84 SUGAR 



holes are made a foot or so apart, and into each hole is put 

 a plant, that is, a piece of cane containing a bud. In about 

 fifteen months the canes are ready for cutting. By this time 

 some of the leaves have dropped off from the lower joints, but 

 many still remain attached to the stalk ; and the task of the 

 labourers who have to cut down all this sugary jungle is no 

 light one, for the rind of the canes is hard, the mass of vegeta- 

 tion dense, and the weather hot. They use great curved 

 knives about two feet long called machetes, and with these 

 they cut down the canes close to the ground and remove the 

 leaves or trash. From the roots spring up fresh canes (ratoons 

 as they are called) and no more planting need be done for two 

 or three years. 



As soon as the canes are cut down they are taken to the 

 mill. Here they are passed under rollers and the juice is 

 crushed out ; it is greenish grey in colour and opaque. It 

 has next to be purified. This is done by heating it in tanks 

 and adding some lime to it. The lime combines with some 

 of the impurities and sinks to the bottom, and the clarified 

 pale yellow juice is drawn off. The juice is boiled until it 

 becomes a syrup and is then allowed to stand until it crystal- 

 lizes. The sugar crystals form what is called raw sugar ; 

 it is either packed in bags and shipped to other countries, or 

 sent to refineries near at hand. 



The sugar which will not crystallize is allowed to drain off 

 and is called molasses. The crushed cane from which the 

 juice has been extracted is called megass, and mixed with 

 molasses it makes a very good food for cattle. Megass itself 

 makes excellent fuel. 



On arrival at the refineries the raw sugar is subjected to 

 various other complicated processes all with the object of 

 still further purifying it, and at last it emerges in the various 

 forms with which we are acquainted. 



Loaf-sugar. Formerly purified syrup was poured into 

 conical moulds and then allowed to solidify. These cones or 

 sugar-loaves were then cut up and the little cubes of white 



