The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-09-29
of the Sugar-Cane.
NUMBER NH ,

article of export from Siam. Mach
onyhaisi and Petno are the principal
sugar districts; but it is alsoproduced
at Paklat, Bangpasoi, Chantibon, and
Petchabure in considerable quantities.
The owners of the mills seldom cult
vate the canes themselves, but pur-
chase them standing in the fields
from the growers, who have usually
money advanced to them by the mill
owners at the commencement OF the
season, to enable them to plant on
their ground, they in return being
bound to sell all their canes at fixed
price to the person lending the
money, besides paying interest at the
usual rate. The cultivation of the
sugar-cane has greatly increased. 1t
is mostly in the hands of the Chinese.
The extraction OF the juice from
the canes and it's manufacture into
sugar are carried on inavery primitive
manner, without any of the modern
improvements to obtain from the
cane the largest possible quantity of
a superior quality of sugar. The
greatest quantity of sugar is made in
the nelghborhood OF Bangkok and
the adjacent provinces, to where the
tidal waters extend. Here irrigation
in cases Of drought may be carried
on with the greatest convenience;
and were there sufficient laboring
hands to attend to it's cultivation, ten
times the quantity of sugar now pro-
duced might be raised in those local
tiles to which the tidal waters extend,
setting aside other places appropriate
to it's cultivation. With better ma
chinery the manufacture might be
greatly improved, and the culture is
very careless.
White or clayed sugar. red I'M
clayed, and yellow, are the three
descriptions brought market. The
yellow is always deficient ill grain.
Most of it comes from up the
country, and from Chatibon; it
seems to be peculiar description of
sugar, and the Chinese manufacturers
say they are unable to granulate it;
LAit-is- usually pretty dry.
The best sugar is Iprocnrable in
March and April, Shat which is
made in the two following months is
mostly from the second boiling and
is much lower 10 quality. The guam
tity produced in each of the years
1857 and 1858 was about 100000
piculs. In 1862 the shipments were
$1,000 piculs, being Al 900 piculs less
than five years average. The ex.
ports in 1867 amounted to 1877 ,532
piculs; the greater part was sent to
China; in 1870 the shipments were
1907 piculs. Palm sugar is manu-
featured to a considerable amount at
Pitchabure, but it is ali consumed in
the country. This is not the same
as the date sugar known in Europe.
A company called the Indo- Chinese
Sugar Company was established here
few years ago, who received large
grant of 5000 acres from the Gov
eminent at yearly rental Of Is. Sd.
per acre for the land under cultiva.
ton. The inland duty on sugar has
been reduced to Cd. per picul on
white and 4!d on brown. Instead
OF the old hoe system OF culture,
steam plows and cultivators have
been introduced, and large sugar
mills on the newest principles
erected.
CHINA.
Although we have no data TO guide
10 20 ~
China and the local consumption, yet
by going through the trade returns
OF the several ports, we CLEAN some
idea of the export trade.
MAURITIUs.
This is now one Of the principal
British sugar-growing colonies.
About 1850, the sugar-cane was first
introduced into the Mauritius. In
the commencement, it made but lit.
tie progress, but as the cane began
to be better appreciated, its cultiva.
ton increased with marvellous rapid
ity until it has now become the chief,
almost exclusive. resource of the
island. The white cane which is in
digenous to the islands OF the Pacific
is said to have been first planted in
the Mauritius, but the disease with
which this variety had been attacked,
considerably restricted in after years
its cultivation. Of twenty varieties
which have been introduced at differ
ent periods, the following six are said
( to be most commonly cultivated in
D the island: