180 



BRAZILIAN COTTON 



The Boiling of Sugar at Biriguy (Sao Paulo) 

 On the left-hand side is one of the customary baking ovens 



the air. As in \'ie\v of the high price of petrol motor-driving is 

 becoming almost prohibitive, it would appear that the use of sugar 

 alcohol might present an excellent substitute for petrol, and I would 

 advise interested parties to get into touch with the Professor of 

 Chemistry at the Manchester University, where considerable research 

 work in this direction was carried out during the A\ar. Brazil's low 

 rate of exchange and the consequent high price of petrol is at present 

 stopping the transportation by automobiles, whilst excellent high 

 roads in the northern States are not lacking : it is just there where 

 sugar growing is most developed. The State of Pernambuco has 

 most of the modern sugar mills, but they are met with in lesser 

 numbers in any of the exporting States. We visited one belonging to 

 the " Societe Sucrerie Bresilienne," at Piracicaba, capable of crushing 

 60 tons of cane in 24 hours. The crushing mills were made by the 

 Cie de Fives, Lille, and the vats by Brissonneau Fils & Cie, Nantes. 

 The company has considerable areas of land where sugar is grown. 

 The soil stands 15 years continuous sugar cultivation ; by that 

 time the yields become small and rather than manure or rotate with 

 other crops, a new " ro9a," is made, i.e., stretches of forest are burnt 

 off, cleared and cultivated. Such a system of impoverishing the soil 

 is almost criminal. The wholesale burning of forest is tending to 

 change the climate and is, of course, wasting the resources of the 

 nation. In a recent Brazilian Government publication it is stated : 

 " The growing of sugar cane in Brazil, with rare exception, is carried 

 on by antiquated and anti-economical methods. We have not yet 

 any industrial establishments possessing the requisite elements for the 



