314 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



DISPOSITION OF THE EXHAUSTED CHIPS. 



The problem of the disposition of the exhausted chijDS is one of 

 great importance. By the failure of the machinery which was de- 

 signed to remove the chips to a considerable distance from the build- 

 ing the chips had to be taken away l)y scrapers. When it is remem- 

 bered that these chips have slightly increased in weight in passing 

 through the battery the great expense of this proceeding is at once 

 apparent. 



The percentage of water in the discharged chips was found to be as 

 follows: 



Since the mean of former experiments shows that sorghum contains 

 about 11 per cent, fiber and matters insoluble in water, the composi- 

 tion of the waste chips, as indicated by the above determination, is: 



Per cent- 

 Fiber 11, 00 



Water 88. 10 



Other substances ,90 



Total 100. 00 



After passing the waste chips through the mill they had the fol- 

 lowing percentage of water: 



At 70 per cent, extraction the bagasse therefore contains 1 part of 

 fiberto 2 of water. By a short preliminary drying this bagasse would 

 readily burn. At any rate, it presses so readily, requiring so little 

 power, that in my opinion it would be a matter of economy to pass it 

 through a three-roll mill. 



The percentage of extraction obtained with the spent chips in 

 small exi3erimental mill will be seen by the following numbers : 



The first column represents the per cents, calculated from weigh- 

 ing the bagasse and the second from weighing the expressed water: 



