. The Cuba review. 39 THE CUBA R E \M E W SUGAR FROM SHREDDED CANE Much interest has been evinced lately in the process by which sugar cane is shredded and dried, and exported from Cuba to Madison, Wis., where the sugar was extracted at the factory of the United States Sugar Company. The defibering process was carried on at Preston at Nipe Bav by the agents of the Simmons Sugar Company of Kenosha, Wis. The cane is thrown into a hopper and subjected at first to the action of a "star" feeder which tears the cane and at the same time feeds it to the shredder, which is a cyHnder some thr
. The Cuba review. 39 THE CUBA R E \M E W SUGAR FROM SHREDDED CANE Much interest has been evinced lately in the process by which sugar cane is shredded and dried, and exported from Cuba to Madison, Wis., where the sugar was extracted at the factory of the United States Sugar Company. The defibering process was carried on at Preston at Nipe Bav by the agents of the Simmons Sugar Company of Kenosha, Wis. The cane is thrown into a hopper and subjected at first to the action of a "star" feeder which tears the cane and at the same time feeds it to the shredder, which is a cyHnder some three feet in diameter and is studded with nail heads. At first the nails projected much further from the surface of the cylinder, but it was found they tore the cane unevenly, so the height was reduced with better success. This cylinder or shredder is given 500 revolutions per minute, shreds the cane into fragments and also forces it against a fixed knife which cuts the cane still finer. After shredding and cutting the fibre and pith is conveyed to the dryer, which is about forty feet in height, and is slowly carried through on leather belting about twelve feet wide. This process takes one hour in a temperature of 230 degrees. After passing through the dryer, the pith and fibre are separated by screening and is packed and baled for shipment. The mill has a capacity of 400 tons of pith and fibre daily, and while much of the product was sent north last season, there has been no further shipments, the time being spent in improving the machinery, which in December last was not working at its best efficiency, several changes being considered essential, and these were being studied. It is claimed that by this process all the sugar in the cane is secured, the pith showing 55 per cent and the fibre 45 per cent. The illustration on page 31 shows what the fibre and pith look like when through the process. The factory is located on the lands at Preston of the Nipe Bay Company, uses its cane
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