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97 chapter iii y The People Required to Refine, Separate, Dry, and Crate the Sugar; the Tools Needed to Do This When there is no refiner (and it is always a good idea to have one), the sugar master is in charge of the refinery. He judges when the first and second applications of clay are needed on the molds. It depends on the condition of the sugar when more or less moisture or sprinkling is required. He also decides when to remove the clay or the sugar from the molds. However, even when there is a special refiner, paid his salary, it is always a good idea for him to consult with the sugar master. This will allow him to work with greater assurance, and the two of them should communicate frequently so that the planter and the tenants are well served by their efforts. This will also promote their reputations as skilled in this profession. The person in charge at the counter for separating, drying, weighing, and crating the sugar is the crater. It is his responsibility to divide and regulate with great accuracy and truth everything that occurs under his charge. He also nails the crates shut, marks them, and delivers them into the hands of their owners. Four female slaves work in the refinery. They plaster and cover the sugar with clay while it is in the molds and give the sugar its washings. At the separating counter, there are two experienced female slaves, called “mothers of the counter.” Together with others, they separate and sort the inferior sugar from the superior, bring the molds, and remove the loaves of sugar from them. There is also a negro man who kneads the clay used for refining. At the drying counter, the same two “mothers” also work with their helpers, which might be up to ten women. They lay out the canvas cloths and hammer the chips and large clumps into smaller pieces. They work behind those initially breaking the loaves. In the crating area, male and female negras help the crater to weigh and crate the 98 The Cultivation of Sugar sugar. As many people as are needed work there as well in pounding and sorting the sugar and nailing and marking the crates. Tools needed in the refinery are: boring rods made of iron to pierce the sugar in the center aligned with the plug; iron digging tools to dig a hole in the middle, before the first and second layers of clay are applied ; and small wooden hammers used to cover the loaf with clay. At the separating counter, they use leather hides to hold the sugar loaves when they are dislodged from the molds. They also use knives and small axes in separating and hammers to break the mascavado2 sugar. At the drying counter, they need knives, hammers, wooden rakes, and the breaking pole. It is flat on four sides and breaks the loaves of sugar. For weighing, they require a scale, weights of two arrobas, and other smaller ones, such as the weight used for calculating deductions, and shovels and large baskets. In the crating house, they use poles to pound, rakes, tamping poles and others, and a leveling spatula. In addition, they need an adze, drills, hammers, nails, crowbars to remove nails from the crates, and clamp irons to force together any split or open boards. The clamp iron digs its claws into the sides of the board while pulling with its teeth or arms, secured above, and pulls down the sides. They also need the branding irons to indicate the quality of the sugar, the number of arrobas, and the name of the mill from where it came. In this manner, any trade values its tools to make the work easier and ensure a job well done. Without these tools, the work cannot succeed or even have a chance. ...

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