Notes on the Society's Work in 1897-1918. xlv. 



They had been brought to a high state of efficiency prior to 1897, mainly 

 owing to the scientific labours of Messrs. ScarJ and Douglas. At that 

 time 76 to 78 per cent, of the theoretically possible yields of alcohol were 

 being recovered in rum, a rate which fairly closely approximated to the 

 best technical efficiency in the spirit industry-from 80 to 827. 



The number of distilleries has greatly decreased during the period 

 under review. There were in 1896 fifty distilleries using pot or vat stills 

 and seven using Coffey or other forms of continuous rectifying stills. 

 There were in 1917 twenty-six distilleries using stills of the former type 

 and ten using the latter. The export of rum in 1896 was 3,291,290 

 proof-gallons as compared with an average export of 4,167,000 proof- 

 gallons during the years 1915 to 1917. It is evident from the figures 

 given that although the actual fermentation and distillation processes may 

 not have under-gone much improvement the economic and financial effi- 

 ciency of the rum- producing industry has been markedly added to. 



I may mention that in 1897 an excellently equipped spirit-refinery — 

 the Black Distillery — was at work in Georgetown turning out from 

 ordinary rum, spirits of an exceptionally high standard of purity, which 

 after skilful flavouring were sold as factitious brandy, whisky, or gin in 

 competition with the German-made or " Hamburg " spirits which until 

 very recent years were largely imported here for sale at low prices. 

 Whilst the processes in use at the Black Distillery were highly successful 

 when applied to rum of originally well-marked purity, the distiller, over- 

 estimating the efficiency of his process, unfortunately applied it to rum of 

 very unsatisfactory character which it proved unable to deodorise and 

 on account of this, among other reasons, the distillery ceased its 

 working ; with the result that now under war-conditions we have to 

 be satisfied with the excellent rum produceable in the colony under its 

 natural flavour and aroma. 



MOLASCOIT AND OTHER CATTLE FOODS. 



In 1897 the sole by-products of the sugar-industry were molasses 

 and rum distilled from it, but a few years later Mr. George Hughes, F.C.S., 

 introduced a process for the preparation from the molasses of the sugar- 

 cane of a high-grade cattle-food. This food consists of a mixture of 

 vacuum pan molasses with the finer particles of the interior spongy tissues 

 of the sugar-cane, which are sepa-ated from tbe megass produceel during 

 the u';. ie -'ng of the sugar-cane. The mixture results in a dry, brown- 

 coloured, coarse powder possessing a very fragrant and attractive odour. 

 Its characteristic is the high proportion — -72 per cent. — of its readily 

 digestible constituents and especially the high digestibility of the fibre 

 present in it. In some years during the period under review, the exports 

 of cattle-food — Hughes' molascuitand modifications or imitations of it — 

 have been in excess of 12,000 tons. War-conditions unfortunately have 

 recently greatly reduced theexports of this important by-product. 



