THE SUGAR QUESHOK 
 
 A LETTEE 
 
 ADDRESSED TO THE RIGHT HON. LOUD JOHN RUSSELL, 
 
 WITH FHHTHER OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ON THE MEANS OF 
 
 BRITISH SUGAR COLONIES, 
 
 CONSEQUENT ON THE ADMISSION OF FOREIGN SUGARS ; 
 
 INCREASING 
 
 Sugar ®:raiie auii I^rhrnur of <grrat ISritain. 
 
 BY A PLANTER AND REFINER. 
 
 phinted by m‘kewan brothers, 9, great Winchester street, city. 
 
 1847. 
 
OBSERVATIONS, &c. 
 
 It may, ■without feai' of conti'acliction, be averred, that, at no 
 period, has the West India interest been beset by greater difficulty or 
 danger, than it is at this present period. Heretofore, improvidence on 
 the part of the proprietor, and more recently, scarcity and irregularity 
 of labor, have done much to -n'ork the ruin of West India properties ; 
 but how difficult, therefore, has the task become, to resuscitate, in how¬ 
 soever slight a degree, the hope of the planter, that some small portion, 
 at least, of his former wealth-creating property, may be saved from the 
 general wreck, and be yet made to yield, to him and his family, a means 
 of honorable support, now that the Sugar of foreign countries can be 
 imported in competition with those of the British West Indies ! under 
 these circumstances it behoves all who are interested in the welfai-e of 
 the Empire to do everything in their power to preserve the British 
 Colonies from perishing, the trade with which affords so important a 
 nursery of seamen for the navy. 
 
 The writer of these brief observations feels impressed with a belief, 
 that the means of accomplishing this great object exist, and that they 
 are simple, inexpensive, and certain, and within the scope of every pro¬ 
 prietor, if he -would hut heartily adopt them. 
 
 His view's w'ill appear from the following letter, addressed to the 
 Right Honorable Lord John Russell as Her hlajosty’s Prime JMiiiister. 
 
 To the Right Honorable, the Lord John Russell. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Upwards of twenty years experience as a planter (my family possess¬ 
 ing extensive estates in the Island of Porto Rico) and as a refiner, has 
 put me in possesion of several very interesting facts, relative to the Sugar 
 
4 
 
 question, (leamt by visiting the most important Sugar countries in ex¬ 
 istence.) which facts I take the liberty of laying before your Lordship, 
 believing that a consideration of them may possibly point out to your 
 Lordship, the practical means of realizing the following paramount 
 objects, viz.:— 
 
 1. To save the British planter from the danger of ruin to which he 
 will be exposed, by the admission of foreign Sugars. 
 
 2. To prevent three-fourths of the estates, in the West Indies, from 
 being thrown out of cultivation, a circumstance now almost certain to 
 occur. 
 
 3. To furnish Great Britain with English Sugar, at a price that will 
 probably quadniple the present consumption. 
 
 4. To ensure, perhaps, four times tlie I'evenue now received from 
 Sugar. 
 
 5. To freble the number of English ships now employed in the West 
 
 India trade. * 
 
 6. To secure, (though last not least) by the free will of the foreign 
 planter, and through the means of the English free labourers, the eman¬ 
 cipation of foreign slaves, and the total extinction of the slave trade. 
 
 The facts I aUude to, my Lord, are these:— 
 
 1. That it is a truth, not to be questioned, that the salvation of the 
 British planter, and the preservation of the English West India Colonies 
 from destruction, now depend entirely on the adoption of some improved 
 method of raising the cane, and of manufacturing Sugar. 
 
 2. That two formidable obstacles oppose the efforts of the planter, 
 to accomplish those objects, namely:—first—the absence of labourers,— 
 secondly—the want of the means of procuring the necessary machinery 
 for improving and augmenting his produce. 
 
 3. That the expense of fitting an estate, with new machinery, being 
 from £7,000 to £10,000—three-fourths of the planters, not having at 
 their disposal even one half of that sum, will be forced to abandon their 
 estates. 
 
