53
Sectional Meetings.
THURSDAY, 29TH AUGUST, 1935-9.30 A.1\l.
AGRICULTURAL SEOTION.
. Dr.H. W. Kerr, Chairman.
,
The Ohairman, in ropening the meeting, emphasised the necessity for
labour saving devices in eountrie~ where.Iabcun eosts-were high. , He inv'ited
lVlr. W. J.lVIaze to present the" Reportof the' Oommittee onLab,o~rSaving
-.
,,
"DevICes.
~~.; -
Paper.
Report of Committee on Labor Saving Devices:
by
W. J.
:MAZE, Chairman.:
Introduction.
The problem of labour saving devices in the world's sugar industry is
i<l.'ather complex, to say the least. In the past, cane sugar has as a rule been
:',produced in locations where cheap native labour was available in large numbers.
'However, changes, in the economic affairs of the world have tended within
"the past twenty years to cause SOme drastic upsets,and we now find countries
Uproducing cane sugar under conditions that would have been, thought impossible
'thirty years ago. , The changing economic conditions havcofnecessity forced
,'the adoption of labour-saving devices in a great many cane sugar producing areas,
~);fl,lld even in those countries where a large supply of cheap labour is available,
~L:we find that while the machine maynot perform a cheaper operation it'.will
:')under certain conditions do work that is productive of greater yields per acre
in the fields.
.'
As a.rule we consider any method that will performucertain operation
;at a lower cost than it has been accomplished, a labour-saving; devi~e. This
.•. does not always mean that men are thrown out of employment by the change, in
:t~e method. It does mean, however, some definite, changes in labour require.
}nents. G~nerally speaking greater skill is required for the construction, main. tenanee, and operation of a machine than is required of hand labour.
In Hawaii the sugar industry has for sometime given serions consideration to what is termed industralizing the sugar plantations.. While the problem
.',ofredncing costs is of supreme importance especially in these days of low sugar
,prices, the changing labour element has a definite bearing on the subject. It
;)las been found that, the second and third generations of plantation labourers
54
do not take as kindly to. hard manual labour as did their fathers. It must be
admittedthat plantation field work is hard and uninteresting, at least from the
labourer's viewpoint. It has been found, however, that the average semi-skilled
labourer, while he 'm~Y' object to getting busy on the business end of a hoe or
cane knife, takes readily to machine operation. In the labourer's own mind
there is a certain social prestige to operating a machine that can never be
attained by manual labour. There is no doubt that advances in education have
had considerable bearing on this problem. It is asking a great deal from a
young man to furnish him with free schooling for from eight to twelve years,
and, ~henexpecthim to hoe cane for the rest of his life.
a
In Hawaii this phase of the problem has become more acute with the
passing years: There they are now concentrating considerable effort on. eliminating drudgery from cane field work. This can only be accomplished by changing .
methods and adopting labour-saving machines. This paper cannot, because of
the writer's .limitations, expect to cover a problem so broad. as labour-saving
devices .in theworld's sugar industry. It will, however, touch on those devices
that have come under the writer's observations and which are deemed of
sufficient importance to be of general interest. The paper will be divided,
covering each operation as it occurs onasugar plantation. 'I'he writer well
understands that these divisions may not prove entirely satisfactory when this
paper is read before a body such as the International Sugar Congress. It is
hoped, however, that it will promote discussion and 'in that way a better
exchange of ideas.
Clearing of Fields.
As a field must first be cleared either of brush, stones, or timber,if it
is virgin land, and of trash if it is an old eanefleld, the problem of clearing
will first be considered: In the past when clearing growths of standing timber,
steam tackle. engines have b.een widely used. In recent years, however, large
crawler tractors, especially those using diesel power, have come into general
favour. These tractors are as a rule fitted with winches, and are than capable
of pulling either on the drawbar or by cable attached to the winch. A number
of· instances have been reported where large rakes made from 45-lb. rails. have
lieen directly connected to large tractors and used for bunching brush. These
'rakes are lifted by winches driven from the tractor motor.
Rocks and stones arealwayaa serious problem in a cane field and their
disposal is not an easy matter. In most cases stone boats, which are simply
pieces of i-inch boiler plate curved up at the front end are used to haul rocks
from the fields. Recently one plantation .in Hawaii has been. using a small
crawler crane fitted withar.ock .grab. This crane is used to pick up the stones
and pile them on the stone boats; Several years ago a machine known as the
"Fastpic" was tried for this work. It was, however, so poorly constructed that
its use was abandoned.
'
Forc1son Tractor, with Hayrake.
Cnban-type Sirle-dalivery Rake.
Face Page 54
55
The clearing-of cane trash from an old' field is a problem that Ya,ries
(lely in different countries. Where it is desired to. plough this trash,undel',
her an Australian type Howard rotary hoe ora large disc harro:'ffitted>with
taway discs will perform the operation in asatisfactorymann~r.Whereit is,
~~irable that the trash be bunched, as in Cuba, a large side delivery Take is
sed to some extent. In Hawaii it has been found that. a large. horse-drawn .
~~e, originally developed for bunching hay, is satisfactory. This rake is in '
'me cases fitted to the rear of medium powered tractors.
Field Preparation.
Field preparation is now accomplished in such a varied lllanner .that
/'.r)1011gl:ljn!~" does not describe it any longer. Some plantations do not plough at
having substituted discing and subsoiling. The advent of the Gyrotiller
placed at the disposal of the plantation executive another manner of'field
In Australia the Fairymead Sugar Company, in Queensla,nd,reports
~,:,:;'exciell<ent results from a Howard Rotary Hoe fitted to a 75h.p. crawler type
C'·iliflseJl-U()Wlcred tractor. This machine 'works ?< strip of ground 8 feet wide and
",;,,',. -~,;" work to a depth of 18 inches. In the past, steam tackle ,ploughing has been
""/'f:,",nracl;ise:d in practically every country. However, since the advent of the large
diesel-powered tractors, this method of ploughing is not as popular as it
was.
