CHAPTER X 

 The Harvesting of the Cane 



At the present day almost the whole world's production of sugar cane is 

 cut by manual labour. The tool used is the cutlass or machete, a heavy, 

 broad-bladed knife, shown in Fig. 23. An expert cane cutter will cut, 

 top, and throw a thousand pounds of cane per hour, or perhaps four tons 

 in a working da^' . 



The cutting of the crop forms an important item in the cost ol production, 

 and uses up a large proportion of the visible suppl}' of labour, besides placing 

 the owners at the mercy of an irresponsible population. Efforts to devise 

 some mechanical means of cutting the sugar cane, such as is done with grain 

 crops, have not been wanting, but up to the present definite success has not 

 been obtained. 



The means put forward fall into two classes — portable devices carried 

 by the operator, and horse or power drawn and operated machines. 



Amongst the first class may be instanced that of Paul, (U.S. patent 

 712843, 1902), consisting of a pneumatically operated reciprocating chisel- 

 shaped knife, which is strapped to the arm of the cutter. The same method 

 of cutting is used by Paxton (U.S. patent I0284(S6, 1912) ; in this case, 

 however, the knife and its motor is mounted on a light-wheeled carriage 

 propelled by the operator. In place of a reciprocating knife a circular saw 

 mounted on a long handle and driven electrically through a flexible shaft 

 is used in the Hylton-Bravo device (U.S. patent 733587, 1902). Two circular 

 saws rotating in opposite directions are found in Hustace and Smiddy's 

 patent (U.S. 1021605, 1912) ; in this apparatus the device is secured to 

 one operator by means of a breastplate, a second operator directing the saws 

 against the stalks of cane. No one of these devices has come into commercial 

 use. 



The larger types of cane cutters all seem to be based on the grain harvester 

 invented by McCormack, which is an apparatus of world-wide use. In 

 designing a sugar cane harvester, however, the following points add difficulty 

 to the problem. 



T. The material to be cut offers very great resistance compared with a 

 grain crop. 



2. The most valuable part of the crop is next to the ground level, and 

 hence the crop should be cut level with the ground. But unless some margin 

 is allowed there is continual risk of damage to the knives employed. 



3. The crop of sugar cane is found not growing upright, but lying down 

 in all directions. Before actually cutting, the stalks have to be raised from 

 the ground. 



4. In addition to cutting the stalk the cane has to be topped, and as 

 the length of the stalks varies within wide limits a difficult problem is 

 introduced. 



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