SUGAR [CANE GROWING AND PROCESSING] Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: Worker adjusting controls, vat, worker testing sample of syrup for crystallization. “The sugar crystals are dumped into a mixer.” “Separating the sugar crystals from the remaining syrup by whirling.” Syrup pouring into vat - whirling vat. “The damp sugar is carried from the centrifuge to be dried by hot air in the revolving drum.” Sugar being moved by screw - large drying drums. “The dry white sugar is stored in bins until packed for shipment.” Dry sugar pouring into bins. “For loaf sugar the white sugar is melted.” Sugar melting in revolving vat. “The melted sugar is molded into plates.” Sugar is poured into molds - refining machinery. “Drying and cutting the sugar plates.” Plates are removed from dryer, placed on edge on conveyor, run through cutting machines. “The first cane sugar was made in China many centuries ago. Shortly after the discovery of America, sugarcane cultivation began in the West Indies which now produce more than one-fourth of the world’s sugar. Southern Louisiana is the sugarcane center of the United States.” “The sugarcane fields in the rich soil, warm temperature and rainfall of Louisiana. This growth is over fifteen feet high.” “To grow the sugarcane, the rich level land is plowed and trenched.” Tractor-drawn plows. “The trenches are five feet apart and form the rows.” Tractor-drawn plow forming trench. “The ‘seeds’ are the small sprouts from the old cane.” Hand points out sprouts growing from joints on cane stalks. “Pulling out the sprouts for seeds.” Horse-drawn plow pulls up plants. “Loading the sprouts and casting them to the trenches.” Workers loading sprouted cane onto mule-drawn cart. “Placing the sprouted canes lengthwise in the trenches.” Cart moving along trench - workers remove canes and place them in trench. “The trench is 8 to 12 inches deep.” “Covering the sprouts.” “Unloading bags of raw sugar.” Bags removed from hold of ship by winch, dock workers. “Taking samples of the raw sugar for testing.” Worker punches hole in bag, takes sample in a tube. “The raw coarse sugar is crushed and dissolved in water.” Raw sugar pouring into crusher, out into vat. “Separating the sugar crystals from the sugar solution.” Workers tending vats, taking samples. “The impurities are removed from the syrup in bag filters.” Worker on top of huge vat - view of vats from below. “The sugar syrup before and after filtering.” Two graduates full of syrup showing contrast in color. “The colorless syrup is pumped to the vacuum tank where evaporation occurs.” Worker tends machinery. “Each tank holds 3,000 gallons of syrup, which is slowly boiled until it grains or crystallizes. Watching the sugar for crystallization.” Worker takes sample from vat - sugar cubes coming out of cutting machine - worker rakes cubes onto tray from conveyor. “Packing cubes of sugar.” By hand. “End.” “Ford Educational Library.” [1919]
Read more