REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 125 



too small, not allowing the chips to flow out freely and requiring the 

 services of two additional laborers to empty the cell. The conveyer, 

 bringing the chips to the cells would not work automatically, as had been 

 intended, and a third man was required to direct the chips into the cells. 

 Owing to these faults of construction, which could have been foreseen, 

 the expense of working the battery was almost doubU; what it Avoiild be 

 with proper fixtures. Add to this the additional expense occasioned 

 by the small capacity of the cells, and a serious increase of working ex- 

 penses is at once apparent. 



The battery was intended by the constructors to be worked by allow- 

 ing the liquid to enter from the bottom of each cell, forcing the heavier 

 liquid out at the top. I^Tumerous trials by this method showed that it 

 was impracticable. The liquid entering the cell is both lighter and 

 warmer than that contained in it. The result of lighter liquid being 

 below was an admixture of the contained and entering liquid, which 

 proved disastrous to close extraction. As a consequence, the connection 

 with the water service liad to be changed so as to permit downward 

 working. 



On Sunday morning, October 4, a heavy frost killed the blades of the 

 cane, but did no damage to that which was fully matured. 



On Tuesday morning, October 0, there was a severe fi'ecze, ice hav- 

 ing formed an eighth of an inch in thickness. This freeze did a great 

 injury to the cane, as will bo seen in the table of analysis of the mill 

 juices. 



On Wednesday, October 7, the machinery of the diffusion batteiy, 

 although hastily and imperfectly put together, was pronounced ready 

 for trial. 



On Thursday, October 8, our first trial took place. The cutters were 

 started at 8 a. m., and work was continued until 5 a. m., Friday, Octo- 

 ber 9. During this time 70 cells were diffused of 1,400 pounds each, 

 or a total of 98,000 pounds. The weight of the diffused juice was 90,140 

 pounds from 65 cells. 



The analysis of the exhausted chips showed only a trace of sucrose and 

 .10 per cent, of glucose. The waste water of diffusion showed a loss of 

 .10 j)er cent, of sucrose and .10 per cent, glucose. The total loss of 

 sugars therefore was .10 per cent, of sucrose and .20 i)cr cent, glucose. 

 The excess of glucose in these analyses is explained by the fact that the 

 samples of exhausted chips and waste waters taken during the night 

 were not analyzed until the next day, and meanwhile the sucrose suffered 

 inversion. 



The total loss of sugar therefore in chips and waste waters was .30 

 per cent. This is a remarkably good extraction and the result is very 

 satisfactory. 



When the cells could be promptly emptied, it was an easy matter to 

 make a diffusion every twelve minutes, and the extraction was just as 

 good as in those cases where twice that time was employed. These re- 

 sults showed that sorghum cane diffuses with great readiness, and in this 

 respect it appears to have an advantage over the beet. 



The cane employed was quite imperfectly stripped and the sheaths 

 and remaining blades were, of course, treated in the cells together with 

 the chips. The coloring and gummy matters which they contained were 

 therefore found in the diffusion juices. It will be a very easy matter to 

 run these chips through a sieve in connection with a blower and remove 

 all objectionable matter. 



Following is a table showing the details of the difTasion. 