 4. That so discouraged and alarmed are the West India merchants, 
 that they will advance no money for fitting up new machinery, and even 
 now hesitate at sending out the usual supplies. 
 
5 
 
 5. That there is uncultivated land enough, in the British West Indies, 
 (especially in British Guiana, Trinidad, and Jamaica, with what is under 
 cultivation), to furnish, by applying a new mode of manufacturing 
 Sugar, more of that article, and that too at a very reduced price, than 
 England is likely to consume; and to leave a large surplus to supply the 
 continental markets to the exclusion of slave-made Sugar. 
 
 6. That it has been demonstrated and proved, that the cane contains I 
 18 per cent, of Sugar, wlnle, by the system now followed, not more J 
 than about 5 to 6 per cent, can be obtained. 
 
 7. That by the present mode of manufacturing Sugar, in the English, j 
 as well as the foreign colonies, only about one-half of the juice obtained 
 is converted into Sugar, (and a considerable quantity of that, of so 
 inferior a quality that it requkes to be refined), and the other half 
 into molasses. 
 
 8. That according to the present mode of tempering the juice, with j 
 lime, from 9 to 12 per cent, goes off in scum; and Irdm 5 tol5 per cent, 
 (more frequently 15 per cent., particularly on Sugar from British Guiana, ^ 
 Antigua, Trinidad, and Barbadoes), is lost in drainage at sea. 
 
 9. That the greater part of the Sugar received, is still further re¬ 
 duced in quantity by the process of refining, by which only 65 to 70 ' 
 per cent, of white Sugar is obtained ; thus further reducing the greater | 
 portion of that half of the produce of the cane, yielded in Sugar, to 65 I 
 or 70 per cent. 
 
 10. That by the adoption of an improved and more rational mode of 
 operating in the West Indies, more particularly in pm'ifying the juice, 
 not only would the above losses be avoided, but nearly the whole of 
 that part of the juice, which is converted into molasses, would be | 
 transfonncd into superior Sugar, thus giving an increase of at least 50 I 
 per cent, out of the canes now raised; while the operations would be- 
 attended with less expense of labour, fuel, and time, and, viewing the j 
 product, with considerably less cost. 
 
 11. That the increased quantity would not even then amount to 
 more than about half the saccharine matter which the cane possesses. 
 
 12. That a most alarming circumstance now reveals itself, namely: 
 that Havanuah Sugar of the finest quality, can, under the new law, be 
 
6 
 
 furnished in London, after paying the highest duty, at 5Ss.*per cwt, 
 (even less), while good English raw Sugar is at 50s. to 55s. per cwt. 
 
 13. That a ch-cumstance more alarming still, is, that 112 lbs. of 
 Havannah white Sugar are equal, in saccharine richness, to 160 lbs. of 
 the best brown Jamaica; for, inasmuch as it requires 100 Ihs. of Jamaica 
 to produce 70 lbs. of white Sugar, 160 lbs of the former wll be 
 requisite to furnish 112 lbs. of the latter, equal in quality and quantity 
 to that of white Havannali. 
 
 14. That, on this fact becoming generally known, Havannah Sugar 
 will, there can be no doubt, be preferred for general consumption; and 
 above all, for ordinary household purposes, to English brown Sugar, for, 
 not only is it as white as refined Sugar, but it will be found to be 
 considerably more economical than brown Sugar, as 112 lbs. of white 
 Havannah wall cost 58s., whereas 160 lbs. of browm Sugar (its equiva¬ 
 lent in sacchai-ine matter), will cost (@ oOs. per cwt.) 71s. Gd. 
 
 Such are the facts, my Lord, and they prove two things :—first, that 
 the only resource left to the English planter, to obviate total destruction, 
 is to adopt some means that will enable him, at the same time, to 
 improve the quality of his produce, and to convert more of his juice, 
 than he now does, into Sugar. Secondly,—that in doing so, not only- 
 will he (by obtaining out of the same quantity of canes that yield 100 
 lbs. inferior Sugar to the foreigner, 150 or ISO lb.s. of superior Sugar), 
 be enabled to compete successfully with slave labour Sugar, but to 
 exclude it entirely from the English and Continental markets, and 
 thereby to force the foreigner to emancipate bis slaves. 
 
