6 



Mr. J. J. Bowrey, F.C.S., F.I.C., Island Chemist, has kindly forwarded to the Director, Botanical 

 Department, Jamaica, the following information about a method of preparing Annatto invented by 

 himself : — 



A Method for the separation of the colour fho.m Annatto Seeds in a concentrated and marketa- 

 ble FORM. 



This method is quite different from any in actual use ; it simply separates the colouring matter, which exists 

 a* a pellicle upon the seeds in an unaltered state. All the processes now employed involve t'ie use of water 

 either alone or in conjunction with alkalies and acids. When water is used for the separation of the colour 

 much, and, I believe, the best of the colour is lost. This is due to the fact that the finer particles of colour will 

 not settle in a practicable time and cannot be recovered by filtration as they immediately clog the, filter and pre- 

 vent its action. Hence only the portions which subside quickly can be utilized, and even these are deprived 

 of the water they retain with difficulty, the only method practicable being to expose the wet colour to the air 

 until the water has evaporated. During this long contact with water and air the colour is greatly deterio- 

 rated. 



My process is entirely mechanical, consisting in the separation of the coloured pellicle by agitating the 

 seeds in the presence of any of the lighter rock oils, such as kerosine or gasolene. Only a small quantity of 

 the colour dissolves in the oil, the rest remaining suspended in the solid form. As the oil becomes saturated 

 in the first operation, it has no solvent action in succeeding ones. After agitation the seeds aie separated from 

 the colour-laden oil by a strainer ; the colour quickly subsides and the clear, red-coloured oil is decanted and 

 run back on the seeds until they are completely cleaned of colour. When a quantity of colour has accumu- 

 lated, it must be thrown on a filter when most of the oil will drain off and the remainder can be got rid of 

 by exposing the colour to the air so as to allow the oil to evaporate. If the oil used is of good quality, it 

 will leave no odour behind it. I find good Annatto seeds yield by this process an ounce of dry solid colour 

 for each pound operated on. I have not tried the process on fresh gathered seeds, but I think it will work 

 equally well with them. 



The plant necessary to carry out the process is a vessel with an agitator, a subsiding vessel, an oil -store 

 vessel, and some calico filters on wooden frames. But if the process were carried out oa anything like a large 

 scale the calico filters should be replaced by a filter press which will give the colour in compact cakes re- 

 quiring but little exposure to deprive them of all oil. Of course, power of some kind, manual or other, would 

 be required to agitate the seeds with the oil, and a pump to elevate the clear oil on to fresh seeds would 

 greatly facilitate operations. With well constructed apparatus and filter press there would be very little loss 

 of oil, even if the more volatile varieties were used ; and these are the best, being cheaper to begin with, 

 having to pay less duty than kerosine in the second place, and thirdly more rapidly and completely evapo- 

 rating from the colour. 



Some Annatto colour prepared by this method has been tested by a practical dyer in the States, and was 

 found to be from twelve to twenty times stronger than the ordinary Paste Annatto of commerce, and to be 

 also more brilliant. 



(Mr. Bowrey writes that he is unable to give an estimate of the cost of apparatus, but that he will 

 be glad to give all the aid in his power to any one who thinks of trying the process, and communicates 

 with him ) 



NOTES ON SUGAR BOILING. 



From the Planters' Monthly, Honolulu. 



There is nothing in the Sugar industry so important as the Sugar-boiling, and I was going to say, 

 there is nothing so imperfectly understood. I will not say that, however, but I will say that there is more 

 diversity of opinion in regard to how this work should be done, than there is in any other business with 

 which I am at quainted. One would suppose that there would be one fixed rule established, and the work 

 done exactly the same in every mill, but such is not found to be the case. Indeed, it is impossible to 

 find two Sugar-boilers who do the work exactly alike, and it is just as impossible to find two men who 

 quite agree as to the proper treatment of the juice, or the proper amount of lime which should be used 

 per clarifier. All of these men, however, have rules or guides of their own to go by, but they differ 

 greatly, both in the treatment of the juice and in the results. 



For instance, some men depend entirely upon their sense of sight, others partly upon their senses of 

 taste and smell Some use the test tubes, some litmus paper, and some use nothing at all. They de- 

 pend upon the look of the juice, the way it boils, the colour of the foam and the smell of the vapour. 

 But by far the greater number use the proof-glass. When this is done the juice is limed and skimmed 

 and then the glass is filled with the liquid and if it is seen that the foreign matter ascends in smt.ll par- 

 ticles like dust, then the juice needs more lime; if it ascends in flakes it needs less; if it is of medium 

 size and perfectly clear between, then it is considered about right, provided it all settles and the juice is 

 perfectly clear. 



The liming of the juice is one of the most important things a Sugar-boiler has to do, and at times, 

 when the Cane varies to any great extent it is quite difficult. 



This liming of the juice is something which cannot apparently be taught to any one, for the more 

 information one gets about it the less he seems to know. There evidently is but one way to learn this 

 business, and that is by actual experience, and even then there seems to be a great deal of guess-work 

 about it. 



(Jreat as these difficulties are, however, some men have greater success in surmounting them than 

 others. The improvement is seen everywhere in clarifying, cleaning and boiling. When the juice is 

 limed right, it cleans easily, boils rapidly, and grains up quickly in the pan, and the Sugar-boiler will 

 always be ahtad of his work. If this is imperfectly done there will be trouble all round. 



Nome pers< ns believe that although there are different ways of doing this work, there is in reality 

 but one test after all. But it is the perfection of this test, or the thoroughness with which it is under- 

 stood, and the work done, which characterizes the difference between mediocrity and superiority. Some 



