522 
THIS TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb. I, 190L 
was rejected— jaggery, but the system was very 
much better than that of buying the cane out- 
right, as it gave the ryot a strong, tliongh not a 
perfect all-round, interest in the quality of liis 
cane. The juice of each ryot's cane was accu- 
rately rneasuied, and 15 gallons of it were boiled 
down to concrete over an open lire, in the country 
fashion, and the weight of concrete obcaiueJ, 
together with the gallons of juice measured, 
afforded all the data required for the settlement 
of the party's account. Such a system as this, 
however, would not go far enough with Euro- 
pean sugar planters, even though they were the 
owners — as they should be — of the central factory. 
Nothing short of the measurement of the juice 
audits polarization ( to arrive at the quotient of 
purity or per cent oi sugar in u,pparcnt solids) 
wouUl he found to be satisfactory to all interests 
Results of i^ane Cultivation in South Arcot for 
18 years during ivhich the extent of tlic cultt- 
oation and the results varied •- — 
From To And 
aver- 
aged 
Extent of cultivation ... 129 acres 1.728 806.) 
Density of juice ... 9 Baunicl0"2 9*4 
Cane crushed per acre ... 9 8 tons 18 2 lo^O 
Jaggtry, conciefced juice fri67 tons 2,189 r754 
per acre j, 5*23 candies 9-80 7 86 
Jaggery, per cent on cane 11-9 11-6 11-7 
The weight of cane shown above is a closely 
approximate figure, arrived at on the basis of the 
jaggery beingir7per centofthe weight of the 
cane, the juice being of a density of 9"38 Baum^ 
and being obtained at the rate of 110 gallon per 
ton of cane, eq\ial to 66'7 i>er cent of juice. 
If It 16-8 pei 500 lbs., sayR74 per ton, be received 
for tiie j.iggery in the cane, the gross proceeds 
per acie, it is seen may vary from K 86-6 to K162 
with 11129-12 as an average. What the cost of 
cultivation, cutting aiid carting-of the crop are, 
and thence what the profit must depend en- 
tirely on local cijcumstances of distance of the 
cultivation from the factory, cost of land rent &c. , 
labour, manure, and seeds. On the average, 
cane cultivation pays well if the jaggery in the 
cane CAn be sold for R16-8 per 500 lbs, delivered 
in the factory, supposing that tlie cartage to the 
factory does not cost too much. With yield of 
I1'7 per cent jaggery on the cane, the ton of cane 
will give only 262 lbs. jaggery, and therefore 4 
annas per cart load, and with three cart-loads to 
the ton, will make a cost of Rl per 500 lbs. of 
jaggery, or R7-14 per acre of average cultivation. 
The profits of the central factory should be very 
considerable, buying the cane from the planters 
on the above, or .somewhat analogous terms ; and 
working with multiple effect evaporators, vacuum 
pans, crystallizers in movement and quick-speed 
centrifugals, and with the factory designed for 
the conditions of the counti-y. For a factory 
capable of dealing with 400 tons of cane a day 
and working for 100 days, equal to 2,666 acres of 
cultivation cleared in the season, probably 5 lakhs 
of rupees capital for liuilding and machinery 
would be sufiicient, and such a factory working 
an inferior cane with a refining value of the con- 
tained jaggery of 62';j would turn out the bagged 
dry sugars at about R34 per 500 lbs.; valuing the 
treacle made at R6 per 5001bs. and allowing 7 per 
cent on the ca])ital for interest and depreciation, 
and including cost of permanent establishment 
^or th^ remaining 265 days of the year. The 
cost would run out : — 13,083 candies sugar, and 
7,560 candies treacle. 
Rs. A. 
Materials (21,000 candies jagtrery) 
R16-8 and yield 62-3 per cent ... 26 8 
Repairs and renewals ... ... 0 S 
Establishment ... ... ... 2 0 
Fuel ... .. ..2 6 
Gunnies, inner-bags and twine ... 1 3 
Filter-bags and sheaths ... ... 0 2 
Oil and sundries ... ... ... 0 4 
Charring .. ... ..0 8 
Permanent establishment (in slack 
season) and insurance ... ... 1 5 
Interest (5 per cent) and depreciation 
2 per cent on R5, 00,000 at 7 per cent 2 11 
Less 1,560 candies treacle at R6 
37 7 
3 7 
Net cost .. R34 0 
The sugars would realise on the spot a mininmm 
average price of R48 per 500 lbs., leaving a pi oiit 
of R14 on 13,083 candies equal to Rl,83,162. The 
realisation of the treacle, however, is a difficult 
matter, and is irenerally impossible in the work- 
ing of an inferior cane without a distillery, 
wliich to deal with the 7,560 candies treacle 
would have to be capable of turning out about 
20,000 gallons proof-s])irit a month, and,*^an out- 
let for this spririt would have to be found. The 
alternative, which would still leave a very good 
profit, of throwing away the treacle, in part or in 
whole, is not always possible, a.'' there may very 
well be no place into which treacle in quantity 
can be run without causing a nuisance. If a 
distillery can be worked it can make its own pro- 
tit out of the RG per oUO lbs. treacle paid the sugar 
bouse, the spirit costing only between 6 annas 
and 7 annas per gallon proof, including 10 per 
cent 5 ])er cent depreciation, as it would work 
all the year round interest and depreciation on 
li lakhs of distillery building and plant. 
If the " Ribbon " cane be not water-logged, be 
planted seasonably in favourable soil, and be 
sparingly manured, its jaggery contents may have 
a refining value of o'-er '74 per cent as also may 
the"Dikchan" Dr. Leather's analyses of Shah- 
jahanpur, and the soft green cane turning mellow- 
yellow ivhen dead ripe of Coimbatore ; and then 
while the weight of cane per acre may be con- 
siderably less than more stimulated growth 
the greater value of the jaggery contents would 
permit of the central factory payinga proportionate 
price for it. Thus : 15,540 candies sugar and 
5,040 candies ; — 
Gross cost would be — 
Rs. A, P. 
R37-7@ X 62-3 .. 31 8 
740 
And treacle credit- 
7,560 X 6 
15,540 
2 14 8 
Nett cost .., Rs. 29 9 7 
The difference between this and R48, R19-6-5 
would be the profit per candy of sugar working 
the better cane— 
