324 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



in yield, as established at Fort Scott, cannot be due wliolly to tlie 

 increased extraction of the sugar. It must therefore be largely due 

 to the processes of depuration employed. 



The process of carbonatation tends to increase the yield of sugar 

 in three ways : ■ ^^ 



(1) It diminishes the content of glucose. This diminution is small 

 when the cold carbonatation as practiced at Fort Scott is used; yet, 

 to at least once and a half its extent, it increases the yield of crystal- 

 lized sugar. 



(3) By the careful use of the process of carbonatation there is 

 scarcely any loss of sugar. The only place where there can be any 

 loss at all is in the press cakes, and when the desucration of these is 

 properly attended to the total loss is trifling. The wasteful process 

 of "skimming" is entirely abolished, and the increased yield is due 

 to no mean extent to this truly economical proceeding. 



(3) In addition to the two causes of increase already noted, and 

 which are not sufiicient to produce the large rendement obtained, 

 must be mentioned a third, the action of the excess of lirne and its 

 precipitation by carbonic acid on the substances in the juice,_ which 

 are truly melassigenic. Fully half of the total increase which the 

 experiments have demonstrated is due to this cause. It is true the 

 coefficient of purity of the juice does not seem to be much affected by 

 the process, but it is evident that the treatment to which the juice is 

 subjected increases in a marked degree the ability of the sugar to 

 crystallize. This fact is most abundantly illustrated by the results 

 obtained. 



Not only this, but it .is also evident that the proportion of first 

 sugars to all others is largely increased by this method. This is a 

 fact which may prove of considerable economic importance. 



It thus appears that the yield of sugar would be greatly increased 

 by the application of carbonatation to mill juices. Since a complete 

 carbonatation outfit can be erected for about $4,000, it wotild be well 

 if some planter or syndicate of planters should give the process a 

 trial. 



These facts are worthy of closer consideration, inasmuch as the 

 process of carbonatation has been fiercely and maliciously assailed as 

 one which destroys both sugar and molasses. 



WEIGHT OF DIFFUSION JUICE COMPARED Vv^ITH WEIGHT OP CANE 



WORKED. 



ISTumber of cells filled, 83. 



Weight chips in each cell = 83.25 ~ 83 = 1.003 tons = 2,006 pounds. 



Weight juice drawn from each cell of chips, 1,100 liters. Specific 

 gravity 1.04=2,516.8 pounds. 



The "weight of normal juice in 2,006 pounds of cane is 1,805 

 pounds. The additional weight of water added by diffusion is 711.8 

 pounds. 



The percentage of increase over normal juice 711.8 X 100 -^ = 39.4 

 per cent. This increase represents what is often called the ' ' dilution " 

 of the juice. The quantity of water to be evaporated to produce a 

 given quantity of sugar is therefore 39.4 per cent, greater for such 

 a diffusion than for a normal mill juice. In practice this amount 

 could easily be reduced to 25 per cent. 



