30 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



which will prevent the insects from multiplying, and will kill many. In planting cane, seed 

 should be taken from the field in a clean condition, before removing to another field, so as to 

 avoid carrying the insects about. The common ants contribute greatly to the spread of the 

 mealy-bug's, but with the care just described, they will soon be exterminated. 



In case that the infected area is very extensive to treat in this way, the worst field should 

 be cleaned up this year and the rest the following year, and the practice of using clean seed 

 should be followed in all the fields. 



These troubles in general have their origin from the fact that many individuals little expert 

 in colonias of cane make contracts with some Centrals promising to prepare a certain number 

 of acres and these in their turn contract with others that they entrust directly with the planting 

 for a sum less than that they receive from the Central. Asa consequence the ones in charge of 

 the planting do not take pains with the selection of the seeds, and from this there results, if not 

 in the first planting, often in subsequent crops, the appearance of pests and diseases that cause 

 enormous losses to the Centrals in their plantations and in others, since the insects and dis- 

 eases are easily transported from one field to another. 



This report was taken from Bulletin No. 1, April, 1917, The Commission of Plant 

 Sanitation and its Work, and was written by the Pathologist to the Director of the Agro- 

 nomic Station, Havana, Cuba. 



MOLASSES 



In all sugar plantations, or centrals as they 

 are called in Cuba, there always remains a 

 part of the molasses produced from the cane 

 syrup which cannot be hardened and con- 

 verted into sugar. This residue is fer- 

 mented in tanks by adding wheat flour for 

 from 8 to 15 days. After fermentation this 

 compound is transferred to a distillery and 

 sugar-cane alcohol is produced at a grade of 

 78 to 80 centesimal degrees or its equivalent 

 in Cartier of 30 or 32 degrees. From 3,000 

 gallons of sugar-cane molasses about 690 

 gallons of alcohol are usually obtained. 



Before making use of the alcohol for re- 

 fined rum, it is allowed to ripen about three or 

 more years. Then the pure liquid is run into 

 serpentine brass coils of a rectifier and after 

 passing through a current of water, wliich 

 cools the vapors, absolutely puxe alcohol is 

 obtained. WhUe in the rectifier the liquid 

 often is carried as high as 97 or 99 centesimal 

 degrees, equivalent in Cartier to 42 or 43 

 degrees. 



When this process is finished, the alcohol is 

 mixed with filtered water to reduce it to 54 

 degrees and this mixture is then passed two or 

 tliree times through a series of special filters. 

 These filters are hogsheads made of hardwood, 

 with a capacity of about 900 liters, and each 

 manufacturer keeps a supply according to 

 his output. 



The filter is made with a double bottom 5 

 inches apart. The one on top is full of holes 

 and covered with a thick cloth which consti- 

 tutes the filtering apparatus. Washed sand, 

 so clean that when thrown into a glass of 



water the glass and water will remain clear, 

 is first placed in the filter. This layer of sand 

 is about 5 inches thick. On top of this is 

 placed sterilized vegetable coal with a very 

 small portion of animal coal, both being in 

 powdered form. 



The wood from which the vegetable coal is 

 produced must be of a certain kind and is 

 very carefully selected. 



Wlien the filters are prepared in this man- 

 ner the liquid alcohol is placed in them and 

 allowed to stand 15 or 20 days to cure itself. 



After passing through these filters two or 

 three times the rum is placed in receptacles 

 made of oak and having a capacity of from 

 4,000 to 5,000 liters and is allowed to settle 

 four to six months. Burnt sugar is used for 

 coloring the rum.- — Vice-Consul Frederick L. 

 Herrm, Santiago de Cuba. 



BEET-SUGAR FACTORIES 



Beet-sugar interests in Salt Lake City con- 

 template building a .1;1, 000,000 factory in the 

 shallow-water belt of west Texas, at Plain- 

 view or Lubbock. Tests of sugar beets grown 

 in that section show a high saccharine content. 

 Seven thousand acres of beets yearly, assured 

 over a five-year period, will justify the factory. 

 Contracts are being made with farmers, and 

 should the necessary acreage not be forth- 

 coming, the company will ship beets to its 

 nearest factory. A Colorado beet-sugar com- 

 pany is planning another $1,000,000 factory 

 to be erected in the Rio Grande Valley above 

 El Paso, or in the vicinity of Las Cruces, N. 

 .Mex. 