 That he would be able to do this, may stiH further be she™ by the 
 following facts : in Cuba and the Brazils, and in every other country 
 where they clay their Sugar, ont of the canes that yield 100 lbs. of raw' 
 Sugar, only 35 lbs. of white are, by the process of claying, obtained, 
 the remainder being 25 lbs. of yellow, 20 lbs. of dark brow'n Sugar, 
 and 20 lbs. of molasses, thus leaving, in all, only 80 lbs. of saleable 
 Sugar. 
 
 *WTienthe differential duty terminates, viz., in July 1851, the price may be 
 9s. dd. per cwt. less. 
 
i 
 
 7 
 
 Now the English planter would, in adopting’ an improved mode of 
 (above all), purifying his juice, and of making Sugar, obtain out of the 
 same quantity of canes, that yield the above result, at least 150 lbs. of 
 Sugar, and that too would be equal in whiteness, and far superior in 
 purity, to the best white Havannah, so that where the Cuban and 
 Brazilian planters get only 35 lbs. of wMte, (it is out of their power to 
 procure more by then" present system), the English planter woidd be 
 able to bring into the market, against them, 150 (probably, I repeat, 180 
 lbs.) of Sugar of an incomparably larger mid finer crystal, mid of better 
 quality, and that too at less expense. 
 
 Tlie Cuban and Brazilian planters take 30 or 40 days to prepare their 
 Sugar, whereas, the English planter could have his ready in less than 
 ten days. It is thus quite obwous, that if the English planter had the 
 means of improving liis produce, by a process that would at the same 
 time augment the quantity, he would be able to fmaiish brown or white 
 Sugar at a considerably less price than the foreigner. 
 
 But, besides tliis my Lord, to the English planter, who has not the 
 means of saving himself from annihilation, by the improvement of his 
 Sugars, another less expensive, more simple, practical and beneficial 
 resource, holds out the hand of salvation, while, it at the same time 
 offers him the certain means of securing himself from competition with 
 slave Sugar. 
 
 This consists in his ceasing to make Sugar altogether, in the Colony, 
 and in his shipping the whole of the product of the cane, in a state of 
 concentrated juice, to be converted into Sugar in England. This plan 
 (the goodness of which cannot be questioned by those competent, from 
 a practical knowledge of cane juice, to appreciate its merits,) has been 
 already tried in England, but two great difficulties have hitherto 
 opposed its being permanently continued. 
 
 The first was, the loss occasioned on the jmce by fermentation, and 
 consequent deterioration of the article. The second, the difficulties and 
 delay invariably encountered at the Custom House, from its not being 
 rated for duty. 
 
 The first of these inconveniences is now vanquished, by the use of a 
 material to prevent fermentation, and a better mode of pm-ifying and 
 
preparing the juice in the West Indies, (by which deterioration of the 
 article, or loss by leakage at sea, are rendered totally impossible,) and 
 also of converting it into Sugar on its arrival in England. It now rests 
 with her Majesty’s Government to remedy the second, by facilitating and 
 encouraging the importation of this article, and thereby allowing the 
 new, and vastly important, branch of commerce which it offers, and the 
 means which it presents to the planter, to escape ruin, to be esta¬ 
 blished. 
 
 The advantages to be derived from this mode of shipping colonial pro¬ 
 duce, would be as follows:— 
 
 1. That the planter, who may be unable to establish new machinery 
 for the improvement of his Sugar, would stiU have it in his power to 
 continue his cultivation with greater advantage. 
 
 2. That, with the present apparatus, the canes could be ground one 
 day, and the whole of its product shipped the next, instead of, as 
 now, only one half at the end of three and four weeks. 
 
 3. That the Ships, instead of being detained, as now, two to four 
 months in the Colonies, at an useless expence, would be enabled to load 
 and quit in a few days. 
 
