, 1874-05-30
EXTRACTS FROM THE ANTIGUA
COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
(COntinued.)

Ter factories in Guadeloupe, makes 1900
tons Of sugar. 1t works night and day,
It employs $40 hands by day and the same
number by night. The greatest distance
from which it brings its canes by rail is
81 miles they are carried by the planter
to his nearest point on the railway, and
from that at the expense of the Factory,
This railway with material cost between
4~l,600and G3, 200pr. mile. The breadth be-
tween the rails is y yards, and the speed
attained 8 to 10 miles an hour The Usino
pays s pr. ct. of the weight Of the canes.
Here as elsewhere the estates within easy
distances of the Central Factory which for
merly were in a chronic state of indebted
ness are now clear, prosperous and we'll
cultivated. The appreciation blythe planters
themselves of the beneficial effect of the
Factories was evidenced by their continual
desire to have the line of railway extended
80 as to enable them to forward their canes.
At the commencement there was conside-
rable difficulty in coming to an arrange
ment where proprietors were under en-
g%agements to Consignees, but as the lat
ter (here called COMMISSIONERS were al
most always residents, or represented in
the island, they agreed to wait the plan
ters in the mean time paying a commits
sion, as before, upon the quantity of sugar
male at the Usiue from their canes, the
Director being guarantee. In some cases
the Usine took up these debts. After
the disconnection of the planters with the
COMMISSIONERS the Colonial Bank adj
yanced money for the purposes of
cultivation at 6 pr. ct, the Usino
being security for their repayment.
La Rjrjere Blanche is a small usine in
Martinique capable Of making $500 Tons
and It's cost, every thing included, 948,
600. 1t consumes from 400 10 $50 lbs of
Goals to the 1000 lbs of sugar made. The
process is the usual Charcoal Filters,
Triple-Etfects, Vacuum Pan and Centrifu-
gals. They had not a sufficient supply of
canes that year the Commissioners were
there, which was the first of the Factory,
but they expected a large development
of cultivation in the neighbourhood,
chiefly by the small proprietors. Near
Fort de France is the first Factory
established in Martinique by an English
man 25 years ago, "Pojate Simon" It did
not succeed well at first in consequence
of want of experience, defective machi-
merry, etc, but is now paying we'll it gives
however, only 5 7. Ct. of the weight of
canes.
The "DjHon" Factory, about 3 miles
from st. Pierre, was in full working order
IS months after it had been ordered in
France. The railway which is 10 miles
in length has been very expensive in con-
sequence of some mistakes in its construc-
ton as we'll as the marshy and unfavoura-
bic condition of the soil.
This has crippled the Company, but
full confidence seemed to exist as to its
ultimate success, and much clearing is
being effected of the ~neighbouring low
hills The specific gravity of Juice is 9 to
10 Beaume 100 Tons of Sugar were
made for the first crop. The Scum is
pressed and the cake used as manure.
The District Lamentin" is~a fine
alluvial valley surrounded by mountains of
trap and c~onglomerate~ which are covered
to their SUBMITS with dense forests ian