A PROCESS WHICH TRANSFORMS RANDOMLY ORIENTED SUGARCANE STALKS INTO THEIR PITH, RND AND EPIDERMIS COMPONENTS WHICH ARE THEN TREATED TO OBTAIN SUAR JUIE, PITH FLOC, CANE FIBERS AND OTHER SUGARCANE COMMODITIES. IN DELIVERING THE SUGARCANE STALK MATERIAL TO THE SEPARATING ZONE, THE STALKS ARE ALIGNED LONGITUDINALLY IN THEIR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND ARE CHOPPED TRANSVERSELY THEREOF INTO SHORTED LENGTHS. IF THE CANE CONTAINS TRASH SUCH AS LEAVES AND ROCKS, A FLUID IS DIRECTED THROUGH IT TO REMOVE THE TRASH. AT THE SEPARATING ZONE THE COPPED STALKS ARE SEPARATED INTO THEIR PITH, RIND AND EPIDERMIS COMPONENTS BY OPENING UP LONGITUDINALLY EACH CHOPPED STALK INTO SEPARATE PORTIONS WHICH ARE THEN FLATTTENED. AS THE FLATTENED STALK MATERIAL IS FED THROUGH THE ZON, PITH IS MILLED AWAY FROM ONE SIDE AND EPIDERMIS MATERIAL IS MILLED AWAY FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE. THE COMPONENTS ARE THEN RECOVERED AND CAN BE FURTHER TREATED. THE TREATMENT OF THE PITH COMPRISES A WASHING AND PRESING OPERATION TO EXTRACT THE JUICE FROM THE PITH. THE RIND IS REDUCED INTO SMALLER PORTIONS SUCH AS CHIPS OR SHREDS WHICH ARE THEN CONTACTED WITH WATER

TO EXTRACT ATER SOLUBLES FROM THE RIND. THE EPIDERMIS CAN ALSO BE TREATED TO SEPARATE WAX BEARING MATERIAL FROM CERTAIN OTHER EPIDERMIS MATERIAL.