Smyrna times., 1932-05-11
CUBA'S BIG SUGAR
CROP TO MARKET
Labor Taxed to Utmost to
Produce the Crop For the
Dining Table
FLEET OF TRUCKS USED

Washington.-Cuba sugar crop
IS on its way to the dining table
Grinding sugar cane began several
days ago by decree Of the president
of the republic.
''The progress of sugar from
standing cane on the vast planta-
tions which belt the world in areas
where there are long summers and
plenty Of moisture and fertile soil,
to the sugar bowl on the dining
table, is a story involving nearly
every strata of labor from experts
in agriculture, sugar refining and
distribution, to the lowly laborer Of
plantation lore" says a bulletin
from headquarters of the National
Geographic society.
"Sugar cane must be mature to
give the maximum quantity Of
sugar. When the stalk is cut and
loaded into an Ox-cart, it has al
ready survived a major operation
by which it has lost its append
ages-its blades and the upper part
of the stalk which contains almost
no sugar.
"While automobiles glide through
the sugar country today, the oxcart,
long part of the sugar plantation
panorama, still collects the cut
cane and delivers it to the nearest
railroad for transport to the crush
ing machines. In Cuba a railway
car transports about 20 tons of cane
and each train consists of about 80
cars-600 tons Of cane in a single
trainload. Ten trainloads must be
harvested to keep a crusher in op-
Grafton for a working hours in the
height Of the harvesting season.
"After the cane is deposited on
the oxcart, human hands seldom
touch it until it emerges from a re-
finery, ready for the dinner table.
A derrick lifts the cane from the OK
cart, and deposits it on railway
cars. At the crusher the cars are
pulled, one at time, onto cradle
like device. A button is pushed,
the car tilts and the cane falls onto
a deep pit where an endless convey
or belt delivers it to the crushers.
''The crushers send forth a stream
of foamy juice and badly mangled
mass Of cane fiber. The fiber
emerges from the last crusher al
most as dry as tinder and is con-
veyed to the fire box to make steam
for the destruction of other stalks.
Whitewash Is Purifier.
Meanwhile the cane juice Is
strained and mixed with whitewash.
The mixture is heated to a degree
just above the boiling point. The
whitewash neutralizes the acid In
the juice and invites some foreign
substances to join 1t at the bottom
Of the tank. Other impurities take
flight In the opposite direction, join
ing the foam on the surface so that
the liquid in the middle is clean.
pure juice which Is drawn off
through excelsior filters.
Large evaporators begin the
process Of transforming cane juice
to sugar. Once through the evapo-
rators. where a portion Of the liquid
has been removed. the sirupy mass
IS poured into vacuum pans where
sugar crystals show themselves for
the first time in the sugar-making
process. A man In charge of a
vacuum pan Is called a sugar mas
ter. AS the thick sirup slowly boils
and crystaliZes, the sugar master
adds fresh juice from time to time.
The sugar from the fresh juice
clings to the crystals already
formed. The vacuum pans finally
become filled with sugar and mother
sirup. Then the sugar is removed
to the machine that swirls it at the
rate Of from 1000 to 1,4OO revolu-
tions a minute, forcing all the sirup
from the crystals.
"The sirup again Is boiled and
processed until it Is relieved Of near
ly every particle Of sugar. The re
naming liquor is the 'blackstrap' Of
commerce. Raw sugar is yellow. 1t
is whitened at refineries."