 4. That the produce would arrive some two or three months earlier 
 than usual, which would give an incalculable advantage, to the English, 
 over the foreign planter. 
 
 5. That by properly preparing the juice, m the Colonies, for that 
 purpose, the loss of 9 to 12 per cent, of Sugar in the scum, and that by 
 drainage at sea, of frequently 15, and never less than 5 per cent, would 
 be completely avoided. 
 
 6. That more than double the quantity of produce, now sent home, 
 would be brought to England, consequently, that more than double the 
 number of ships, and of seamen, would be employed. 
 
 7. That the ship owner would receive more freight, and the merchant 
 a greater amount of commission, and more produce, to cover his advances 
 to the planter. 
 
 8. That the planter would be enabled, at once, to get rid of the whole 
 of his produce, instead of having nearly one-half left on his hands in a 
 state of molasses. 
 
: 9. That the unprofitable, expensive, and troublesome process of dis- 
 
 ’ tilling, in the Colonies, would he obviated. 
 
 10. That the juice (which now only produces, in the West Indies, raw 
 S ugar, requiring to he refined, by which only 65 to 70 per cent, of 
 white Sugar is obtained, after three and four expensive operations) would,' 
 on being submitted, in England, to home skill and home capital, be con¬ 
 verted, at one operation, into white Sugar of the best quality; thus 
 avoiding the expensive, iirational, and wasteful process, of first making 
 raw Sugar, then re-melting it to be refined, with an immense dimunition 
 of quantity. 
 
 11. That the revenue would unquestionably gain very considerably, 
 inasmuch as a much larger quantity of produce would be subjected to 
 duty. 
 
 12. That by shipping his produce, in the state referred to, the English 
 planter would secure to himself, for this article, the chief, if not the entire 
 monopoly of the English, and Continental markets, and, by that means, 
 the exclusive supply of sugar;—^for, from certain local, and other diffi¬ 
 culties, the Brazilian and Cuban planters would be unable to furnish it, 
 except, to a most limited and insignificant extent, at a much higher 
 price. 
 
 13 That with such a system as this, and more labourers to raise the ' 
 cane, operating with Enghsh capital and talent, applied at home, Eng¬ 
 land would become, for Sugar, what she is for cotton goods, the mistress 
 of the world; and thereby, as it would be entirely impossible for other 
 countries to furnish Sugar at the low price that she could do it, render 
 slave labour Sugai' unsaleable; and consequently secure the Emancipa¬ 
 tion of the foreign slaves, and the total exth-pation of the Slave trade. 
 
 Such, my Lord, are the advantages that this mode of importing 
 colonial produce would yield to the coxmtry at large,- but they ai-e to be 
 obtained only by the aid and co-operation of her Majesty’s Government, 
 to be afforded in the shape of encouragement to the importation of the 
 material alluded to. That encouragement could be given by granting a 
 premium on the aiticle, in a way that would not prejudice the revenue, 
 and by fixing a duty on concentrated cane juice, according to the 
 Sugar and molasses that the planter could obtain firoma given quantity. 
 
10 
 
 imported always at a certain stipulated density; so that on its arrival, it 
 may not be subjected to difficulty and delay at the Custom House, and 
 to an erroneous and capricious mode of ascertaining the 'duty which it 
 ought to pay. Without some measure of this kind, my Lord, the 
 article will not be imported; and unless the planter be encouraged to 
 ship his produce in that state, or be furnished the means of improving 
 it in the West Indies, three-fourths of the estates will inevitably be 
 thrown out of cultivation, and the West India trade become annihilated ; 
 for it is a delusion to hope, that, should the present merchants cease to 
 furnish means, for continuing the cultivation of the estates, others will 
 be found, under present circumstances, and, above all, seeing the price 
 at which white Cuban and Brazilian Sugar can be furnished, to advance 
 £30,000 to £100,000, to pay off the mortgages, and from £7,000 to 
 £10,000, more to fit up new machinery to improve the Sugars. 
 
