SUGAR 



179 



Sugar in Brazil is prineii)ally planted along the coast, this part 

 having the necessary humid-hot climate, except in S;Io Paulo, which 

 has sufficient water up-country. The States in which sugar cultiva- 

 tion is most advanced are shown in the table at the end of these notes 

 on sugar, but it is grown in every State A\herever there is a supply of 

 water. Seed selection is not practiced and generally haphazard 

 cultivation is resorted to. The planting is done by making a small 

 hole with the hoe into the soil, in this is embedded a piece of cane 

 with a feAv sections (eyes), generally taken from the top portion of the 

 cane. The holes are one meter apart, careful weeding is a great 

 advantage, but few are the plantations where the necessarv three 

 clearings are given. Within fourteen months from planting the cane 

 is ripe, up to twelve canes grow from one hole and the sugar field 

 presents by that time a real tropical aspect, a dense mass of canes 

 u'ith fresh green leaves. The canes are then chopped off. cleaned of 

 leaves and taken to the crushing mill. The following illustration 

 shows one of the many " engenhos " or small primitive sugar mills 

 which we inspected in the course of our journeying. 



In these small " engenhos " the stj^ueezing rollers are turned by a 

 mule, on the system of the Persian wheel ; the juice which flows from 

 the rollers is called " calda de canna " and this is boiled over o})en 

 fires. Through fermentation and distillation of the syrup, carried out 

 in an old-fashioned plant, alcohol is obtained and " cachaya," the 

 Brazilian whisky, is prepared. The " calda de canna," is a very 

 wholesome drink, non-intoxicating, whilst the " cachaga " is a strong 

 alcoholic liquor, used for making rum. In the neighbourhood of large 

 refineries the smell of " cacha(,^a " is very strong and contaminates 





A primitive Sugar-cane Mi 



