312 



REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



the result is seen in the large quantities of total sugar left in the 

 chips, amounting in one instance to 1.52 per cent. 



Afler the Gth of October nine or ten cells were kept under pressure, 

 and the content of sugar left in the chips was correspondingly dimin- 

 ished. 



Sorghum, however, lends itself to diffusion more readily than any 

 other sugar-producing plant, and a battery of ten cells properly man- 

 aged would give good results as far as extraction is concerned. 



PRESS CAKES. 



The mean weight of the press cakes was 24.3 pounds. The mean 

 content of moisture was 46.45 per cent. 



Since considerable time elapsed from the time of sending the cakes 

 from Fort Scott until they were analyzed at Washington a consider- 

 able inversion of the sucrose took place. 



The mean total sugar in the twelve press cakes examined was 4.42 

 per cent. 



Dividing this, as before, between the two sugars, we find, of— 



Per cent. 



Sucrose 2. 97 



Glucose 1. 45 



When extra care was taken in washing the cakes, as in the case of 

 the Louisiana experiments, to be later described, only a trace of sugar 

 was left in them. 



A glance at the composition of the cake will show its value as a 

 fertilizer. 



The quantity of lime used was nearly 1^ per cent, of the weight of 

 the cane entering the battery. 



RESULTS OF WORK. 



The average weight of chips in the cells was 1,900 pounds. 



From the beginning of the first attempts to run the machinery 

 (September lo) until it was found possible to save the product (Sep- 

 tember 29) 499 diffusions were made, amounting to 948,100 pounds. 

 After beginning to save the product (September 29) until suspen- 

 sion of work (October 26) 1,945 diffusions were made, amounting to 

 3,695,500 pounds. The total weight of cane, seed, and blades received 

 from the field after September 19 was 3,120 tons. 



The weight of chips diffused was 2,322 tons. The weight of seed, 

 tops, blades, and cleanings (by difference) was 79'^ tons. 



Following is the number of cells of chips used each day after Sep- 

 tember 19. Before that date no separate daily account was kept : 