 By stretching out, while it is yet time, your saving hand to the dis¬ 
 heartened and sinking planter, not only you would, my Lord, have 
 secured to England a boon, but your Lordship, after having shattered 
 the manacles of the English slaves, would have acquired the enviable 
 renown of having used him as a lever to raise his brethren from slavery 
 and oppression, and as an instrument to save his former master from 
 ruin, and to secure his future fortune.—How many tongues would, mv 
 Lord, sound to heaven a blessing on your Lordship’s name ? 
 
 I have the honour to be, with profound respect. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Your Lordship’s obedient, humble servant, 
 
 W. A. ARCHBALD. 
 
 London, Auffust 11, 1846. 
 
 That which has been stated in the above letter with regard to Cuba, 
 is already in course of realization, with respect to Porto Rico—for the 
 Sugars of that Island have become most popular in the London market, 
 they having been sold even as high as 59s. the cwt., while the Sugai's 
 of Jamaica were selling at 42s. to 50s,, and 55s. for very fine. 
 
11 
 
 Looking at the fertility of the soil of Porto Rico, and its other favoured 
 circumstances, the ability of the Porto Rico planters to undersell the 
 Sugars of the English West India Colonies cannot be denied, imless, 
 besides an increase of free labourers in the latter, a greatly improved and 
 more profitable system of making Sugar, be also infroduced. 
 
 This Island (the gem of the Antilles, and the greater part of which 
 is still of vfrgin soU), is capable of producing 200,000 tons of first 
 quality Sugar per anmun, a point to which it is daily, and with rapid 
 strides advancing. There, free labourers (natives of the Island, and 
 who work willingly and harmoniously with the negroes), can readily be 
 obtained at a moderate rate of wages. The soil fi’equently produces 
 from 7,000 to 10,000 lbs, of Sugar per acre, while it needs neither replant¬ 
 ing nor manuring, and drought does not injure the cane, nor do hmTicanes 
 produce much effect on the Island, even when the others suffer 
 severely, as was completely proved by the late unprecedented droughts, 
 and severe hunicane, which so much affected the neighboming Islands. 
 
 It is a well known fact that, the longer the land may have been under 
 cultivation, the finer will be the quality of the Sugar produced—the 
 improvement of which progresses, to a remarkable degree, in every suc¬ 
 ceeding year. With these combined advantages. Sugar can be raised 
 in Porto Rico at less than half the cost which attends the present mode 
 in the British West Indies. 
 
 Another immense advantage which Porto Rico possesses is, that the 
 estates generally (if not in every case) are free from debt, and permanent 
 mortgages are there almost unknown. There also the proprietors live 
 on and conduct their estates themselves. Can it, therefore, be otherwise 
 than a delusion for the English planter to hope to compete with the 
 foreign Sugar grower, (but above all with the Porto Rico planter, 
 whose produce is so particularly suited to the English market) merely by 
 obtaining an increase (or even a superabundance) of labour, if he will, 
 at the same time, persist in his old method of making, it may be par¬ 
 doned if said spoiling. Sugars. 
 
 Furthermore, another, and a not less formidable, rival is about to raise! 
 its head nearer home, and to invade the English Sugar market in they 
 shape of Beet Root Sugar from France. A permission, it would seem, 
 
 / 
 
12 
 
 has been granted, by the French Government, to export Beet Root 
 Sugar free from duty, and released, for that purpose, from all hitherto 
 existing impediments and restrictions. To enable the British West 
 India planter to give due weight to this danger, he should know at what 
 cost, and with what result. Beet Root Sugar can he raised m France. 
 1,000 lbs. of Beet Root costs the farmer, for raising it, from 5 to 6 
 shillings. Beet Root, it has been proved, can yield 8 per cent, of Sugar, 
 so that 80 lbs. of Sugar can he obtained from Beet Root, costing 
 not more than 6s., and labourers, in the Sugar manufactories, are paid 
 from 6d. to 20d. per diem. 
 