Most sugarmen favour deep tillage at least in preparation for planting.
has resulted in the development of several 24-inch cut 2-bottom mould,
ploughs with hydraulic lifts. There has also been developed a direct
connected subsoiler capable of working to a depth of 28 inches when fitted to a
h.p, diesel tractor. Several European, Australian, and American manufac',::,'+","'n'"~ are now offering disc ploughs of from three to six discs fitted with 32-inch
discs, It would seem, however, that the development of the disc plough has
still some very interesting possibilities especially in the matter of reversible
ploughs of the larger sizes. One outstanding development of recent' years has
'been the fitting of anti-friction bearings to both disc and mouldboard ploughs.
On the mouldboa,rd ploughs the wheels only are, of course, fitted with these
On the disc ploughs the disc bearings as well have been fitted with
both roller a~d ball bearings. This has been a distinct improvement as it allows
for ihecloser adjustment of the disc scraper and the draft on the tractor is '
less. These bearings also' have the added advantage of not requiring greasing
as often as the plain bearings.
In the matter of disc harrows, the trend £01' sugar plantation use seems
to be towards larger sized heat-treated discs and anti-friction bearings. Most
I'mgarl1len seem to prefer harrows of the double-action type fitted with 28-inch
discs, either straight or cut away,and from 12 to 17 feet in width.
5,6
_:[>i~ching, Land .Levelling', Ridging, Grading.
This problem differs widely throughout the world. For those plantatio:n~WhereJarge drainage ditches are a necessity, a standard design ,of. crawler
mounted diteher. is often-used, A number ofditchers suitable for, use behind
tr~etorsor animals are on the market, the old standard V-type being perhaps
the most popular. Of recent years a ty'peknown 'as theSudanditcher has been
used for ditches of not more than 36 inches in depth with success. These
lIiachines are as a rule 'Illounted on wheels and are drawn by a tractor. One
firm, 'however, offers, this implement in a direct-connected unit suitable for
attaching to. a medium' or large sized tractor.
The .Sudan.' ditcherconsists of a large siZed' double mouldboard plough"
\vithadjllsted side wings. In, tests that have been made with, this piece of
~quipment it has been found that the direct connected implement rsquirea.about
,30 percent.Jesspo'Ver to pull than one mounted on wheels.
In several instances that have, come under the, writer's observation,
..elevating graders' have been used: with success for building large drainage
ditches., In one 'case. elevating graders were used to exca~ate for a large
reservoir. Where an elevating grader can be used it will move dirt cheaper
than <any other known, method.
For ge~,eraLlandlevelling,the revolvilJlgtypeautomatie scrap~ris very
popular, though a" number of manufacturers are offering hydraulic and
mech~,nical'e?ntrolledscrapers that are very successful. On those plantations
where a border or check type of irrigation is practised, the old reliable open
, c~ntre Yctyperidger j~ perhaps the most successful. In recent years, however,
due-to the demand, for aprfl,ctical terracer in soil erosion preventative work,
severalterracershave been placed on the market that have proven highly
successful. for ridging.
.
'
Sugar plantations throughout the world' are recognising' the needs for
qetter roads and for improving field roads nothing gives greater satisfaction
than a road grader. These machines can be obtained in all sizes for either
allimaJorfractor power.
Planting.
Oaneplll,.llting methods differ so widely in the various sugar-producing
areas that it is difficult to hazar<iany opinions on the subject.' In Louisiana a
simple solution of the problem is found in planting' the entire cane stalk. The
stalks are piled on a cart. The cart Wheels are spaced the same width as the
:cane furrows, the -wheels 'running in the bottom of the furrow. Two men
follow behind the" cartalld, pull the cane ,<stalks' off' the cart allowing' the stalks
1;ofa11 iii, 'the .bottom ofth~furrow. Covering is done by disc cultivator or
plough,
Cane Planter, as commonly used in Hawaii.
Double "Spinner"
weeder fanned by bolting together two Australian-type
spinners: rigicl tynes.:
Faoe Page 56
57
.L:1.tlstraliause~ planting machines
These machines are simple ,C,Ic>mltrlllctaOIl.and
.only defect in the Australian design of p.lantingm~chineIstb.(~amoUnt'olf
that must be left unplanted. ,Thlsdefectlsnot serious
or where field roads are located reasonable distances :apart,
In Hawaii in recent yearstherehasbeendevelopedaplaritingIll~chine
on top of a crawler-type tractor. The advantages claimed for this
are its ease of manoeuvring and the small amount·of headlaJ.ldtb.atis
unplanted. 'I'his planter fmrows; drops the seed,fertiHzesandco,vers, in
operation. It might bementioned here, however,thatanumberofpra~tical
men have questioned the advisability. of applyinganyfehilizing
at the time of planting. It is claimed that fertilizing material that
applied at the time of planting promotes considerable w:eedgrowth in.,the
':i;,E;~flJ1e line.
The .Hawaiian type planting machine isD.ttecl,W'henirrigatedfielcls'
:·:"(,:';"flre to be planted, with an independent power lift to each furrow plough. This
c,'P.'aIJlow's for the rapid raising of either plough when onehne mu,st finish before
other in order to allow for proper irrigation.
,;,:';;UlOllIHE:U
Weeding and Cultivating.
The problem of weed control is the most difficult one thatthecal1'e sugar
faces. Thetype of weeds, texture of soil, and season of the y-ear all have
,::;;:11 decided bearing. on this problem. . ' The development6f large. sized pneumatic
)i;/;'tYl'es for high-clearing cultivating tractorswithinl'ecent years gives promise
reducing the cost of weed control. If the m.anlifacturerseansupplysatis_
,i;:;"fa(ltO]'y diesel power for these smaller type tractors ill'the near .future the cost
control should be materiallyredb.ced.
