, 1892-10-01

VIC = G4NA
OF course bullock mills would be quite out
Of place in the Hawaiian Islands, bur in such
a country as this, where land and labor are
cheap and money scarce, l believe that If
properly worked they can hold their own
against improved appliances. Especially
might this be the case if applied to three
pairs of rollers, doing triple crushing, as at
Wailuku and Paanbau on a diminutive scale.
At Major Alves, ingenhos no other fuel was
being used besides the megass, which is dried
in the sun and drawn on q bullock's hide by
a pair Of oxen to the fire. The flames from
the CRATE pass along q straight hue, on which
the teaches rest, to pass the chimney. The
juice runs from the mill into an iron tank,
whence after short settling 1t Is run into
the first teaChe, VIZ, the one nearest the ire,
which is the largest, and measures six feet
in diameter by one foot six inches deep.
There are five Of these round teaches, all
made Of copper each one is smaller than
the preceding one, the last being THEE feet
by two feet. The juice is SKINNED in the
teache, and the clear juice from the skim
mings, after settling, is run back into tho
pan. subsequently, the juice as it thickens
is ladled from one teaohe to another until 1t
reaches the last, where i is boiled to proof
and ladled out into a cooler, in which it is
allowed to stand for about half an hour till
it begins to granulate. Whilst this was in
progress my attention was attracted by the
man in charge, sugar boiler, if you like,
pounding soma beans with o stone. The
beans looked familiar, but I did not at once
recognise them, until, on one Of the pans
fro hing up, | saw the sugar boiler throw
come of the pounded product into the pan,
the frothing in which Immediately subsidized.
They were castor oil beans, and were most
effectively made use Of.
After resting in the cooler the masse
quite is transferred to a series OF wooden
trough5 ak fact by one foot six inches, in the
bottom Of which, at intervals of twelve inches,
are holes about one inch in diameter,
which are kept plugged up with bamboo
until there is sufficient grtnulatlon to
admit Of the syrup passing ont and leaving
the sugar behind. The molassrs drains out
and drops on SloPing cementel floor, and
when til, re is sufficient quantity is lebolled
in another teache, and grauulated in wooden
moulds Of conical shape. BY way Of a finishing
touch the sugar is spread out on a platform g.,
twelve feet 5 uare. and dried in the SUM This
platform is on wheels running on rails COM
veniently arranged so that it can be run IN or
out Of the house according to the wrather
The capacity Of the ingenho is said To be
Oh tons of sugar per diem. In only one out
Of a number of lngehos that | have visited
have [ seen arrangements for running the
juice or syrup from one pan to another by gra-
%yitation. The planters here need Mr.. norner
to each them to keep on the right side Of
gravity. Most Of the planters are comfortably
off, and don't care to be bothered with inn
provements and Celebrations They like to
take things easily and avoid worries. Owing
to the drought in this province the crop Of
one planter that ! have met has been a total
failure; that is to say, instead Of getting goo
to 300 tons of sugar he got 1000 gallons
Of juice, which he boiled III molassestMH He
tells his experience with IA shrug of the shout
ders, and smiles on his face, apparently just RI
well pleased as if he had an extra good cop
instead ofnone at all.
This same gentleman grinds his cane by
steam. He has a tubular boiler, without
other steam gauge or water glass on IT,
There IS a conveniently located leak, and
when the boiler leaks steam, water is pumped
in, as 10 & as it only leaks water all is right.
Every season some twenty new tubes have TO
be put into this boiler, and the proprietor
cannot understand why they wear out so
quickly. He is quite sure they arenot burnt,
and believes himself outrageously imposed on
in the quality Of the tubes supplied. Of course
besides the ingenhos there are some central
factories, with both English and French
machinery Of the most perfect 'tcl ltlon,
that buy cane from the planters, and in most
cases II IA fonud more convenient and more