404 Joiintal of AgrlcnUnre, Virtorid. [10 July, 1919. 



Infusion Juicerics. — The following arc the estimates of costs at a 5,000-ton 

 infusion juicery: — 



Tm'I-sjox Juici;ry. 



5,000-ton capacity; woiking tliree shifts for 100 tlays; 15 iicr cent, richness 



of roots. 

 Beet, 8 tons at 27>. (Id. .. .. £11 



Weighing .. .. 017 



Labour . . . . . . 1 10 5 



Managing Engineer, at ISs. 7d. per day 



during campaign . . . . . . .'3 



after the campaign, 6s., less 3s. charged 



to repairs . . . . . . 3 



Freiglit, 7s. 5d.; bags, 5s. 4d. .. .. 12 9 



Supplies . . . ! . . . . 2 2 



Interest, depreciation, and repairs . . . . 2 8 2 



75% Emc-iom->-. 40% Efficiency. 



Fuel— Wood. Coal Wood. Coal. 



Totals 



Less 4.4 tons pulp 

 at 2s. 



Contingencies, o% l(i 10 S 17 5 8 17 18 7 18 15 6 

 16 10 17 3 17 11 18 9 



Total costs .. £17 13 .6 £18 2 11 £18 16 G £19 14 3 



Capital. — In the absence of ]n-oj>cr drawings for an infusion juicery, it has 

 been impossible to arrive at a definite estimate of th<' cost of plant and building, 

 but a tentative estimate has been made, showing a total of £16,475 for cost of 

 plant, building, and Avorking capital. 



Interest. — Interest on working capital is charged for two-thirds of the year on 

 the assumption that this \\ill bo returned during the year as payment for dried 

 juice, the Maffra factory similarly recouping itself by sales of finished sugar. 



Depreciation and Repairs. — ^Depreciation has been taken at 4 per cent, of capital 

 cost, and repairs at 5 per cent. 



Managing Engineer. — The manager, in addition to being a working engineer, 

 would have to secure a knowledge of the chemical tests required for the control of 

 the infusion process. Ilis salary would be £281 10s. a year. 



Pulp. — It is assumed that the pulp would shrink to one-half its original weight 

 by drainage, &c., and would bo then sold at 2s. per ton, tlio price now charged at 

 Maffra for this by-product. 



Contingencies have been reckoned at 5 per cent. 



The total costs in the alwve figures may now lie jilaced in juxtaposition with 

 the value at Maffra of tlie crystal! izable sugar contained in tlie dried juice, thus: — 



Press Juicerics. — Owing to tiie large amount of cai)ital for infusion juicerics, 

 attention has been given to the [lossibilities of the old system of hydraulic presses 

 for juicery purposes. Althougli in large factories the infusion plant costs less 

 than the press plant, in small factories the press i)lant costs less than the infusion. 

 The extraction from presses, it is true, is less complete tlian from iiifusers, and 

 the cost of labour is greater; nevertheless, the saving in capital and in fuel, and 

 the higher value of the" by-product, pulp, in tlic jjress system, may more than 



