142 



SUGA.R. 



witli a certain proportion (half per cent.) of bisulphite of lime. It is 

 then thrown up to the clarifiers, and boiled by means of steam. A 

 due amount of milk of lime is added, and the contents of the clarifier 

 allowed to remain at rest (half an hour) till the impurities have 

 settled, when the clear juice is run down to the copper wall. In 

 some cases filtration through bag filters is practised as the juice 

 leaves the clarifier. On some estates the contents of the clarifiers, 

 at a boiling temperature, are run into subsiding vessels, in which the 

 sediment takes place, from which the juice passes either through bag 

 filters or at once to the copper wall. On the copper wall the cane 

 juice is evaporated to a density of from 25° to 30° of Beaume's 

 saccharometer, when it is either taken directly into the vacuum pan 

 or is first passed through bag filters. When the syrup is suffi- 

 ciently concentrated in the vacuum pan, i. e. when crystals are formed 

 to the satisfaction of the pan boiler, the contents are run into shallow 

 wooden coolers, and after a short time transferred in portions to the 

 centrifugal machines, in which it is freed from molasses. In some 

 cases, while in the centrifugal machines, syrup is used to brighten the 

 colour, and in other cases a small quantity of water. The sugar is 

 then removed from the centrifugal machines, and at once packed into 

 hogsheads. The sugar thus manufactured in this colony is of a pale 

 straw colour, uniform crystal (not too large) of great brilliancy, and 

 dry. A sugar perfectly white and brilliant could as easily be pro- 

 duced. 



From the various improvements introduced, the manufacture of 

 sugar is now a very speedy process ; for instances are known where 

 from canes in the field in the morning, the sugar has been on ship- 

 board before night. 



Sir R. Schombui'gk, in his very interesting pamphlet on British 

 Guiana, observes that 8 hogsheads of sugar per acre is an ordinary 

 crop, 5000 to 6000 lbs. (53 cwts.) per acre not extraordinary ; and 

 that on an estate called "Mary's Hope," on the Courantine coast, 

 8000 lbs. = 73^ cwts. have been produced. In British India the 

 produce is only from 12 to 15 and 20 cwts. per acre, on the very best 

 land. In Trinidad the produce cannot be estimated at less than 

 20 cwts. per acre. 



The quantity of rum manufactured in British Guiana is very con- 

 siderable. Formerly it was estimated that for every hogshead of sugar 

 produced by an estate, there should also be produced a puncheon of 

 rum. This estimate still holds good on estates where the ordinary 

 process of the manufacture of sugar is practised ; but on estates where 

 improved methods with the use of the vacuum pan are followed, the 

 quantity of rum does not exceed one-half of the old estimate. The 

 great object of proprietors is to extract the largest amount of sugar 

 from the cane juice, and diminish as much as possible the production 

 of rum and molasses. 



The rum produced does not bring so high a price in the market as 

 that of Jamaica, not that less skill is employed in its manufacture, for 

 no expense has been spared to obtain the best machinery and make 

 use of the best methods. The reason of the inferiority arises chiefly 

 from two causes : 