\.
.
.. \
The pneumatic tyredtra'ctor is, howeve):'; limited in Itsuse. If the
are. very wet, or if the land lies on slopes its use will not be foundpracFor adverse field conditions a high clearance crawler-type .tractor
found the most satisfactory.
Regardless of the type of tractor used, . •. however,. a direct connected
<';';:'¢nltivator will be found to have numerous advantages over one mounted on
and drawn by the tractor". The tools with which the eultivators" are
vary according to the field conditions. For land that has been cleared
the spring tooth type seems to meet with greatest fav?ur~The.spring
however, will not p~netrate hard ground and it is quite often necessary
equip cultivators with rigid tynes.
Disc attachments are perhaps the most satisfactory for use iriextremely
trashy ground. Recently there has been developed in Hawaii a disdype
cUJ.tlvatolr for use in rocky fields. The discs are so mounted that each disc is
to jump over obstructions 'without disturbing any of the other discs. It
;,,..i;;;",......_
......._
.......""""',..,,.......- - - - - - - - - - - . - . . . . -......- - _ . . ........,...,.
--
----,--
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should be borne in mind, however, that for mechanical cultivation, far greater
succ~~swill1.beobtai:p.ed i,ftp.efields are clear of trash. Plant, fields ftre as a
rule, free. f;romtrash: . In .ratoon :fields' it .will .be .found that,' the use of an
AustI"alifLIl-type r9taryhqe,prop.er~y. spaced, as soon after harvestna-is possible; will make subsequent cultivating operations cheaper and easier .
.In thepreceding discussion, the writer has treated. only tractor powered
l;lultivati~g equipment.. The·same type of implement is widely and successfully
usedwb;en drawn by animals. Where man-day performance is important, however, it is advisable that the implement be fitted with a seat inorder that the
operator may ride.
There-are on the markflt a number. or small tractors which are narrow
enough torun between cane lines. Thesemachinescultivateoulyone line and
as a rule the operator walks. They have met some favour where conditions are
suitable for their use and it is desirable to cultivate cane that' is too high for
the average high-clearance tractor to straddle.. The' chief, objection, to these
machines is the fact that they' do not cover any, greater acreage per day than
is cultivated by a single horse or mule. This is due to the fact that with the
operator walking, the speed or the cultivator is limited by the distance that. a
man can walk in a day.
It is questionable if the Use of any special equipment is justified in order
to cultivate cane after it has reached a height of 36 inches.' If the spacing
of the cane lines is correct, cane that has reached this height should have closed
in toa point where weed control is no longer a problem. , Itmight hementioned
here that the proper spacing or cane lines can save considerable labour. A fast
growing cane that stools out rapidly is perhaps the best weed controller known.
It will have to be borne in-mind, however, that a great many problems arise
when it is desired to determine just what is the proper distance to space cane
lines. Quite often the implements ,that are to be used determine this point.
It would seem however that, if it is necessary, special implements should be constructed rather than use a spacing distance that.is uneconomical,
. Agreat many tests have been conducted in different parts of the world .
in an attempt to determine the proper distance to space cane lines. So far as
the writer knows there has never been any great difference in the.yield.regardless .of.whether the cane rows were spaced 3 feet or 6 feet. However, cane lines
that are spaced only 3 feet. apart are extremely difficult to cultivate with
mechanical cultivators ; for. lines that are spaced 6 feet or more apart it will
he found that .the cane takes longer to close in and. consequently requires a'
greater number of weedings, Some intermediate width will, as a rule, be found
rnore desirable,
The average cultivator, however, regardless of how .efficient it is, will·
only remove the weeds between the cane Iines. Thedevelopmentin Australia of
the revolving weeder, or chipper has been to date the only successful attempt
"S'pillller"
Cultivator fitted with flat spring-steel tynes.
Faoe Page 58
1hbat weeds in. the .' cane line.
This weederull+st be-used when th~weeds','
~Illall a~d if care is nQtllsedmaycausesome~amage to young cane. Tn '
,aii a revolving weeder similar to the Australian weeder is now widely ,used.
IS however fitted with parallel rotors, one slightly, ahead of the other./The
lth between the rotors is adjustable and the rotors are fitted with clusters
'~pring steel wire instead of rigid tynes. This ,wireis similar to thatused
'the gutter brooms of a street sweeper.
,
Chemical weed control has been used thro-ughout the world to a limited
:'ntfor years. However, where weeds can be controlled by mechanical means
• preferable to do so' because of ~he lower cost, of mechanical' weeding. In
connection great numbers of patented compositions are on the market. Praoany all of these compositions have merit for certain conditions." However, on
average plantation. for the control. of weeds, in the field, where animals are
<present, a mixture of caustic soda and white arsenic has proved the cheapest
d·imost satisfactory chemical weed controlling method used. Arsenic has
;disti~ct advantage of becoming fixed as soon as it comes in contact with
{l.This eliminates any dan.ge~ of the cane roots picking up the poisonous
tition. Sodium chlorate is used to a limited extent for weed control along
ch banks and roadside~. It is non-poisonous, but does . not become fixed in
i~ soil and Will check cane growth if it is used near the plant. It is also highly
ammable.
i
+
For railroad rights-of-way and roads 27 specific. gravity diesel oil is
sucessfully. Its cost in most countries, however, prohibits its use.
