Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-19

into the carts, whence IL ~ hauled 10 tn3
field where the cane IL to be planted.
The women accompanying the gang take
armfuls OF cane and drop them at inter-
vals along the burrows. the men merely
driving the carts and whipping the mules.
Then follows a gang Of negro women.
who place the canes In the burrows and
chop them up, using heavy knife, some
thing on the order Of a butchers cleaver.
BY cutting the cane II Is strengthened I'm
ia growth. One acre OF seed-cane will
plant three acres. and about five tons OF
seed-cane are planted to the acre. The
average yield Is from twenty to twenty
five tons OF cane per acre. The same
gang Of plOwmen now cover the cane,
after which the rows are worked by the
light brigade" with hoes, removing the
a,rt from the roots Of the sprouting cane
en- az 10 give IL a chance to shoot up into
the air. The rows are about seven feet
apart. About the lst OF March the grow
ing cane ls under strong Roadway. but
IL needs constant care until IL arrives at
its full growth, early In July.
CUTTING SEASON.
On the arrival of the cutting season,
early IN September. everybody turns OUT
with a Ratchet or cleaver. There IL de-
tachment FOR each row, making the heiu
ring with their lively negro melodies ana
Acadlan airs. The canes overtop ther
heads and frequently man on morse
back is lost TO sight In this wilderness
The cane is hewn down just above tne
ground, the top is chopped on ana 'ne
leaves stripped. The canes are uen
thrown into the wagons and carrier u
the mill.
The sugar-cane has much WOODY Ho'.
in its composition. and Is OF thlck ana
sturdy growth. IL Is perennial plant
growing a half century from the SAM
roots or cuttings. The juice Is enclosPi
in coils Of tho woody fibre. The earliest
process known for extracting the juice
was by crushing and grinding. similar 10
that bv which the early SpaniaIdS III
California extracted wine from the grape
The stump OF a tree WAS scoopsd INTO
hollow. into which was placed grinolhs
trestle. ~ which was attached a Wooueh
arm. and to this arm a yoke Of oxen were
hitched. An old negro with a cluo uIoN.
them round and round. AZ bhnu-io'u'u
horses were made TO turn the wheeis VI
rarl.vboats in earlier days. Nhiie u'7
oxen went round under the mans goadlhs
a boy fed I'm the cane, and another loon
from the bottom OF the primitive hni
the crushed remains.
Under the improved process wagon
load of cane is thrown upon dummy
railway. which IS carried to the ciuSn-
ers-large iron rollers with n p'essSre
OK from sixty 10 seventy pouhuS 10 'iie
slrare inch. The process Of crushing i
varied Sometimes the cane Il run
through slowly - that all or the Ju,Ve
may be extracted; and. again. S""us ,
ami r.nnatcd About IS or " per cent
~ nNty-ACfpl \,
giving about lG0 pounds Of sugar rom
ton Of cane. The two iron rollers
..chew" the cane into Il pulp. Inere are
two or three sets OF these rollers, ana
after the cane has passed through. il
IS considerably natteneI out This reiuse
is called bugasse The pulp and juice are
received I'm 4 rubber apron. ana conduct
ed 10 4 mill. nn4 thence through 4 trough
- 4 sfrtiner. whore a negress takeS
away the cane shreis. which are again
run through the mill. The juice Is theI
punucd into an IRON cylinder, heated 70
800 degrees II then runs into clarifying
yats. ana slackod Quicklime Is addeu
which lrinrs . the surface al
impurities After these have beer
SKINNED away the Juice u heat
Il again by the pipes ah'
whipped" with long paddles until the sur
| face il covered with white pubpl"s dH'
waves. Thon it * permitted to settle 10
| half an hour. After this it Is run inu
a biz iron drum. into which there IS
quantity OF animal bonc-black. II inter-
| through i'm the course Of several day
| into large cupoa-lke boilers. and the Juic
| Is boiled I'm vacuum by exhaust steam
| Thrn II goes through o fresh altering pro
| cess. with tho temperature reduced L
| 10 degrees. Now rIdnulating b"gius, an'
| tie grains become larger and larger. Al
| Is admitted. and the juice, or grains, ar
| run into large receiver, In which II
wire-screcn basket, revolving ~ the rat
| OF $50 revolutions a minute. This fore
| throws the mOlasses through the screen
| leaving the grains If rugar. The screel
| is stopped. and the sugar falls to IN
bottom into . receiver, where dark,
| shovels IL into tube. nom which
| runs into barrels.
| Tie molasses - boiled over, ana n So
| cond grade OF sugar IS made 1t Is agar
! uut through, and a poorer qualliy, dai
| brown ana sticky Is turned out THIS
used by the negroes mainly, but 4 frea
deal Of it H. shipped east, and Is toid I
the poorer classes. D. NJ D