The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-08-17

seems to have proved \ success, a~fI1rding 70 thC
manufacturing interest u handsome profit, and
by leaving the planter free to devote himself Il
bIs peculiar vocation, largely Increasing the eul.
tiyation Of the cane.
The government. Of the island Ct Jamaica rc-
Gently appointed a commission 70 visit the
French islands, and inquire into the working Of
this central sugar-lactory system. The Depart
ment Of Agriculture has received, through the
Department Of State, the report Of these CON-
missioners. Their examinations were made
during the last summer, and the results, rs
stated by them, are not without interest and
value TO the sugar-producers of the United States.
The largest central factory IN the French isl
ands is that which is commonly called the Usine
d'Arboussier, ," az Po~int-a-Pltre (St. Louis), the
chief commercial station Of the island. The fac
tory is IL the suburbs Of this seaport, and is
constructed urou the grandest scale, having all
the improvements in machinery and the manu-
facture of sugar devised by modern science. The
cost of il was upward Of a million Of dollars. and
its capacity Of manufacture is equal to 10, 900
tons of sugar during the first six months of the
year, which is the manufacturing season. The
process of manufacture, as described by the COM
missiOners, Is as follows
- The canes are brought by the planter to q
siding OF the main tramway on his estate The
wagon generally carries two tons Of canes, and
one mule on a good level ordinary tramway can
draw easily two wagons. The wagon, when
brought to the mill itself, conveys the canes to
the rollers. The bdqasSe being elevated by power
to a platform over the boilers, the juice, on leav-
ing the nill-bed, falls through three strainers
into a tank, which has n double bottom, heated
by steam. 1t is treated here with q little BIZ
sulphite of lime, and is then run into a montejus.
This mOntejus, by steam, sends the juice up to the
CHARTERS, where it is heated in the ordinary way
and tempered with lime properly. From this it
is passed 10 the charcOal-flters, through which it
gravitates, and then passes by a gutter into a
receiver. From this 1t is passed to q montejus,
and is thrown up by steam into q cIstern over
the triple-effet. From this cistern it gravitates
into the triple-efet, passing from the first to the
second, and from the second to the third boiler,
as the attendant wishes. When it leaves the
boiler it is Immediately passed over new returned
charcoal. 1t gravitates through this and falls
into another receiver. from which the vacuum
pan takes it up and boils it to sugar. The first
quality sugar is generally crystallized in the pan,
and Is then dropped into sugar-boxes, which
stand seven feet from the ground under these
boxes a little charging-yessel runs on a railway
that is hung from the bottom of the said boxes.
and this vessel conveys the sugar over the centri-
fugals, where it is cured the molasses from this
being boiled up, when found in good condition,
with the sirup of the following day. When this
moiasses is thick and clammy it is boiled into a
jelly by itself and dropped into sugar-boxes,
where it is allowed to granulate for a number of
days. This makes the second-quality sugar, and
the molasses from this, along with the skimmings
and subsidings of CHARTERS, goes to make rum.
The juice that leaves the CHARTERS does not pass
over fresh charcoal, but follows the strip from
the triple-efet, thus assisting to wash out the
sweets which may have been left by the strip.
1.-The weight of canes delivered at the factory
last year was IS 900 tons, although it was a
season of drought. The factory can receive
100, 900 tons a year. Last year 1925 tons of
sugar were obtained from 6S, 725 tons of cane, or
L. - Al - A. -
company declared a first dividend Of "a per cent.
In other words, a net profit of $181, 585 was
made upon the manufacture of CO, 745 tons of
sugar and lS2, 798 gallons of rum.
The process OF manufacture in all the fac
tories, both in Guadeloupe and Martinique, are
identical, the only difference being the adoption
in the new factories of the appliances of modern
science, and improved mechanical and other ar
rangements. The Qualification of the juice, its
reduction to strip at IA low temperature, the per-
feet Capitalization and color of the sugar, and a
maximum return, are obtained by repeated fltra-
ton through animal charcoal, the 'triple-efet
and v~acuum-pan processes, and, last of all,
centrifugal machines. In Martinique the mean
weight of canes was found to be equal to % tons
per acre, producing, say, p tons of sugar, and
the sugar sells at 5000 a ton.
The central factories, or usines, are repre-
sented as in the highest popular favor. Capital,
both local and in France, is freely subscribed to
establish new uslnes upon Il large ana extensive
scale. Eight of the factories, at considerable
cost, have been erected within the last two years,
and others are now in process of erection. They
seem everywhere, by increasing the facilities of
manufacture, to have stimulated the planters to
increased production Of the cane. In speaking of
the difference between the tillage of those who
sell their canes to the usines and those who
manufacture at home, it Is remarked that in the
one case the canes are no sooner out of the fields
than the gangs and stock are at work preparing
the land for the next crop, and all the fields are
tidy and clean. In the other case, fields are left
to take care of themselves until the crop season
is over. Estates which, before the establishment
Of the usines, were in debt, are now said to be In
a Hourishing condition, and others which had
almost fallen out of cultivation are now making
excellent crops.
" In most of the factories hydraulic or other
presses are employed for extracting the remnants
of juice from the skimmings. The former are
carefully returned to the CHARTERS, the residuum
being a hard cake, which is used for fodder and
manure. Report Of U. s. Department Of Agri-
cuI1re |