Chemical weed control is inmost cases accomplished by the use of
sack sprayers holding about 5 gallons. Ther~ are a number of animal and
tor-drawn sprayers on the market but their use is not widespread due to
difficulty in' keeping the spray solution off the cane plants. In Hawaii,in
nt years, a pack mule sprayer has come, into use. The advantage of this
~y,er is that the mule carries 30 gallons whereas man can carry onfy five.
onsists of two Ifi-gallon tanks, one carried on eitherside of the mule. These
, S are connected together with a hose.
Another short hose leads to a
mbone-type pump carried by a labourer; The labourer leads the mule behind,
,and purqps the solution ashe walks along sprayin'gitonthe weeds.. It is
Qessary that the spray nozzle be covered with a shield in order to prevent the
pHon drifting on the cane plant.
Irrigation Appliances and Methods.
While irrigation is practised by nomeans universally, it seems that more
"lands throughout the' world are- each year placed under irrigation. The
~test problem that a plantation executive faces is to determine the proper
liod of applying the. water. It should always be borne in mind that to
cane lands successfully three points must be accomplished. First, the
60
propel', and. economical Ais£ril)ution of water;' second,high mart-day'perform-
iance;>a~'dthird,that the SYS,teJ;lJ,be so laid: out.thatweedingean: be accomplished
by,mechanical means. The topography of the land ,often. determines whether
'th~threepoints can be.accowplished.
T11e system that alIllostideally accomrHishes these tnree, points is the
border method. 'l'hisis essentially a flooding system, andean only be used on
n~arly level lands with a, gentle slope. The orchard system of irrigation also
successfully accomplishes ,these'three points if.Iand conditions are 'right, This
system consists of planting the, cane in shallow furrows and irrigating it first
on the cane seed; due toeulti:vation these furrows are filled {nuntil a small
bank is. thrown up in the .eane line, ". The water: is thereafter run between these
banks, Thecop.tour short line method is widely used; especially on the steeper
slopes, .but is not ecol1omical in man-day performance and cannot be weeded
mechanically. '
A great' many appliances have been developed 'in recent years for the
purpose of speeding up irrigation. "Of these the siphon is one of the most
outstanding. , It is simply a curved piece. of galvanised pipe about.3 inches in
diameter and is used to convey the water over the bank of the supply ditch
intothe)rrigationline. "This eliminates the necessity for cutting the ditch
bank every time it is desired to irrigate a cane line.
The portable slipjoihtgalvanized iron pipe that is used to a limited
extentisan ideal way to irrigate cane, excepting :fo~ one point. This is the
-. diffi<Jlllty of moving the pipe about through big cane. Wooden ,flumes with
galv llrtized iron-gates: are, sometimes used, for irrigation purpos\es,The cost and
short lif}~of the wood in these flumes, however, has limited their use to countries
where cheap lumber, is available. ,Recently, there, has, been' developed, an
asbest~s cement composition flume, with a bottom discharge that seems to offer
somevery, interesting possibilities.
Fertilizer Distributing. Machinery,
Ferti1~izer'distribl:lting machinery ,has ,.uotkept' pace with the developmentoL ot~erplantation equipment., This is probably due' to the highly
hygroscopic",llature~fsomefertilizer mixes. Plantations located in eomparativelY"dl'yal'~asorwhere the humidity is low, do not have any trouble in
applying, the·averag~ mix through a good make of distributor. In damp districts,howeyer,itis ,sometimes impossible to obtain, satisfactory results with
any type
distributor. As a rule phosphate,especially in the raw rockstate,
is not as difficult to ,apply assome.forms of nitrogen. , It has been found, however, that by shredding the material to be, distributed freshly each day it
be, handled successfullywith,avil)rating ,type distributor 'under almost any
weatherco)lditions. Qarehas to be taken however in. order that the material
~s not shreddedintoa,powd.eredstate.
of
.[
Subsoiler with ditchor attachment.
Motor. Truck designed. for spreading filter press cake.
Face Page
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, 61
. -,'"
A
~-
:',,, '.:
fairly.practic~i1'~istriQut()J,:hf1~iQeerl"develove<i withi~ the .jms~,?two
'~\in HawaU;?hiseqUipnien.t eo'nsists,.of <~wo ,vibrating type <fertilizing
111~~S mounted on ,~hi?h-clear~Ilcetractor. ,Th~ .tract0.rlsa,lso equipp.ed with
irect-conueetedtwo"lmeeultIvator. ,The fer;tlhzer, vibratora are driven by
l5ers actuated by lugs on the tractor wheels or drive, sprocket~.
'fhose plantations, practising irrigationiindtheir problem of applying
ttilizing material greatly simplified by applying the material in the, irrigation
'~ter.
'
:
There are a number 0:E guns,pouches,&c., for hand distribution,1Iluse.
. ~ simplest ofth(jse consists 'of ,haIr a fertilizer bag, with a pieeecfibamboo
~k in one corner. The bag is fitted with shoulder straps and carried by a
urer. By shaking the bamboo stick afaidyaccurate distribution can .be
omplished.
Filter Press Mud Disposal:
This particularpioblemseems always'to be conducive ()fconsiderable
ritroversy. Some plantation men claim it is cheaper to throw filter press
ud into the ocean than-to transport and distribute ifin the fields. It has to
'eborne in mind that where transportation costs are high and difficult, there
some merit in this contention. Filter pressmudcoritains from 70 per cent.
80 per cent. water. This leaves only 20 Per cent; to, ,30 per cent. solids in
hich any plant food is contained, Most plantation men contend that it is
)heconomicaltoapply filter press mud to fields;here more than, 2 dollars or
.81;. per ton of 2,000 lb. has to be spent fortr,ansportation costs.
