The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-07-25
SUGAR
MOTIFS on Bu0hp NJ Nt0nUs.

NIIIN ON SUGAR w hilltIa.
t.1tufa note. Mr T. W Gilmore.
NlU contributes ihis interesting article
Oh. .H. critic. HsH Formerly Boo The rus.
eminent .Vu.rlWcrt station In Hawaii
ana probably knows more about sugar
Huo than amy other man Nm the phil
.prlres iie came 10 the Philippines
nearly year ago M government em-
ulDy, expecting q pursue the same tine
~ work here. but - yet no experiment
station has been established and he has
carricd on his Investigations NJ his own
expense. The result Of Mr.. GilinOre's
work Ia NJ the Highest Importance 10
investors and sugnr-growers. and con-
tributions from him will be- frequently
printed In The Ctitic)
The production OF sugar in this prov
inCc for this season has been diminish
ed by three principal causes. First,
the incendiary. work OF the lahrones in
80 has CAUSED a number of plantations
to be either abandoned entirely or
their output has been much decreased
because OF direct damage or indirect
debt. Second. the large mortality OF
carabaos by the rinderpest Of 1900-l90l
considerably crippled the planters In
putting in this years crop so that
many fields which would have been
plowed up and sepianted have been
ratooned at the expense OF both quality
and quantity of sugar. Third, the late
rains have not only delayed grinding.
but they were-So abundant that the
cane juice was GO charged with water
that there was not only a reduction in
quality and quantity of sugar. but an
increase in the expense of milling The
rains have again begun and while
many plantations in the lowlands have
finished grinding, many Of those near
the mountains have much in the fields
/ yet.
Labor has not been so abundant this
year as formerly. but that is one of the
minor troubles. 1 believe more extend
ed cultivation Of rice. coffee or cacao
would be a partial solution of the labor
question, in that such Industries would
tend to help the laborers at work
! throughout a greater part of the year.
/ The death of the carabaos and the lack
of laborers has hurried a number of
planters to thinking of tramways and
better plows and harrows; SO there
Seems to be a Frightening outlook for
these equipments.
i There is much complaint among the
planters because of the falling price OF
sugar, but, considering all, it is not t.
be wondered at As a whole, this sug
ar is really poor. In the first place the
varieties of cane planted are about az
primitive as cane can be; and l have
seen number of instances where cant
Of several years standing and too poo
for milling was cut up and planted fo
= the next years crop. Many of the soil
+ are acid and water-Soaked, but instea,
= of trying to improve the soil planter
! will plant therein yellow variety o
, cane which will stand the conditions
+ but whose juice is hardly worth work
! ing. Without Instruments, it is impos
, sible TO say what the standard of tn
juice Isl suffice 1t to say that it Is yer,
| low both in sugar and in purity. AM
it is highly acid. This necessitates tn
addition of much lime, very little o
which is afterwards removed.
Another item of loss to the planter /
: the poor grinding. 1t usually require
e. a day of strong wind and sunshine t
"A dry the bagasse sufficiently to be burn
v ed under the evaporatorS neve
p found more than Is per cent of tn
. juice removed by the mills at presen
y, in use, and it sometimes falls as low a
= 90 per cent.
d 1t must be supposed that the mos
y modern machinery would entirely OF
II viate this loss. The best mills woul
n work well, but the modern evaporation
# and vacuum pans are built for a bette
l. grade of juice than the cane and so
here produce. Improvement must. b
worked out along several lines; the in
PRODUCTION of good machinery and ap
= paratus, the substitution of better var
cites of cane and the Improvement c
soil conditions. AS the problems alon
}. these lines are worked out, Philippin
Z sugar will find its place with the prod
IL ucts from other parts of the world.
n I give below a comparative state
y ment Of the industry here and in. .Ha
l. wall: ,,.
So: Negroes, Hawai-
Cost per acre of raising b..
the crop and delivering ~.
is to mill .............. sl4 ST 5000 {
It Cost of milling and bag .
,r ging, per acre .......... 70 Sc
?, Yield of cane per acre, tons so rs
"A Purity of juice present -. low 81
Amount of cane to pro-
duce one ton of sugar. III z
Yield of sugar per acre,
" tons ................ 2.56 lO
Mill extraction, per cent. 70 80