191.5-16 closing, was 877,769 bags or 12.5,4001ong tons. 

 The crop of the previous year was 7.52,287 bags, or say, 

 107,469 long tons. 



These figures show a constant increase which is very 

 suggestive as to the immediate future. Santo Domingo 

 lies between Cuba and Porto Rico, and there is no particular 

 reason why Santo Domingo should not increase in its produc- 

 tion almost as rapidly as Porto Rico; and the crop of Porto 

 Rico now exceeds 400,000 tons. 



Our advices from Santo Domingo are to the effect that all 

 the plantations except one have increased^ in their output. 

 The high prices obtained in the United States helped to make 

 this season one of the best experienced in recent years. The 

 disturbed political conditions during the last few weeks of the 

 grinding season were about the only unsatisfactory feature 

 of the season. 



One new estate, San -lose, will be producing this coming 

 season. Another estate, San Luis, estimates its next output 

 at about twice the size of the season now closing. This 

 increase is attributed to an enlarfjed area under cultivation. 

 Various other plantations are expecting increa.ses in their 

 output of from 30 to 40 per cent. 



Sugar-cane has been exported from La Romana plantation 

 to Porto Rico, and the entire output during the season of 

 1915-16 amounted to about 140,000 tons. The e.stimate of 

 the new crop is about 180,000 tons. It is not stated whether 

 these are long tons or short tons, or the sometiiiies so-callel 

 ton of the Cubans of 100 arioba.s of 25 a. each. 



THE COLOURING MATTER OF CANE 



JUICES. 



An article appears in the Lowislana Planter for 

 October 7, lOKJ, written by the Research Chemist, 

 Louisiana Experiment Stations, on the subject of the 

 colouring matter of cane juices. The following are the 

 main conclusions. These will interest readers concerned 

 with the production of white sugars: — 



1 The eyes and tops of sugar-cane contain polyphenols 

 which pass into the juice. 



2 Traces of iron are sufficient for the production of 

 a very dark colour in such juices. 



3 Reducing agents, such as SOo and hydrosulphites 

 are only temporary remedies. The dark colour returns on 

 oxidation or cooling of juices and syrups. 



4 The dark shade of plantation white sugars, 

 increasing in storage, is due to traces of phenol iron compound. 



5 A permanently light-coloured juice may be obtained 



(a) Complete eliminatioa of all traces of iron and 

 complete avoidance of contact of liquors with iron during 

 further stages of manufacture. 



(b) Elimination of polyphenols by boneblack, vegetable 

 charcoal, etc. 



6 The polyphenol content of juices could be reduced 

 by topping cane low, using tops for planting. This would 

 result in a distinct improvement of the colour of juices. 



Soy beans have been found to give the ferric chloride 

 colour test for salicylic acid and the negative test for salicylic 

 acid with the Jorissen reagent and with the Millon reagent in 

 the cases tried. The compound, therefore, is not salicylic 

 acid but some .substaiice which merely answers a test for 

 that compound. The substance is undoubtedly similar, 

 according to the Plalippine Journal uf Science (Vol. XI, Sec. A, 

 No. 2) to the maltol of Brand, and is probably formed by 

 enzymic action in the beans. The economic importance of 

 this conclusion will be evident. The law prohibits the 

 addition of a preservative like salicylic acid to food 

 mixtures, and without the work recorded in the paper under 

 review, a conclusion based on the ferric chloride colour test 

 might be wrongly drawn that the preservative had been 

 added to a soy bean mixture. 



It is stated in the Hawaiian Forester and Agriculturist 

 for August 1916,. that the reports of the superintendents 

 of the four divisions of the Board, for the fiscal year ended 

 .June 30 1916, which appear in that issue, tell of the 

 continued good work being done to aid forestry and agricul- 

 ture and allied industries in the territory. Special attention 

 is called to the continuation of the work of forest protection 

 by fencing forest boundaries and the appointment of additional 

 forest rangers: the rontinued rigid inspection of imports of 

 vegetable matter to prevent further injurious insects from 

 reaching those shores, the breeding of beneficial parasites on 

 pests established there, and the introduction of a new parasite 

 on the lemon fly; the continued campaign to eradicate bovine 

 tuberculosis, and the practical application (jf a cure for 

 sorehead on chickens: and the progress madw in obtaining 

 measurements of Gov 'rnment water which will increase the 

 amount of revenue coming to the territory from water in 

 the future. 