'
~"
"','
"
, ' "
",
In Louisiana, however, we find one plantation applying filter pressmud
,'to the fields at aloweost by diluting it further, with water and pumping this
,'sludge into the field through "sliP., joiutgalvanized pipe. In Hawaii those
plantations that have installed .Oliver-Campbell' filters dilute the mud further
alld then transport the sludge to the field in tank ears. The sludge is allowed
torun into the irrigation water and in that way is applied to the fields at
'minimum of expense. Recently one plantation in Hawaii. has had constructed
~distributor something on the orderofa manure spreader mounted oma, motor
';.it~'uck. This truck is Ioaded from a hopper at the milL It then, hauls the mud
..-di,rectly into the field and distributes it. The distributor is driven from a
',' ower take-off attachmen.t on the transmission of the .truck. Several plantations
that mua"from Oliver-Oercpbell filters is briquetted, then sun-dried, and
then furnished to the labourers for fueL
Ratoon Preparation.
This operation is subject to some wide variations. Onsome plantations
is done toratooJJ.sbesides f'ertilizing and weeding. Other plantations
;\;pri'lctlSe subsoiling, off-barring, bedding, hill'ing-np and various other operations
numerous to mention here.' The ,Howard rotary hoe is, quite widely used
62
I.t.r';l<>~"'Pc~,j>.",ati.,;,;a"iJ,
•.h... ~eil>d',.."tag'.oj~or)ri;;g.""";s'lullY luheavy
ca~e trash." A',direct c?nJ:lected frame fitted with two, discs ~nd mounted on .a
'tractor of about3b~rawbarh:p:is:quitesuccessftdly used for'off-barring. A
number of plantations report using a' c~mbination' subsoiling frmneand, fertilizing distributor: 'This implement is as a rule'used immediately after harvest
for subsoiliug. The fertilizing .material, usually' phosphate,isapplied in th~
subsoil crack.
Harvesting.
The harvesting of sugitreane is one operation in the production of sugar
that is' still largely dependent on hand labour. Those countries where an
abundant supply of 'labour is 'available have: not. felt the need of mechanising
this Qpetation though in every 'country' some interest is shown in the development of cane harvesters and cane' loaders. Several cane producing areas have
contrioutedsome ,noteworthy develop~erits in cane harvesters within recent
years however. ,Australia 'and. Coniinentat'U.S.A. ,lead in'these contributions.
The Louisiana' district of the United States has in the' past conducted some
tlo~tlyand lengthy- experiments 'in the matter of 'caheharvesters. ,Australia
has in recent years developed two cane harvesters that actually have harvested
sugarcane 'under 'fi~ld .conditions. Unfortunately the' worl,d-wide' depression
has greatly curtailed ,the' development of these two machines., The matter of
developing a sU,ccessflll cane harvester is an extremely difficult one to say the
least. Vast sums of money have been expended, and numerousmen have spent
their lives on the problem. The writer has on file in his office 366 patent papers
covering the various machines patented in the U.S.A. alone since 18q4.
q
u .
i,
i:
j!
Ii
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,i
Iii
II
iii
Iii
" ,
Several years ago the Allis Chalmers Company builtin the United States
some eighteen Faulkiner H~rvesters. The Faulkiner Harvester is an Austrrj.lian':development. Of, these eighteen machines sixteen went to the Dahlberg
in,terestsin Florida and two were sent to Cuba .to the Punte Allegre Sugar
Oompany. Those sent to .Cuba were never used
any great extent, the depression' having hit 'Cuba soon after they were received. The Faulkiner machines
built for the Dahlberg interests and used at their Clewiston, Florida,properties,
were used to some- consid~rable extent the first year of their introduction. The
fimincialdiffic~ltiesexperienced by the said sugar company and low' cane yields
bfsu<1ceeding years have tended to limit their use. For the past two years, as
near
eanbe ascertained,the machines have not been used at all at Clewiston,
to
as
One small plantation at Fellsmere, Florida, however, obtained two of
tJ:1e machines and during the 1933 season used them to a considerable extent.
They report,however, that as soon as cane that had been harvested by the
machirresreached,the mill the juice purity dropped 20 per cent. This was due
to the fact that while the machine would remove trash and cane leaves suceess
. fully it would not remove the lower sectio:q. of top.
'
".
Standal'd Type "North-west" Diesel-poweredCaneloader and Grab, Ewa Plantation, O~hu:
Senli!fi:~iler for
hauling cane, as used in Louisiana; capacity, 6 tons.
Face Page 62
63
.
The Faulkip-er,machinedependsfor trash and topseparation on chopping .
" r~, the entire st~lk in 5-inch lengths, "I'his chopped cane is then elevated to a'
J'evolving drum through which is passing a strong current of air drawn through
:the drum by a fan located at the rear of the drum. Theoretically this air passes
ifhrough at the same density as water. Millable cane will always sink in water
while non-millable cane will float; consequently the tops and trash are 'supposed
-: to float out on the blast of air. 'In practice, 'however, it was found that the
.,'. difference between the specific gravity of the lower sections of top and upper
;aections of the cane stalk was so slight as to render accurate separation di~cult:
This difficulty of accurate separations resulted in Fellsmere removing the
<'entire trash separation unit from one of the Faulkiner Harvesters and installing
'(Cit at their mill. After the chopped cane passed through the separator drum it
was then conveyed to a tank of water. This tank is about 6 feet deep and
50 feet long. The green tops and cane that haveriot already been removed by
the air separation device float to the top and ar~' conveyed to a storage bin.
, A conveyor along the bottom of the tank conveys the mill able cane out of the
tank and into the mill feed.carrier.
After the temporary installation, as outlined, was in operation for several
~".n+l", Fellsmere was so satisfied' with the operation that a permanent plant'
was installed early ill' 1934. 'I'his new trash separation plant is provided with
a dryer into which all of the separated trash and tops are, conveyed. After
drying, this material is used for additional fuel for the mill boilers. Fellsmere,
however, is so located that the additional expense of transporting the tops and
trash to the mill is small.. Under ordinary circumstances unburned cane will
run close to 30 per cent. of the total weight in tops and trash. Burned cane
will average. about 18. per cent. For a large plantation. to attempt to transport this additional weight to the mill would be prohibitive unless an extremely
economical transportation system was in use.
