PREFACE 



The present edition of " Cane Sugar " now offered to the pubhc has 

 been completely rewritten, preserving at the same time the general arrange- 

 ment followed in the first edition. 



During the ten years that have passed between the issue of the two 

 editions the writer has had the benefit of extensive experience in Cuba and 

 in a New York refinery. The period he spent in America has been of special 

 value, since it afforded the opportunity of systematically examining the 

 collections of technical literature to be found in the great libraries of the 

 western republic. While these may be no more complete than those 

 accumulated by the elder civilization, the facilities afforded for research 

 in the way of accessibility, card catalogues and cross-references add very 

 much to their value. 



In preparation for the present edition, the writer made a survey of 

 patent specifications dealing with sugar and sugar machinery, and much 

 material thus found has been included ; and, although objection may be 

 made to the inclusion of b3gone matters in a textbook intended for present- 

 day use, an account of the development of the train of thought in invention 

 is not without an immediately utilitarian value. Of the patent files con- 

 sulted, those of the British Patent Office have been the most adopted, as 

 the system of arrangement and of indexing there employed is far superior 

 to that used by the Patent Offices either of France or of the United States 

 of America. 



My thanks are due to many friends for help and criticism. In addition 

 to those whose services have already been acknowledged in the first edition, 

 I have now to thank Mr. J as. Hamill, who read in manuscript those chapters 

 more especially dealing with machinery ; Dr. C. A. Browne for criticism 

 of those parts bearing on sugar anal3'sis ; Dr. C. A. Barber, CLE., whose 

 specialized knowledge of the cane in its botanical aspect has saved me 

 from sundry errors ; Dr. E. J. Butler, CLE., who checked the proofs 

 of Chapter IX on the Pests and Diseases of the Sugar Cane ; and Mr. 

 James P. Ogilvie, A.I.C, who read through the last ten chapters and made 

 some suggestions in the text. 



NOEL DEERR. 



Bombay, 



April, 192 1. 



