THE HARVESTING OF THE CANE 177 



Although the direct loading of the cane has not been successfully accom- 

 plished, the transfer of the cart load to standard gauge railroad wagons is 

 readily performed. In Plate XIX is shown, from a photograph taken in 

 Cuba, a cartload of cane in the act of being dumped into a railroad wagon. 

 A full load for a cart drawn by three yoke of oxen is 7,500 lbs., six of which 

 loads go to fill the capacity of a standard gauge wagon. In order to obtain 

 fhese capacities the cane is cut into six-foot lengths and carefully packed 

 in the cart by hand. 



Transport of Cane. — The methods adopted for the transport of cane 

 from the field to the factory may be summarized thus : — 



1. Animal power on roads. 5. Mechanical traction on light railways. 



2. Animal power on tramways. 6. ^lechanical traction on public railways. 



3. Animal power on canals. 7. Aerial ropeways. 



4. Mechanical traction on roads. 8. Fluming. 



Animal Road Traction. — This method is now only used on smaU properties 

 or on larger ones as a means of bringing the cane to a central loading station. 

 The capacity of a mule on the roads usually to be found on plantations is 

 about half a ton of cane at a speed of two miles per hour ; oxen are frequently 

 used, and a typical team and load is shovsm in Plate XX. 



Animal Tramway Traction. — The following data comparing the cost of 

 mule transport on roads and on tramways^ may be usefully given. 



A tramway was constiucted two miles long of 2-ft. gauge \\'ith rails 

 weighing 14 lbs. per yard ; the average load in each car was 1,900 lbs., the 

 train load averaging 11-25 tons ; this was drawn by two mules at a little over 

 3 miles per hour ; the capacity of a mule on a tramway ma}' then be taken 

 at from 15 to 20 times its capacity on a road. 



Animal Canal Transport. — This method of transporting cane is used 

 to the exclusion of other methods in Demerara and the Straits Settlements, 

 where the estates are intersected ^^ith canals dug for this purpose. The 

 punts used in Demerara are flat-bottomed receptacles, constructed out of 

 WTOUght-iron plates with heavy wooden bottoms ; they are about 25 feet 

 long by 8 feet wide and 3 feet deep, and hold from 2 ■ 5 to 3 tons of cane ; 

 a mule will haul four of these punts at a rate of from 2 to 3 miles per hour. 

 Water carriage is also emplo\'ed in parts of Louisiana and of Australia. 



Mechanical Road Transport. — Where good roads exist traction engines 

 form- a cheap and efficient means of transporting cane. In Plate XX is 

 showTi a view of such a scheme. An engine weighing 6 tons and of 20 h.p. 

 will haul 20 tons of cane at a rate of three miles per hour. 



Mechanical Railroad. — Undoubtedly the most important and efficient 

 means of transport is a system of railwa3's. The gauge adopted generally 

 lies between 2 and 3 feet ; one of 2 feet 6 inches is \*ery commonly employed, 

 but for large properties it is more advantageous to have a gauge of not less 

 than 3 feet, as other%\ise the number of wagons required becomes excessive. 

 With such a gauge wagons ha\'ing a platform area of 50 square feet can be 

 used ; such vehicles ^^^ll hold from 2| to 3 tons of cane, a perfectly safe rule 

 being to allow half a ton of cane to every 10 square feet of platform area. 

 A locomotive weighing approximately 15 tons "v^ill haul, at a rate of 10 to 12 

 miles per hour, twelve to fifteen wagons, each holding about 3 tons of cane. 