The Fellsmere system offers some very interesting possibilities, .however.
If a clean burn can be obtained arid a system of economical transportation
adopted this method would-be the simplest solution: of the harvesting problem.
The cutting of cane at the ground and piling it in piles of from 600 to 1,000 lb.
is not difficult. These piles could be easily loaded by the use ofa loader similar
to the Castagnos which ,is widely used ill. Louisiana.
The Howard Harvester which has been developed by Mr. Howard, of
the Howard Cultivator 00., Ltd., Northmead, N.S.W., has been given an
extended trial during the past two seasons at Fairymead Sugar Company, in
Queensland, Australia, As a separatereport has been. promised byMr. Pulsford,
of Fairymead, who has been in charge of this work, the Howard Harvester will
not be discussed at this time.
~
._=,.!
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64'
These two cane harvesters-the Howard and the Faulkiner;both Australianinventions-arethe only machines. that-actually give any promise at
this time. His extremely unfortunate that, their development has' been to a
large extent curtailed by the world-wide depression prevailing during the past
several years. The Faulkiner in particular would have been<vastly benefited
by the installation of diesel power and the. use of lately developed alloy steels,
both of which have been made available only recently.
In the writer's mind the matter of loading cane' isa separate problem
from that of cutting.. Loading is as a rule closely allied with the transportation
system used, In Louisiana the. Castaguos loader has for years been highly
successful. It is low in first cost, simple in construction, and has loaded up to
500 short tons per day.rrhis loader consists essentially of a wagon, on which
is mountedashortmast and a 20-feet boom. The boom swings through an arc
of about 100 degrees and is turned by the operator through a lever. An, 8
horse power gas engine drives a two-drum winch fitted' with brakes on each
drum. The cane is picked up by a 600-lb. capacity grab especially designed
for this work. .The loader ~s moved. about the field' by three-mules. This
loader is, however, only suited for loading into wagons or cane carts. It does
not have boom reach enough to load .railroad cars.
In. Hawaii there has recently been pt!-tinto operation a system something
similar to the Castagnos for loading railroad cars, This, system consists of a
grab of about 2,09 0 lb. capacity attached .to a crawler crane: The crane weighs
About 20 tons and is powered by a 50-h.p. diesel engine. It is equipped with a
40-feet boom. This long boom allows, the spacing of portable track in the
fields at about 160 feet intervals.. The machine regularly loads about 550 short
tons per day. Itraquires a crew of five men,
Both the Castagnos and HawaiisYfStem require that the cutters throw
the cane in heaps. The.size of the heaps will vary greatly according to the cane
yields. In Louisiana a 600 lb. heap is as large as is practicable. In Hawaii,
when 100 tons per acre cane is being harvested, a 2;OOO-lb. heap is easily thrown
by the cutters.
Transportation.
In. the. matter of transportation the .motor truck seems to be gradually
encroaching on the railroad. In Louisiana the use of light trucks .fitted with
semi-trailers is successfully hauling 6 tons at much lower-costs than by railroad.
The installation in motor trucks of diesel:rriotors ,gives promise of greatlY
reducing thecostolmotor truck operf1.tions. At present the diesel motor has
only proven practical for trucks. of the larger sizes. Manufacturers in both
Europe and America promise the early development of diesel-powered trucks
. offroin 'l-ton capacity up.
The use of large low-pressure pneumatic tyres on cane carts also seems
to be coming into general favour. These. carts are as arllle hauled by tractors
fitted with the same type tyres.
65
,
..
,
"",'.,
,,'
,)
.The large,sized,dieseltractorsare in wide use for hauling trains of
s. As a rule a 75-h.p.tl'actor will .haulabout ten. wagons averaging 4 tons
~on each wagon. Where the soil, is wet or sandy the crawler type wagon
He often used. In Oubahulldreds of crawler-equipped cane carts are
The carts inOuba are hauled by oxen almost universally.
,
"
"
,
'"
,The adoption by a number of sugar companies throughout the world of
l_poweredlocomotives has tended to reduce the cost' of railroad transtion. This' is especially true on long hauls. Most of these locomotives
tom 12 to' 20 tons in weight. 'I'he smaller sizes are in use to some extent
'hart hauls and around the, millyards.
'
.
"
,', One distinct improvement' in the matter of cane cars for railroads has
the adoption in a number of cases of anti-friction bearings. These bearings
the car to pull much easier and require less maintenance.
The flume system is still widely used on those plantations where a
Hful supply of cheap water is available and where grades are sufficient.
flume system is without a doubt the '1dealmethod of transporting cane
,~re eonditionsare favourable.
" I n somelocalities where conditions do not suit any other known method,
:transportation the cable or wire-rope system is used. Most authorities agree,
"ever, that this is the most expensive of all the various transportation
in use and do not rec?mmend its' use if any other method can, be adopted.
Labor Saving Devices ~n the Factory.
Practically all sugar factories operate with a minimum of labour. ' The
pallation at a'sugar mill of a new device is as a rule done by competent
pur. Its operation can be carefully checked and as it is under the direction
,:trained executives will as-a rule give a good account of itself if the inherent
'}he of the equipment is there.
.
The writer does not believe that it is advisable at this time to cover this,
'pject to any great length. He will, however, quote a letter from Mr. R. W.
#eairn, Manager of Hawaiian-Philippine Company; Silay-Hawaiian Central
cc. Negros, Philippine Islands. Mr. Pitcairn's letter covers the matter of
B Pitcairn! Double-Helix Orystallizers in use at the Hawaiian-Philippine
p.mpany.Quotedalso isMr.Oss's report mentioned in Mr. Pitcairn's letter:"Dear Mr. Maze.
