The Hawaiian gazette., 1886-02-02
Lonisiana Sugar Plantation.

DIR. Mott Smith forwards the following account
of a Louisiana Sugar Plantation which has been
recently visited.
The Magnolia estate is conceded by those who
have seen it to be, in all that the term implies, "a
model sugar plantation" 1t comprises several
thousand acres, of which 1000 are in cultivation.
1t produces on an average of from 100000 to g,
000,000 pounds of sugar per season, equaled in
quality only by the best refined goods.
Since ex-Gov. Warmoth's proprietorship, some
ten years since, he has expended not less than
100000 upon it in substantial and permanent i'm
proyements. Magnolia is most highly cultivated,
and the splendid results aOcruing therefrom are
attributable chiefly to the liberal but judicOns
of properly compounded high. grade fertilizers. In
addition to this, the farm throughout is supplied
with the latest appliances in machinery, thereby
saving labor, fuel and the loss usually attending
inferiorly constructed establishments. His entire
plant comprises all the latest Improvements for
the successful manufacture of sugar Every device
which human ingenuity has constructed for the
improvement of the old methods found in sugar
houses of the olden day has been at once fully ap
piled and operated by this eminent planter. I'M
proved railways extending over the plantation and
to its uttermost limits convey the cane directly to
the carrier, upon which it is dumped without the
interruption of the labor usually required to feed
the carrier thereby dispensing with the service of
from twenty-five TO thirty men, and thus enabling
four men to supply the mill with 2l5 tons in each
twenty-four hours. Each car holds about one ton
of cane, and two mules draw from ten to twelve of
these loaded from the field TO the sugar house.
This method of transporting cane from the field
to the house supplants the old cane cart with its
numerous mules and attendants.
The carrier conveys the cane to Newelrs uni
versal shredder, which longitudinally divides the
cane, and thus efficiently prepares it for the
excellent five roller mill through which it next
passes To witness the action of this shredder and
the litter presses, to be hereinafter described, was
the object of this visit of the party of gentlemen
whose names appeared at the head of this report.
From actual tests recently made, Gov. Warmoth
t,agL InNfr
and perfect safety from the DANGER of large feeds
of cane, which sometimes uuayohably find their
way to rollers unproyided with this attachment.
By the perfect operation OF this shredder, the
Governor says, he has been enabled to obtain. on
his this years run, up to the present time, IN
crease of thirty-three pounds to the ton of cane
over last year This machine is as simple as it is
effective. 1t consists of two horizontal shafts, on
which are two corrugated diaphragms, or cutters,
possibly best illustrated by reversed plates. The
diaphragm of the one shaft fit the cavity of the
other, and the cane is fed between the cutters and
the one shaft reyOves 100 revolutions TO the left
while the other Tevolves 800 to the right thus Civ
ing it the shredding action, tearing the cane liter
ally into pieces.
The cane thus shredded goes to the three-roIler
mill in a compact mass, from whence 1t passes to
the two-roller mill. The resulting bagasse, ad-
mitted by all who witnessed it yesterday as first
class was conveyed Immediately to the furnaces,
where it was readily consumed in making steam,
thus economizing largely on fuel and reducing the
amount OF COdl ubCbSSiIN IEOuuCt OF
sugar to six barrels By tins improved method
Gov. Warmoth says he is obtaining from 70 to so
pounds of juice TO the 100 pounds of cane
The escaping juice, instead, as is usually the
custom, of going into settling tanks, is conveyed
through pipes heated by exhaust steam to the clari
fer. reaching the latter at temperature of about
17S' The skinming and scums, usually thrown
| away in sugar houses, urged by force pump
through series of filter pipes, thereby separating
the lnsoluble sediment from the juice, the latter
| escaping in a clear and transparent stream.
The action of these presses was witnessed with
great delight and satisfaction by the witnesses
who testified to the immense aggregate loss to the
sugar industry of Louisiana realized in the loss
sustained by the usual treatment of this heretofore
refuse matter. The savings from these filters
alone were estimated Ly some present 10 be amply
sufficient to pay the current expenses of the sugar
house. The other attachments usually found in
| first-class sugar houses were on the Magnolia
place successfully operated and in some instances
| in greatly improved form.
Mr.. Spencer, assistant chemist of the Depart
ment of Agriculture at Washington, was founC
busily engaged in his laboratory making analyst:
of the juices sugars molasses and bagasse. He
informed the reporter that the fibre in the Louisi
ana cane varied from II per cent in the stubble tC
| 6jI per cent in the plant. Heretofore this fibrt
has been reckoned at 10 per cent in all canes.