 r it may also be mentioned, as a notorious fact, that Beet Root Sugar^ 
 is preferred, by the French refiners, to cane Sugar, though the molasses 
 produced from the Beet Root Sugar, in refining, sells for only about 
 J or I of the price of that which the molasses produced from cane 
 Sugar, is worth. A very simple reason may be given for this—the mode 
 of manufacturing Beet Root Sugar is a complete process of refining, 
 and the Sugar produced being alike free from fermentation and im¬ 
 purities, yields more refined Sugar, than that from cane, usually does. 
 The vast increase of the production of Beet Root Sugar, within 
 ^ the last few years, (the produce of this year’s crop is estimated, it is 
 said, at not less than 60,000 tons,) and that too, in spite of the high 
 duty levied on it, and the constant eflforts of the French Goverment to 
 impede its progress, proves the enormous profit attending its manufac¬ 
 ture.—Now, what are the means suggested for averting these threatened, 
 and certain dangers r simply these :—let the English planter cease to 
 make Sugar in the Colony, (as has been already suggested,) let him 
 send his produce to the mother country in a state of juice, to be there 
 converted into Sugar;—and let the Government facilitate that end, by 
 fixing a duty on the cane juice. 
 
 The British West India planter may then bid defiance to the Beet 
 Root Sugar manufacturer, and may successfully compete with all his 
 opponent Sugar growers—Should however, either the planter or the 
 Government fail to adopt the course pointed out, nothing short of a 
 iniracle can save the British West India Colonies. They may be stocked, 
 or overstocked with free labour; central works may be established in 
 
13 
 
 every part available; but with all this, the continuing to make Sugar 
 in the Colonies, especially on the old system, will prove a drain to waste 
 away the little which still remains to the now almost ruined planter. 
 
 The writer will not disguise, that, he has a direct and personal interest 
 in advocating the importation of Colonial produce m a state of juice, 
 but, so has every West India merchant, planter and English refiner.— 
 Ought then, that consideration to prevent every effort from being made, 
 to accomplish this paramount object ? 
 
 As, to many who may read these brief observations, the beneficial 
 results of importing Sugar in a state of concentrated juice may still 
 remain a matter of doubt, the writer is induced to annex the following 
 tabular statement, which has been compiled and submitted to the Board 
 of Trade, by a well known West India proprietor and London merchant 
 of long practical experience ; and which shows the relative advantages 
 of the new, as compared with the old, method of importing Colonial 
 produce. 
 
No. 1. 
 
 A Demerara Estate malting 400 Hogsheads. 
 
 Old Process. 
 
 400 Hhds of Sugar weighing 15 cwt. is c^vt. 6,000, at 45s is £13,500 
 Less Freight 2s. 6d. Duty 14s. Insurance and other 
 
 Charges 3s. 6d.—say £l. 6,000 
 
 7,500 
 
 200 Puncheons of Strong Rum 90 galls, each, 18,000 
 
 galls, at 3s. per gallon.£2,700 
 
 Less Freight 4d. Rates &c. 2d. Insurance 2d.— 
 
 say 8d. 600 
 
 - 2,100 
 
 100 Puncheons of Molasses,—say 11 each is 1,100 cwt. 
 
 at 24s. 1,320 
 
 Less Freight 2s. 6d. Duty 5s. 3d. Dock and other 
 
 Charges 2s. 3d.—say 10s. 550 
 
 -770 
 
 £10,370 
 
 Less Colonial Expenses, &c. 7,200 
 
 Net Revenue. £3,170 
 
 N.Bj 200 Puncheons of Strong Rum is equal to 300 Puncheons 
 of Molasses. 
 
15 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 A Demerara Estate making 400 Hogsheads. 
 
 New Process. 
 
 400 Hogsheads of Sugar weighing cwt. 15 is...ewt. 6,000 
 400 Puncheons of Molasses ,, 11,, 4,400 
 
 Cwt. 10,400 
 
 Saving in Skimming. 5% 
 
 Waste of Molasses . 10 
 
 Drainage. 12 
 
 27 is 2,808 
 
 Cwt. 13,208 
 
 Would land, at Queen’s Beam, equal to 1,207 Puncheons 
 
 which in Concentrated Syrup at 3Ss. per cwt., is.£25,095 4 
 
 Less Freight 2s. 6d. Duty 12s. Dock Insurance and 
 
 other Charges 3s. or 17s. 6d. per cwt., is. 11,557 0 
 
 (The real duty ought not to exceed 10s. 7d.) 
 
