140 



STJGAE. 



one of the oldest colonists, has about 100 acres under cultivation 

 with the cane, and I have seen some very excellent specimens of the 

 produce, notwithstanding the want of suitable machinery to grind 

 the cane and boil the juice. Many planters from the East Indies 

 and Mauritius are settling there. His Eoyal Highness Prince Al- 

 bert awarded, through the Society of Arts, a year or two ago, a 

 gold medal, v^'orth 100 guineas, to Mr. J. A. Leon, for his beautiful 

 work descriptive of new and improved machinery and processes em- 

 ployed in the cultivation and preparation of sugar in the British 

 colonies, designed to economise labor and increase prodnction. 



The centrifugal machines, recently brought into use, for separa- 

 ting the molasses from the sugar, more quickly than the old-fash- 

 ioned method of coolers, have tended to cheapen the production 

 and simplify the processes of sugar making. The planters object, 

 however, to the high prices which they are charged for these ma- 

 chines, so simple in their construction ; and that they are not al- 

 lowed, by the patent laws, to obtain them in the cheaper markets of 

 Prance and Belgium. 



G-reat loss has hitherto taken place annually, in the sugar colo- 

 nies, through the drainage of the molasses, resulting from the im- 

 perfect processes in use ; but this can now be obviated, by the nse 

 of the centrifugal machine. It is a modification of the " hydro- 

 extractor," and is the invention of Mr. Finzel, of Bristol. 



The machine being filled with sugar, appropriately placed, is 

 rapidly revolved, agd a powerfid centrifugal force generated ; the 

 moisture is speedily removed to the circumference of the revolving 

 vessel, and passes off through apertures adapted for the pur- 

 pose. 



Various other improvements in the making of sugar have been 

 carried into effect within the last few years, by Dr. Scofferu, 

 Messrs. Oxland and M. Melsens, but the description of these 

 would occupy too much of my space, and those who are desirous 

 of growing sugar on an extensive scale, I must refer to Dr. Evans' 

 " Sugar Planter's Manual," Mr. Wray's " Practical Sugar Planter." 

 Agricola's "Letters on Sugar Farming," and other works which 

 treat largely and exclusively of the subject. 



An annonncem.ent has recently been made, th.at a Mr. Eamos, 

 of Porto Eico, has discovered some new dessicating agent, to be 

 nsed in sngar makiug, which is to cost next to nothing, but improves 

 most materially the quality of the sugar made, and also increases 

 considerably the quantity obtained by the ordinary process. 



The average annual quantity of cane sugar produced and sent 

 into the markets of the civilised world, at the present time, may 

 be taken at 1,500,000 tons, exclusive of the amount grown and 

 manufactured for local consumption in India, China, Cochin- 

 China, and the Malay Archipelago, of which no certain statistics 

 exist, but which has been estimated at about another million 

 tons. 



So far back as 1844, the Calcutta " Star," in an article on sugar, 

 estimated the domestic consumption in India, at 500,000 tons. 



