, 1898-10-01

not large to the eye of one accustomed to
Guiana flctories, is Of the most modern cSn-
structlOn and very complete, except that
& thors is onty one mill, with hydraulic ram,
however. To get double crushing there is q
large wooden shoot hung in lin with aud
above ths megLss elevator. and the megass of
first crushing IS caught in baskets and dump
ed into this. When full, the cane carrier is
stopped, n door in the shoot lifted, and tho
L second crushing proceeded with. The aver
h age time occupied is about nine and a half
4 minutes for the first extraction aud five and 10
4 half for the second. The extraction is about
p 20, and hot water is sprayed on to tho
\ FIST megass. This method of dealing with
the megass results of course, in an enhanced
& consumption Of fuel, which, however, lS not
h great on the whole and will compare %faVOura-
q bly, with many estates. There is q modem
n triple-effect, the usual CHARTERS, dotecatOrs,
y and scum filter presses, and also q large syrIlp
4 eliminator and syrup flterpress. aud a COM
i plete set of centrifugals, etc. with maSSeculto
3 trucks aud Abundance Of tanks for %lnOlaSSrs
sugar. There is u complete continuous still,
& but not recently in use, owing to the veXatlous
character Of the laws regarding the manu-
4 fnclure Of spirit, The first sugar made is II
/ very fine quality of white, and, to 3 ut the
Il Spanish market, it has t. be drioI until it
r ~ SAh' w N]hO- ANOtJ DF% IAO'b o. 90
/ la'ge proportion Of its contents in this cake
4 called 'terrou'', and to getit within a reason
] able time a large zinc-lined drier, heated with
4 exhaust steam, has to be employed. Second
/ and third sugars are also made, and sometimes
Z fourth, and there is, usually, a marko for
1 fairly good molasses in Spain. The juice Is
1 usually very good and polarizoS, Gonor'S y,
1 from lG5 to 1'7j lbs. per gallon at first mill,
and | have seen it AZ high as 2.l9, as irrlgr'
ton is stopped to allow the cane to ripen
properly. The juice is also very clean and
easy to work, as II rule, though sometimes
there are u number of canes that have boon
laid by the high Winds during winter, and these
require watching. The season lasts from
March until May. and the juice gradually i'm
proves and is at its best during the latter
month. At the end of every short crushing,
before stopping to clean up CASUALLY from two
to three weeks), all the tops not required,
broken canes that have turned acid, etc. are
brought to the mill and ground 10y themselves.
1t is quite an experience making sugar with
these and would break the heart of "A DemerarA
pan boiler. The syrup is horrible stuff, and
the grain whom you do get it, very minute.
but a stay of II few days in the coolers makes
it quite fit to centrifugal. It takes tom
twentyStO thirty litres Of 100 B6cream OF
limo to a $50 gal. c%laritier. The canes are not
so bad when comparatively fresh, say from
two to three weeks old, but when older than
that, it requires a good deal Of p%atience to
make thom into sugar. The sugar from them
is sold locally and brings about the same
price as thirds, and it pays to NIKE it.
Sugar is we'll protected locally, AMI the
Canories being a Spanish province and not II
colony, it is admitted to Spain on proferen-
tial terms which are not shared by Cuba and
the othor Colonies. The local duty is 50 Pc
setas per bag, but as refined German beet was
being sold to the local shopke"pers before the
war, ut 81 pesetas, there mus, have been a
good deal of smuggling. The r,So in ex-
change since the war, has, in The meantime,
made that kind of business Improbable.
There are several sugar factories in Tene-
rife aud Grand Canary, two of hose in the
latter island being very fine ones; and one in
Palma which was, formerly, the principal
sugar producing island, ut they are mostly
very small aud only two are owned by b'l'
fish firms.
Al l mentioned bananas a." grown all
- II - AZ WGnO ann