THE CUBA REVIEW 



2i 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 



SUGAR-BEET^HARVESTERS 



The harvesting of sugar beets has always 

 reqtiired consideralile hantl labor for topping 

 and pulling, eonii)a red with other staple crops 

 grown in the United States, and for years in- 

 ventors have been endeavoring to perfect 

 an automatic sugar-beet harvester. Their 

 efforts now seem to be crowned with success, 

 says James W. Jones, of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, writing in Sugar. 

 A demonstration of two beet harvesters was 

 held last fall in Utah, attended by beet 

 growers, sugar-factory experts and agricul- 

 tural advisers. These machines were de- 

 clared satisfactory, pulling and topping the 

 beets at an average cost of 30 cents a ton as 

 against more than $1 a ton for hand labor. 

 The tests were made in fields where beets 

 grew irregularly and i>resented marked 

 difficulties, yet they handled the crops 

 sticcessfully and with a speed not to be 

 attained by any other hand worker. Suc- 

 cessful beet-harvesting machinery wll not 

 only lower costs to the farmer, but encourage 

 an increased acreage of sugar beets and deliver 

 them to the factories in better condition. 

 Where beets are harvested by hand, the work 

 is slow, and they frequently lie in the fields 

 several days before being hauled away, 

 being dried out by the winds, losing 5 to 

 10 i^er cent moisture, which is a reduction in 

 tonnage to the grower, and makes them more 

 difficult to cut in the sugar factory. Machine 

 harvesting will make it possible to use the 

 tops and crowns for silage. An interesting 

 possibility for these new American machmes 

 IS their use in quickly rehabilitating the 

 devastated sugar-beet areas in France left by 

 the retreating Hun. 



In explanation of the Cuban consular in- 

 voice requirements the Director General of 

 Posts and Telegraphs has stated that in order 

 to secure the benefits of the reduced rates of 

 duty granted to products of the United States, 

 all parcel-post shipments should be covered 

 by certified consular invoices, the same as 

 shipments by freight. For invoices covering 

 goods valued at less than $5 no fee is charged 

 for certification, but in the case of goods of 

 greater value the usual fees apply, and failure 

 to secure consular certification may result in 

 a fine of tiiree times the regular fee. 



In accordance with the regulations for other 



shipments, however, it is stated that no fine 

 will be imposed on account of the lack of a 

 consular inv(jice when parcel-post packages 

 are shipj>ed from a place where no Cuban 

 consular (jfH(;er is located. In such ca.ses the 

 reduced rates will be granted if the cfmimer- 

 cial invoice bears a sworn statement and 

 declaration by the shipper that the mer- 

 chandise is the product of the soil or industry 

 of the United States. It is recommended that 

 this declaration be in the form prescribed for 

 declaration of origin to accompany consular 

 invoices, as set out on page 31 of Tariff Series 

 No. 24 (Consular Regulations of Foreign 

 Countries — Canada and Latin America). It 

 is to be noted that regular freight shipments 

 must be accompanied by con.sular invoices 

 if shipped from a port where a Cuban con- 

 sular officer is located, although there may 

 be none at the place of origin or production. 

 — Consul General James L. Rogers, Hahana. 



SUGAR SUBSTITUTES 



Substitutes for sugar in sweetening soft 

 drinks have been discovered by the Bureau of 

 Chemistry, according to an announcement 

 made recently by the Department of Agri- 

 cultures Important results in effecting a 

 further conservation of sugar are expected 

 from the discovery, which will be made free 

 to the industry. Officials estimate the saving 

 dt 50,000 tons ot sugar annually. 



Starch sugar, starch syrup, maltose syrup 

 and honey are the substitutes used m the 

 various formulas which the Government 

 chemists are preparing to furnish to the 

 bottlers. By using these formulas, it is stated 

 the actual sugar content of soft drinks can 

 be reduced by 50% or more, while the cus- 

 tomary taste and quality of the beverages 

 will be preserved. 



The formulas have already been tested by 

 four "tasting juries" made up of expert 

 chemists, representatives of the bottling in- 

 dustry, the manufactures of flavoring extracts 

 and the consuming public, and have been ap- 

 proved. 



It is believed that by their use the usual 

 quantity of soft drinks can be manufactured 

 in spite of the restrictions placed on the use 

 of sugar by the Food Administration and 

 without impairing the palatability or quality 

 of the products. 



