low temperatures and this process is carried on until minute grains or crystals 

 of sugar are formed. The sugar boiler adds new juice from time to time in the 

 boiling process and the crystals are gradually built up to proper size. The 

 crystals which are in a mixture with the residue liquor or molasses, are then 

 ready for removal from the vacuum pan. While the mixture is warm, it 

 is conveyed to the centrifugal machine which is essentially a brass cylinder 

 with small perforations and is surrounded by an outer casing. The cylinders 

 of the machines are revolved at high rates of speed and the molasses is ex- 

 pelled from the mixtures by centrifugal force through the perforations in the 

 cylinders into the outer casings from which it is removed for further use or 

 sale. If the sugar crystals are still too moist after being treated in this ma- 

 chine, they are dried by hot air currents before being bagged. As the sugar 

 polarizes at about 96, raw sugar manufactured in this manner is known as 

 "96 centrifugal." 



The centrifugal machines do not remove all of the molasses and other 

 impurities from the sugar crystals, and hence they have a brownish appearance. 

 This necessitates further refining before the sugar is ready for use. Cuban 

 sugar is not refined to any considerable extent on the island, but is sold 

 in the raw state to the refiners of the United States and other countries. 



Growth of Production in Cuba 



Sugar cane was introduced into Cuba in the early part of the 16th Cen- 

 tury, but it was not until after the Spanish- American War that conditions 

 became favorable to the expansion of the industry on a large scale. The 

 Spanish administration of Cuba had been notoriously incompetent and the 

 repressive features of Spanish colonial administration had fomented insurrec- 

 tion and rebellion. In spite of numerous handicaps, however, sugar production 

 in Cuba reached slightly more than 1,000,000 tons in 1894 and 1895, In the 



latter year the rebellion began which brought on the 

 Spanish-American War and finally led to the indepen- 

 dence of Cuba. During this period of warfare many sugar 

 mills, much growing cane and other properties were de- 

 stroyed and the output of the industry dropped to the 

 low level of about 212,000 tons. After the Spanish- 

 American War the industry revived as rapidly as condi- 

 tions would permit and by 1903-04 production was ap- 

 proximately 1,040,000 tons. The industry was given 

 new life by the influx of American capital into the island 

 and in succeeding years the crop increased rapidly. For 

 the season 1911-12, the total yield was 1,912,000 tons. 



23 



4,000,000 



3,750,000 



3,500,000 



3.250,000 



3,000,000 



2,750,000 



2,500,000 



| 2,250,000 



; 2,000,000 



i 1,750,000 



1,500,000 



1,250,000 



1,200.000 



750,000 



500,000 



250,000 





N 



