394 The Philippine Journal of Science wis 



must remain undissolved and be wasted. Moreover, the cream 

 must be thick enough to adhere to the sides of the tuquil, and 

 such a cream is difficult to handle in the swamp. Native work- 

 men are prone to be careless, and unless supervised might slight 

 the application of lime or use excessive amounts. 



The tubero could measure a thin lime cream by means of a long- 

 handled bamboo cup, and pour it into the tuquils when funnels 

 were employed. No time would be lost in attempting to coat 

 the interior, as the reason for this precaution would no longer 

 exist. The time necessary for adjusting funnels to catch the 

 dripping juice would not be greater than that spent in apply- 

 ing lime for the old method. A marked decrease in operating 

 expense would result, due to the reduction in the amount of lime 

 used, the great saving of carbon dioxide when the juice is car- 

 bonated at the mill, and the small consequent burden on the filter 

 presses. This takes no account of the certainty of obtaining 

 high purity juice under all conditions and the complete absence 

 in this juice of the very objectionable calcium acetate resulting 

 whenever acid fermentation takes place. The presence of neu- 

 tral lime salts in solution after carbonation necessitates treat- 

 ment with soda ash for their removal, and is coincident with 

 decreased purity. The amount of these salts affords a valuable 

 index of the efficiency of preservation. Reference to Table XII 

 shows that a properly preserved juice need not contain more 

 than about 0.03 gram of CaO per 100 Brix, a negligible amount. 



TRANSPORTATION OF SAP 



The character of nipa swamps is such that all transportation 

 must be carried on by water. The native tuberos use bancas 

 (canoes hewn out of a single large log), and penetrate all parts 

 of the swamps in these light-draught boats. In some places it 

 has been necessary to construct artificial waterways, but a nat- 

 ural network of small tide-water streams greatly reduces this 

 expense. The sap at present collected for the alcohol industry is 

 carried from the palm to the distillery in large earthen jars called 

 tinajas, or is occasionally emptied directly into the bancas. 

 Neither method recommends itself when the sap is destined for 

 a sugar mill. The ordinary 5-gallon kerosene tins are much 

 lighter and easier to carry from palm to palm than the tinajas, 

 and will probably be the most satisfactory means for the pur- 

 pose. One tubero can readily carry 2 of these cans, represent- 

 ing the collection of juice from 30 or more tuquils. The filled 

 cans may then be placed in bancas and carried to the mill. 



