Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-12-14

OF our mill, we consider the arrange
ment has considerable advantage over
the usual single set, in that II in.
creases the capacity Of the mills and
also the extraction. Cane that has
passed through the knives is shredded
to a very considerable extent, but, OF
course. this operation does not com.
pare in completeness with the results
obtained by the use OF the Searby
shredder at Puunene.t e.. Il. - ... -. :.
1t is the intention, we are informed,
Of several other plantations to install
an extra set of revolving knives for
next season. s.: HI. -.... .>...'
Economic Limit OF Mill Extraction.
We have for the first time in Ha-
wall, reached an average extraction OF
SO per cent for the season.
The continually increasing mill ex-
fractions bring prominently to the fore
the question of whether it pays to try
TO get these high extractions. The
writer has discussed this question
from rather a new viewpoint in a
short article in the Record during the
past season. In this article he states
his belief that there is but little liza
bility OF exceeding the limit of profit
able extraction of sugar from the cane
under present methods Of milling in
these islands" -. .s-.
The considerations that lead him
to this belief are the wide margin be-
tween the purity of the last mill juice
and that of the final molasses, which
determines the availability OF the sug-
ar that is extracted, and the small pro-
portion of the total cost Of production
of the sugar that Is represented by
the manufacturing cost, which may be
considered the total cost Of the extra
sugar that is obtained by the inereas-
ed extraction.
Zig Cost Per Ton. @
Another way of looking at the ques-
ton is to consider that on an average
about $35 ton has already been spent
on the available sugar in the entire
cane Juice by the time it reaches the
mill. After having spent about two
thirds of the total cost on the sugar,
is 1t not advisable to make special
effort to recover It?
1t is probable that in endeavoring
to increase the mill extraction to the
highest limit, more money may be
spent in the effort, during the season
when the increase is first obtained,
than the extra returns will amount to.
But having once discovered the meth
cd, the extra cost should be material
ly reduced in subsequent seasons.
The availability of the sucrose In
the last increment of the expressed
juice will also have to be determined
by practical experiments before def
mite answer can be given to the ques-
ton of the economical limit of mill
extraction.
Shorter Grinding Season.
In the handling of the cane crop at
the mill Cuba and Hawaii work on
quite different principles In Cuba it
seems to be the aim to get as much
cane as possible through the mill dur
ing the grinding season. The larger
mills grind from 20 to 80 tons and over
per hour. In Hawaii so tons per hour
on an average is about the limit. 1t
is true that the rollers in Cuban mills
are larger and can therefore handle
a greater tonnage, but this accounts
for only small part of the disparity.
The difference in the methods in the
two countries is no doubt due princi-
pally to local conditions. But would
there not be some advantage in Ha-