316 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



causes of this failure liave been pointed out in the preceding pages, 

 and it will only be necessary here to recapitulate them. They were : 



(1) Defective machinery for cutting the canes and for elevating 

 and cleaning the chips and for removing the exhausted chips. 



(2) The deterioration of the cane, due to much of it l^ecoming over- 

 ripe, but chiefly to the fact that much time would generally elapse 

 after the canes were cut before they reached the diifusion battery. 

 The heavy frost which came the 1st of October also injured the cane 

 somewhat, but not until ten days or two weeks after it occurred. 



(3) The deteriorated cane caused a considera,ble inversion of the 

 sucrose in the battery, an inversion which was increased by the delay 

 in furnishing chips, thus causing the chips in the battery to remain 

 exposed under pressure for a much longer time than was necessary. 

 The mean time required for diffusing one cell was twenty-one minutes, 

 three times as long as it should have been. 



(4) The process of carbonatation, as employed, secured a maximum 

 yield of sugar, but failed to make a molasses which was marketable. 

 This trouble arose from the small quantity of lime remaining in the 

 filtered juices, causing a blackening of the sirup on concentration, 

 and the failure of the cleaning apparatus to properly prepare the 

 chips for diffusion. 



A modification of the process, which will prevent this trouble, has 

 already been explained; but, although an earnest attempt was made 

 to introduce this method, it was found impossible to accomplish it 

 before the end of the season. 



In the preceding report I have endeavored to lay before you all the 

 facts noted in the recent experiments. If I have not interpreted them 

 correctly, I have at least given the data for a correct interpretation. 



I should, indeed, be glad to leave this industry in a more promising 

 condition. All admit that the process of diffusion has been success- 

 fully worked out, and to this opinion I subscribe, with the reservation 

 that a proper mechanical method for distributing over the chips a 

 substance to prevent inversion of the sucrose has not yet been dis- 

 covered. 



Honest differences of opinion still exist in respect of the best 

 method of treating the diffusion juices, but it has been shown at Rio 

 Grande that the diffusion juice from clean cane can be worked with- 

 out any purification whatever. 



Whether this purification is to be accomplished by carbonatation, 

 filtering with brown coal, or in some other way, can easily be decided 

 without menacing the future of the sorghum industry. 



The problem of successfully cutting and cleaning the canes does not 

 appear to me to be incapable of solution. It should have been solved 

 the first thing, without leaving it for the last. 



Last of all, the chief thing to be accomplished is the production of a 

 sorghum plant containing a reasonably constant percentage of crystal- 

 lizable sugar. 



I cannot emphasize this point better than by quoting from some of 

 my previous reports. In Bulletin No. 3, pp. 107, 108, the following- 

 words are found: 



IMPROVEMENT BY SEED SELECTION. 



I am fully convinced that the Government should undertake the experiments which 

 have in view the increase of the ratio of sucrose to the other substances in the juice. 

 These experiments, to be valuable, must continue under proper scientific direction for 

 a number of years. The cost will be so great that a private citizen will hardly be 

 willing to undertake the expense. 