"In, answer to your request, I am enclosing with this letter a short
report prepared by Mr. N. A. Oss, Chief Engineer of the HawaiianPhilippineOompany, giving the details of the manner in which we
dispose of our waste bagasse. I think you will find Mr. Oss's report
sufficiently comprehensive for your purpose.
661
"I am enclosing with Mr. Oss's report two sets of pictures taken
of the bagasse baler; two sets of pictures taken of the steam weed burner i
two pictures of the home-made elevator for piling baled bagasse; and
two sets of pictures taken of the wire cutter.
"I am also enclosing blue prints of both the weed burner an'd the
wire cutter. I believe you will find the wire-cutting machine very
interesting indeed.
" As I felt you might also be interested, I am enclosing two pictures
of four of the Pitcairn Double-Helix Crystallizers used at this Central.
These crystallizers are certainly working out very nicely here in. the
Philippines, in China, and in India, where there are many installations
working at present. They are not only a labour-saving device, but
space- and a time-saving device.
"In case you should decide to publish any of the enclosed data, I
would appreciate very much being supplied with a few copies of the
same.
"Yours very truly,
"R. O. PITCAIRN, Manager,
"Silay-Hawaiian Central, Occ. Negros,P.I."
"8th November, 1934.
Baled Bagasse.
"The Bagasse Baler installed this year is a heavy type, single-wire
baler, similar to the Braat Baler, but built by the Earnshaw Docks and
Honolulu Iron Works. The total cost of the baler, including founda..
tions, staging, &c. is P. 8,000;00. This baler is capable of making' two
hundred-12 inch x 12 inch x' 24 inch-bales per hour, and each bale
weights 90 lb.
"After baling, the bagasse is moved to nipa-roof sheds on portable
track push cars, where it is piled. .A portable piler, made from old
materials, is used after the bagasse pile has reached a height of .5 feet.
When piling baled bagasse it is very important to allow from 1 to 2'
inches air-space bet.ween eachbale, which allows the free escape of gases
and safety against fire.
"The bagasse has a moisture content of between 47·5 per cent. and
48·5 per cent. at the time of baling, and after four· months.' storage
the moisture is approximately 24 per cent., at which time it can be used
for locomotives, camp fuel, fuel for donkey boilers, sand driers, and
fuel on the haciendas. _ ]'01' use in locomotives an extra man is required,
who removes the wires and splits the bales into slabs from 2 to 3 inches
thick, and these slabs are fed into the firebox in much the same manner
as slab-wood. In most cases the wires can be used again, after
straightening;
67
"The cost of': manufacture of one bale of bagasse is P.0.024, which
includes No.' 10 baling, wire and labour for baling and piling in
storage sheds.., We have four storage sheds of 45,000 'bales capacity
or 180,000 bales total storage capacity .whieh is, ample for our
The baled bagasse is also used in locomotives in connection with a steam weed burner; which was .constructed' of old materials.
and Which cost approximately P. 200.00.
"A Ii-inch pipe connection was made in the dome cap of the locoand steam piped from there to the front end, where the connection
is made to the wood burner through a swivel joint. When operating,
the steam weed burner, the locomotive operates at 160 lb. boiler pressure
and travels at the rate of Ii to 2 kilometers per hour. In our instance,
it has been found necessary to 'burn the railroad right-of-way approximately every three months, depending on the weather conditions. Where
the cost of hand weeding was P. 16.50 per kilometer, this has been
reduced to approximately P. 1.50 per kilometer by using the steam weed
burners, and bagasse is used as locomotive fuel. This cost pel' kilometer
includes a, charge of P. 0.024 per bale and the time of the locomotive
crews. The grate' bars of the locomotives were not changed for bagasse.
The only precaution taken was to install a i-inch mesh G.I. screen over
the top of the smoke stack as a spark-arrester, in addition to the arrester
in the stack.
"I am furnishing with this report pictures of the baler, steam weed
burner, and- the wire' cutter; also, a blue-print of the wire cutter, which
is air-operated by, one man. With this outfit one man can twist one
end, for the tieing of the bales, and cut 125 wires per hour, which is
the number of wires cut by two men formerly, when using a hand-operated
cutter of similar design. The air cylinder is 5-inch diameter with a
12-inch stroke.
"(Sgd.) N. A. Oss, Chief Engineer."
(Note: P. 1.00 == $0.50.)
',.' ,
It would seem that the matter of greater use of bagasse, while not a
bour-saving device strictly speaking, does tend to reduce costs in general.
he subject of the utilisation of sugar mill by-products is one that so far as
writer knows has never been fully covered. It would seem that this matter
ight well be gone into at the next Conference of the International Sugar
echnologists.
pc
68;
Discussion.
In order to facilitate discussion Mr. Maze proposed that the various
sections of the, Report should be dealt with seriatim, and this was agreed to:
l
Mr. Dickinson said that the conservation of trash was widely practised
, in Cuba; it was customary to move the trash into alternate interspaces 'with
successive crops, the bared interspaces then being cultivated. The side
delivery rake had proved unsatisfactory. To avoid disturbance of the trash
by wind, it was allowed to settle before being moved.
lVIr. Borden stated ,that, in Hawaii, many varieties would ratoon without
disturbance of the trash blanket. This applied to such canes as P.O.J. 2878.
lVIr. N. J. K.ing told of his experience with the side delivery rake. The
teeth of the standard rake were too weak for the purpose, but when replaced
with others of stronger steel, good work could be done with a m,odestbed
of trash.
