viii, a, 6 Pratt et al.: Nipa Palm 395 



THE MILL 



Nipa juice, properly preserved with lime and sulphite, offers 

 no difficulties in the mill. A tank should be provided at the 

 water's edge into which the tubero may pour his cargo of juice 

 for analysis and credit. 



The subsequent treatment need differ in no respect from cus- 

 tomary sugar practice. The juice breaks readily when carbon- 

 ated to the proper alkalinity and heated to 100°. The sediment 

 settles promptly, leaving a bright juice requiring no further 

 treatment. The filter cake from the sediment is firm, and may 

 be reduced by washing and steaming to a total sucrose content 

 not exceeding 0.2 per cent. 



COST OF NIPA JUICE 



The price paid by the distilleries for collecting nipa juice in 

 the ordinary manner is about 8 centavos (4 cents United States 

 currency) per tinaja containing from 30 to 36 liters according 

 to locality. This represents about one-half the total cost of pro- 

 duction. Swamps are also frequently worked on equal shares. 

 The nipa-land owners, therefore, expect a return of about 2.50 

 pesos per 1,000 liters of sap produced. This forms a profitable 

 basis for the manufacture of alcohol and consequently for sugar. 



The extra labor incident to liming the tuquils will increase 

 the cost of collecting juice to a slight extent. Where labor may 

 be obtained for 1 peso (50 cents United States currency) per day, 

 we estimate the cost of collection at 30 centavos per 100 liters. 



EXTRACTION OF SUGAR 



White sugar can be made from nipa juice at a manufacturing 

 cost far less than that of either cane or beet sugar. During mill 

 experiments with large quantities of low-grade juice, we have 

 extracted sugar until the final molasses had an apparent purity 

 of only 50. Since this extraction is at least 10 per cent greater 

 than the beet-sugar practice, it represents a further source of 

 profit. Table XIV shows the percentage of available granulated 

 sugar on total solids for purities of from 80 to 90. These figures 

 are very conservative, and no doubt could be exceeded in a well- 

 controlled mill. 



