The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-27
SUGAR MAKING
Comparative Cost of Lo-
cal and Cuban Mills.
Aostract of Mr.. Renton's Report
Various Subjects Considered
-Sta'istics


ufactures read by Geo F. Renton be-
fore the Planters Association this
month contains much valuable infor-
nation. Tables embodying general
mill statistics, Of fourteen mills, where
extraction is by the means Of rollers
and of one where diffusion is still used
are given In commenting thereon Mr.
Renton says:
Conditions vary SO much with local
ity that it is not proper TO draw COM
PARSONS. Methods Of arriving at ex-
traction differ; quantity of cane hand
led by the same sized plant in differ
ent localities vary. However some
thing is to be learned in manipulation
| from a factory whose waste molasses is
| of 33.2 per cent purity and from an
other where powerful machinery and
probably constant vigilance give an
extraction of over "a per cent.
THE question Of juice purity is
we'll worth bordering over; the plan
tiers are aiming, first at the production
of canes with the highest percentage OF
sugar, and, secondly, at the grinding
of those canes when in their best con-
dition.'
In regard to the first, the report
l states that it was a matter for future
i study In speaking Of the second Mr..
Renton gives statistics showing that
March, April, May and June are the
months of greatest juice purity, While
February and July stand second, and
January and August give the lowest
Juice returns. Regarding this the re-
port says that the Committee WISHES
| 10 draw especial attention that the
month Of January, when grinding be-
gins, has, under normal conditions,
very little to recommend it, from the
standpoint Of juice purity and conse-
quent sugar returns, in comparison
with the later months.
The question Of extraction is given
careful consideration at the conclusion
Of which the Committee recommends
that another committee be appointed
to take the subject up and report at
the next meeting. The subjects OF Ga
rification, Filter Pressing, Crystaliza-
ton in Motion, Fermentation and Gen
eral Work are fully handled.
Under the latter head Mr.. Renton
sa-s:
All of the factories work over their
thirds, some a portion of seconds.
This is generally accomplished by re-
melting the lower grades; few how
ever put their thirds back in the pan
dry on which to build grain. The plan
of remelting involves the removal OF
certain of the impurities and seems on
general principles to &c more advan-
ltageous. AS the fear that lower grades
when worked over with the Juice
might interfere with the keeping quail
ties of the sugar appears to have been
removed the time probably soon will
be, with the tendency of the age to-
wards large pans and slow boiling.
when but one grade will be shipped
from the sugar house. Probably even
now the reason for not working over
the lower classes of seconds, if sifted
} down, will be found to be lack of either
sufficient pan capacity, Or of enough
centrifugals, or of both.
The necessity for rejection Of the not
only nonproductive, but injurious cane
top in the field, being apparent, the
} following system for controlling this
has been adopted at the Eva Mill this
wear. The suggestion is made that 1t
be tried elsewhere where there is chem
ical control. 1t consists merely in
the testing by the chemists, twice a
week, of an average lot of the upper
most Joints of the cane at the mill car
rier for determination of their Juice
purity and sucrose. Recommendations
to the field overseers follow, to cut
higher or lower according to the tests
made.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. J. n. S.
Williams we have received statement
of Sugar House Control and of the cost
of sugar manufacture in a Cuban Mill.
This latter statement coming from
competitor country should be of great
interest to us.
A comparison, per ton, of Cuban Mill
with the Eva Mill cost is given here
1898. 1899.
Cuban Mill. Eva Mill.
5000 tons. 22,300 otns.
Unskilled labor 1.47 .99
| Skilled labor =. 10 80