With reference to the rotary hoe, lVIr. King pointed out that' the large
rotary hoe operated to a depth of 10 inches, not 18 inches.
lVIr. Watson stated that on the hillsides in South Africa they employ a
special three-disc plough, with discs of graded sizes. It is light in draught
and does satisfactory work, though not suited when ploughing flat land. The
furrow is thrown down the hill.
'
Dr. Taggart said that in Louisiana heavy harrows are used to destroy
the stubble and cut up the trash before ploughing out.
Dr. Gibson stated that the rotary hoe had eliminated the need £01'
harrows, but IVIr. lVIaze, was of the opinion that the large harrows are more
economical for this purpose than the rotary hoe.
Dr. Taggart outlined the work of the gyrolette in Louisiana and said
that it did the complete job of preparation; the rotary hoe was-not' required.
In reply to a question, Dr. Taggart explained that the planting cart
ran in the furrow, except where serious compaction of the soil would result.
In discussing the necessity for a wide headland, with .the Australian
tractor-drawn planter, lVIr. Tapiolas stated that he worked' With headlands
of 1.8 feet;
Dr. Gibson said that they required a width of only 11 feet in which to
turn.
As regards the application vof fertilizer in the planting furrow,lVIr.
Hamwood suggested that promotion of weed growth was not serious pI'oviCied
the fertilizer were put in deeply, that is," beneath the sett. . Oertainly a
surface application assisted the growth of weeds. The fertilizers he referred
to contained chiefly phosphate and-potasli..
69
BQrdenfoundthatriitrogenous manures,·· if applied with seed cane,
encouraged weed.'growth.'
.
It was stated that pneumatic-tyred 'implementahad but recently -been
~6duced to· Queensland. Sti:f'f-tyned implements were mainly used; in
arspace cultivation work.
lVIr. Tap,iolas said that deep. cultivation in plant cane, for the Burdekin
improved crop growth and reduced cultivation costs.
Dr. Taggart stated that experiments in Louisiana indicated that an
terspace of 5 feet was best, but the implements they employed were built
rinter-rows of 6 feet.
.
lVIr. Hirachand suggested that, by using general purpose tractors, it was
ssible to follow 3!-feetinterspacing. In India, 30 h.p. tractors of the high
~arance type were used for earthing up .
. ' Mr. Keogh outlined the results of his experiments at Mackay, where it
'~s found that the most suitable interspace; was governed by the variety of
e and the soil type; it 'varied from 4 to. 5 feet.
I
.
Mr. Maze described in greater detail the Hawaiian spinner-weeder; the
rushes were constructed of steel wires 24 inches long, and i inch thickness,
:~nt double, so that about 5 inches of the wire was exposed beyond the disc.
hey caused .less damage to the cane than the rigid tynes. They did
tisfactory work with ratoons also.
',".
. '
Discussing the use of flame, throwers in weed control, lVIr. lVIaze said
hatthese were too costly to operate.
·d'
. .. Dr. Gibson stated that they were using super-heated steam. for cleaning
amlines, while Dr. Taggart reported the successful use ,of crude oil burning
9rthis purpose in Louisiana.
,
With referenc:e to the difficulties experienced in mechanical fertilizer
pplieation, lVIr. Hamwood stated that choking of the machine could be
hvcnted very largely, if the manure were .passed through a haif-inch mesh
ire .netting screen. Dr. Ken:: observed that the inclusion of 20 per cent. of
eatworks manure assisted greatly in maintaining a free-flowing mixture.
,,
Dr. Kerr mentioned that in Queensland,
emand, wherever it is available, and growers
benefits,when applied to fallow land and
id that in Bundaberg it was not economical to
miles from the mill.
filter press cake is in great
were highly appreciative of
ploughed. 'imder.lVIr; King
transport mud a distance of
70
Mr. Tapiolas outlined a method of removing excess moisture from the
thin mud, by employing a series of long ditches, with a sandy bottom, The
ditches were emptied, in rotation, as the mud dried out; in this .eondition it
contained from 40 to 50 per cent. solids.
.Dr. Gibson stated that at Bingera, the mnds were discharged into the
irrigation water.
Mr. Maze said that in parts of Hawaii, the cake from the OliverCampbell filters was made into a slndge and taken. to the fields in tank
wagons.
.
Discussing cane harvesters, Mr. Dickinson stated that the Faulkiner
was not successful, due to deterioration of the short lengths into which the
cane was cut. Dr. Taggart reported similar experience from Louisiana, where
low purity resulted from the inclusion of chopped-up suckers which were not
separated from the cane. This was successfully overcome at Felsmere.
Dr. Taggart spoke enthusiastically of the reduced costs they had
experienced by transporting cane with the motor truck and semi-trailer. This
trailer carries about 2 tons. It was fitted with 2 wheels, and at the forward
end was attached to a turn-table. One thus had a three-point suspension,
but the bulk of the weight was on the wheels, thus making it light to haul.
The entire load was placed on the trailer, and the truck was a haulage unit
. only; 'I'he approximate cost of the trailer and attachments was £125. It was
fitted with pneumatic tyres.
lVIr. Watson said that trailers were used in South Africa; one truck
hauled two or three.
.
Mr. Oollier related his experience of trucks with crawler tracks; these
assisted very much when harvesting in wet weather. Mr. Keogh described
a simple device used in Mackay to avoid slipping and sinking of motor trucks.
It consisted of a length of timber which could be strapped to the wheel of the
motor truck.
.
The Ohairman moved a hearty vote of thanks to lVIr.lVIaze for the
interesting and valuable Report which he had presented. Mr. Maze· later
amplified his remarks by the use ofa film showing the operation of many of
the labour saving devices he had described.
The Ohadrman asked lVIr. N. J. King to present a paper on "Cane Land
Cultivation in Queensland," which had been compiled from contributions
by the Agricultural Staff of the Bureau of Suga~ Experiment Stations.