THE CUBA REVIEW. 



31 



The Effect of Moisture on Stored Sugar. 



The following information regarding 

 the deterioration of sugars is given in 

 Bulletin 9, Division of Physiology and 

 Plant Pathology, Hawaii: 



About a year ago an experiment was 

 described which was undertaken "to de- 

 termine the percentage of water which 

 it is safe to leave in sugars." Separate 

 portions of a sample of moist sugar con- 

 taining fermenting organisms were dried 

 in a vacuum so as to contain decreasing 

 amounts of moisture from 1.86 to 0.29 

 per cent. 



The samples were polarized and put 

 into tightly stoppered bottles. At the 

 end of one and two months they were 

 polarized again, and it was found that, 

 in those samples containing more than 1 

 per cent, of moisture the polarizations 

 were lower than originally. 



These samples have been recently 

 polarized again after standing twelve 

 months, and the results further confirm 

 the original conclusion that raw sugars 

 containing 1 per cent, or more moisture 

 are liable to deteriorate on storage. The 

 original table with the further polariza- 

 tions added is given below: 



Polarization- 



Moisture After 1 After 2 After 12 



per cent. Initial, month, months, months. 



0.29 96.8 96.7 96.7 96.5 



0.40 96.6 96.6 96.6 96.5 



0.47 96.8 96.6 96.6 96.2 



0.59 96.8 96.6 96.7 96.4 



0.65 96.4 96.4 96.6 96.2 



0.74 96.4 96.4 96.5 96.2 



0.96 96.1 96.0 96.0 95.7 



1.04 96.0 95.9 95.7 95.1 



1.18 96.0 95.2 95.2 94.6 



1.28 95.8 95.0 95.0 94.2 



1.36 95.8 95.0 94.7 94.4 



1.51 95.5 94.7 94.5 93.8 



1.67 95.6 94.2 94.1 93.4 



1.80 95.3 93.8 94.0 92.7 



1.86 95.15 94.4 94.0 93.1 



Notwithstanding that the bottles were 

 closed with rubber stoppers, the sugar 

 was so hygroscopic that the samples 

 had nearly all increased slightly in mois- 

 ture during the year, which accounts for 

 the lower polarizations of those con- 

 taining less than 1 per cent, of moisture. 

 — Barbados Agricultural News. 



Disinfecting Cane Cuttings. 



A neat method of disinfecting cane 

 cuttings, applicable to plantations of the 

 size usual in the West Indies, is de- 

 scribed by the author as follows: A se- 

 ries of wooden tanks two and a half 

 feet in every direction is set up and 

 filled with Bordeaux mixture. Stiff wire 

 baskets are provided, into which the 



canes are put, and the baskets are then 

 lowered into the wooden tanks. The 

 baskets are made of copper wire ^ inch 

 to Yz inch mesh wire, mounted on a stiff 

 frame, and are provided with two strong 

 handles. Two men can work these bas- 

 kets and by the time the last tank has 

 been filled with disinfectant and cut- 

 tings the first basket is ready for re- 

 moval. No time is lost and the cuttings 

 are carried to the field with the fungi- 

 cide sufficiently dried upon them. 



No diseased cane should ever be used 

 for cuttings and great care should be 

 taken not to break the ends when cutting 

 the cane for planting. All cane that 

 shows red or brown discoloration of the 

 fibers or nith at the cut ends should be 

 rejected. Cuttings should never be al- 

 lowed to become so dry that the ends 

 split. 



The above notes are taken from Bul- 

 letin No. 6 of the Division of Pathology 

 and Physiology of the Experiment Sta- 

 tion of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' 

 Association. 



Santa Cecilia Sugar Co. Report. 



The report of the above company un- 

 der date of Oct. 5, 1909, on its property 

 and operations for the fiscal year ended 

 June 30, 1909, shows gratifying improve- 

 ments. The following are some of the 

 interesting items recorded: 



The crop of 1909 yielded 18,159,938 

 pounds of sugar and 476,720 gallons of 

 molasses from 70,155 tons of cane, as 

 compared with 14,945,075 pounds, 505,- 

 435 gallons and 63,028 tons in 1908. 



The gross income was $457,538.90, as 

 compared with $398,346.29 for 1908. The 

 net profit, after deducting interest 

 charges, amounted to $38,805.29, as com- 

 pared with $13,717.13 in 1908. 



The report states that all requirements 

 for betterments and additions and for 

 handling the coming crop have been 

 financed, without advances from sugar 

 merchants or brokers. 



The physical condition of the prop- 

 erty, plant and equipment is excellent 

 and is being continually improved. The 

 average tonnage per acre of cane cut last 

 year is claimed to be unsurpassed any- 

 where on the island, not "do we_ know 

 of any estate where the fields yield as 

 heavily for as many years vvithout re- 

 planting, irrigation or fertilizers, or 

 where the cost of cultivation is as low." 



For improvements some $50,000 was 

 spent during the past two years, and 

 nearly $80,000 is being spent this year. 

 Of the latter, approximately $45,000 is for 

 improvements and additions to the fac- 

 torv, including a battery of two new 

 boilers of 300 H. P. each, two steel mo- 



