8 



There are Sugar-boilers who have got this down to a science. The improvement is seen not only 

 in the perfect shape, equal size and hardness of the crystal, but actually in the colour of the sugar. 

 There are two methods in general use in doing this. First, there i? one which commences at the top of 

 the pan ; and second, another which commences at the bottom. The advantage of commencing at the 

 top (that is, filling the pan more than half full to start with and boiling it down) is to get the use of 

 all the coils from the start, so that they can " whoop her up," as they call it, and get away with the 

 work. 



The second way is to com me nee at the bottom of the pan ; that is, to take just enough juice to 

 cover the bottom coil, and commence the grain at this point. The advantage of commencing at the 

 bottom of the pan is, to give one more time and sj>aee to build the grain. 



There are also those who take in a Luge charge at short intervals, those who take a proof every 

 minute, those who take one every hour, and some who take none at all ; they go by the look of the 

 grain as it splashes on the lights of the pan. 



Of the various ways of doing this work there seems to be none better than to commence the grain 

 as low as possible in the pan, and to take small charges of juice, and watch it with untiring vigilance, 

 as any little slip here by inattention means a loss hardly to be estimated or believed possible. 



Boiling No. 2 Sugar. 



There is a great diversity of opinion in regard to boiling this sugar, In some mills it is nearly 

 boiled to proof, the same as No. 3. In others it is grained up in the pan and run into coolers, where 

 it is left long enough to become quite hard A third way is to grain it in the vacuum-pan the last 

 thing at night, and run it into the mixer and dry the first thing in the morning. The last method is 

 in more general use than the other two, and is thought by many to be a good practice. Still, if one 

 speaks in favour of it to some peisons, they look at you in a compassionate sort of way, and evidently 

 think you belong to mediaeval times, or have just come from the backwoods. They claim that to 

 secure the best results one should grain in the pan and run it into the coolers, so as to have it grain up 

 better and harder. Evidently this is the best way. 



No 3 Sugar. 



There is but one method in general use in boiling this sugar, and that is to boil it to proof and 

 run it into the coolers and let it grain up there. In some places this sugar is returned to the cleaning 

 pans and mixed with the first juice ; in other mills it is returned to the clarifiers. In other places the 

 number two molasses is returned to the cleaning pan. or is blown up, skimmed, and taken into the pan 

 with first juice. It is questionable if any gain is derived from any of these methods, as it retards the 

 work, and costs more both for fuel and labour, besides introducing an element into the juice which is 

 usually very hard to deal with and eliminate. 



No. If Sugar. 



Quite a number of mills are now making number four sugar, but not all of them have met with 

 success. Usually this sugar is boiled to proof, run into large tanks or cisterns and centrifugaled after 

 the crop is cff. One objection to this metho 1 is the large size of the tanks : and another objection is in 

 placing them out of doors, where the rain and cold air can too quickly reduce the temperature. These 

 tanks should be kept dry and warm, certainly not out in the rain ; neither should they be too large, or 

 the molasses will cool off too quickly. But laking everything into consideration it is doubtful if this 

 practice pays, b"cause there are certain substances left in the molasses over which the Sugar-boiler has no 

 control whatever, and these substances increase with superior quality of cane. They are also known to 

 be obstacles to the regular crystallization of the sugar even in the first boiling, and their destructive 

 power seems to increase in every successive boiling, until they are so great that it becomes impossible to 

 do anything whatever with them at the fourth boiling, and at times even at the third. Some persons are 

 of opinion that something will eventually be discovered to counteract the evil of these obuoxious sub- 

 stances and acids that are found in this molasses : but it is doubtful, or if it is done at all, it will be done 

 in the first stage of the process of defection. 



SUGAR CANES FOR AUTUMN PLANTING. 



Application should be made at once for Canes wanted for Autumn planting, stating varieties re- 

 quired, and number of tops. Price, in Jamaica, 5s. per barrel of about 50 or 60 tops, delivered free at 

 any railway station, or port touched at by Coastal Steamer. 



Note. — A subscription of 2s. will insure the delivery at any Post Office in Jamaica of 12 numbers of the " Bulletin." 

 Application may be made at any of the Gardens, or by Post to the Director of Public Gardens and Plantations, Gordon 

 Town P.O., Jamaica. Postage must be added for delivery out of Jamaica. 



