330 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



drained. Tliis improvement will necessitate an expenditure of about 

 $40,000. 



Aside from the benefits to be derived from better drainage, there 

 will be important advantages gained from closing tlie ditches. The 

 amount of tillable land will be increased about 70 acres; the large an- 

 nual expenditure for keeping the ditches and quarter-drains open will 

 be stopped; the cultivation will be easier and less expensive, and the 

 steam-plows can be handled at a considerably better advantage. 



Should the work of the station be continued, very interesting and 

 valuable data can be obtained next season. 



ACCIDENTS TO THE MILLS. 



The mills were stopped several times on account of small pieces of 

 iron getting into them. Some of this iron passed through the shred- 

 der; other pieces were introduced after the cane left the shredder. It 

 was evident that the iron was put into the carriers maliciously. This 

 trouble finally culminated in the breaking of the shell of one of the rolls 

 of the supplemental mill. A few changes were made in the disposi- 

 tion of the men detailed for work at the mills, and the work was fin- 

 ished without further accident than the breaking of three couplings. 



The average extraction, and consequently the yield of sugar, would 

 have been larger had the supplemental mill not been damaged. 



THE BAGASSE-BURNER AND THE CONSUMPTION OP FUEL. 



The burner, as improved last season, worked very satisfactorily. 

 The consumption of coal was reduced very considerably. 



The amount of coal consumed was determined by weighing it for 

 half the season and basing the total consumption on these data. The 

 result was as follows: 



Coal consumed in 21 days = 436,338 pounds, or 20,778 pounds per 

 day. From the time the fires were kindled until all the work was fin- 

 ished was 45 days; hence the total coal consumption was 45x20,778 

 = 935,010 pounds. The total weight of sugar made was 1,159,768 

 pounds; therefore the consumption of coal per 1,000 pounds of sugar 

 was 806 pounds, or 4.42 barrels. 



This house could be worked almost entirely without coal if the fol- 

 lowing improvements were made: 



(1) Substitute copjier coils for the iron ones in the clarifiers. 



(2) Introduce a condenser, employing juice to condense the vapors 

 from the double effect. An illustration of such apparatus is given 

 opposite page 114, Bulletin No. 5, and is termed a Calorisaleur a con- 

 tre courant. 



The question of economical engines is of less importance, since the 

 exhaust steam is employed for evaporation. 



COMPOSITION OP THE .7UICE. 



The chemical work at Magnolia Station was not begun until the 

 24th November. . Although the work of the sugar-house nominally 

 commenced November 7, but little cane was rolled before the loth. 

 The analyses, therefore, show the composition of the juice for all but 

 eleven days of the season, in which time 2,113 tons of cane were 

 rolled. This cane yielded 8 pounds less sugar per ton than the next 

 2,000 tons, consequently it is fair to presume that it contained less 

 sucrose. 