 £13,538 4 
 
 Less Estates, Colonial Expenses &c. 7,200 0 
 
 £6,338 4 
 
 Less Additional expense for Casks . 470 0 
 
 £5,868 4 
 
 Royalty 6d. per cwt. on 13,278 cwts. £330 4 
 
 Ingredient Cost of. 480 0 810 4 
 
 Net Revenue. £5,058 0 
 
 N.B. All Labour and Expenses of Still House dispensed with. 
 
 These Statements show that, by the new process, the planter will save 27 per 
 cent, (now wasted) on his crop, and that, out of 13,278 cwt. concentrated cane juice, 
 produced by the old plan, he only obtains GOOO cwt. of Sugar, being less than 50 per 
 cent, of that article, from the juice boiled to the Sugar point. 
 
16 
 
 With a view to ascertain facts, and to be convinced that the advantages 
 offered by the importation of produce, in a state of concentrated juice, 
 is no delusion; an apparatus has been fitted up, and a quantity of con¬ 
 centrated juice, prepared in the most imperfect manner, has been 
 imported; experiments have been tried on this juice, and the following 
 results have been obtained, namely:— 
 
 1st Experiment. The Sugar contained in the juice was made ready 
 for sale in less than six hours from the commencement of the operation, 
 with an improvement of 6s. per cwt., and that without any diminution 
 of the quantity of Sugar, the planter would have extracted from the 
 juice, had he converted it into Sugar; now had this juice been properly 
 prepared for the purpose, not only would the Sugar have been worth a 
 much higher price, but fermentation and loss at sea, by leakage, wonld 
 have been rendered totally impossible. 
 
 2nd Experiment. A certain quantity of the same juice having been 
 operated upon in another manner, (namely, by the vacuum process), a 
 larger quantity of Sugar than could have been obtained by the 
 ordinary, or by any other known method, was yielded, and ready for 
 sale in less than twelve hours, and worth 60s. per cwt. Thus she\ving, 
 that, by this method, the Sugar can be improved free of any expense to 
 the planter for new machinery, from 15s. to 20s. per c\\’t., as juice of 
 the lowest quality can be made to yield Sugar of the finest description, 
 and that too without diminishing the quantity. 
 
 The above experiments were tried by, and under the eye of the West 
 India proprietor and merchant just alluded to, who, at the same time, 
 convinced himself that such would be the safety and rapidity of the 
 operation, the money daily employed for the purchase of the raw 
 material, or the improved produce to represent it, would be returned in 
 less than forty-eight hours with an immense profit. 
 
17 
 
 The advantage to the revenue, of shipping concentrated juice instead 
 of Sugar, -will be, as follows ;— 
 
 The quantity of produce received in 1845, according to Mr. Porter’s 
 work, was 120,000 tons of Sugar, and 30,000 tons of Molasses, hut 
 
 this year the import will be much larger. 
 
 120,000 tons of Sugar at 14s per cwt., is. £1,680,000 
 
 30,000 ,, Molasses, at 5s. 3d. per cwt., is. 157,500 
 
 £1,837,500 
 
 Now, to laud the above quantity, the Planter must ship 
 about 175,000 tons, as 15 percent, loss at sea,is suffered. 
 But, on sliipping the whole of the above in a state of con¬ 
 centrated juice, he would land 
 
 240,000 tons, (being the entire product of the cane,) to 
 which should be added 10 per cent., which now 
 
 goes off in scum. 
 
 •24,000 
 
 264,000 tons at, say, 10s. 6d. per cwt., would yield.. .. 2,772,000 
 
 Showing a balance in favour of cane juice of.. £944,500 
 
 To the above should be added the produce of India and Mauritius, 
 which would more than double this increase of revenue.