Refractometer readings give an indication of topping height before cane
is sent to the factory. Besides being low in sucrose, cane tops contain a
large amount of glucose and water. This dilutes the juice un-necessarily,
the glucose ends up in the molasses, and might prevent crystallization of
some of the sucrose.

 TRASH AND ITS DETERMINATION

 Trash was defined earlier, and is essentially anything accompanying the
millable portion of sugarcane to the factory, from which sugar cannot be made.
Besides, if the trash is absorbent, sugar is added to the trash in the crushers,
and additional loss is encountered. Also trash is objectional in that it is
expensive to transport the trash to the factory and to grind the trash, it
increases depreciation of the crushers, it reduces the purity of the juice, it
overworks the clarifiers, it slows down the grinding season and it adds the job
of taking trash samples and determining percent trash. Bianchi and Keller
(L.S.U. Eng. Exp. Sta. Bul. 28) estimated that clean, fresh cane instead of
the cane then coming to the mills of Louisiana in 1951 would have resulted in
a saving to the industry of over six million dollars. The loss divided among
the 47 factories was over $127,000 per factory.

 The processor is authorized to deduct from the weight of cane delivered
by a producer the weight of trash exceeding 4 percent, but this does not com-
pensate for mill losses due to trash in the millable cane.

 The exact amount of trash in cane is difficult to determine due to the
difficulty of sampling. A sample large enough to be representative must be
taken. There is no standard sample size in use in the industry. If all cane
were delivered to a mill in carts or trucks of the same size, a standard size
sample would be possible. For example, if cane were delivered in 20 ton trucks,
a 50 pound sample for trash may be adequate.

Sample weight = 50 lbs. Weigh.

Separate from the millable stalks all tops, green and dry leaves and leaf-
sheaths, weeds, grass, soil, etc. Weigh. If the trash weighs 4 pounds:

 T = .08 x 100 for percent = 8% trash
 or
 4 x
 -5 x= 50X = 400 X = 8% trash

 The composition of trash in Florida cane will differ from Louisiana and
other areas, largely because of practices peculiar to Florida conditions. The
muck and sand of Florida will not stick to the cane as do the heavy clay soils
of Louisiana. As a rule, Louisiana cane is cut during a wetter season than
that in Florida, adding to the soil problem. Florida cane is burned standing,
is largely hand cut, and will be largely fieldchopped and not chopped only
between the carrier and the crushing mill.