REPORT OP THE CHEMIST. 



127 



1,400 pounds of chips the ratio of diffusion juice to weight of cane was 

 IGO : 100 . In the second series of 31 cells 600 liters of juice were drawn 

 off at each charge, or 1,320 pounds ; the ratio of diffusion juice to weight 

 of cane was 94 . 3 : 100. It appears from this that diffusion can be success- 

 fully practiced with sorghum cane when the weight of juice obtained is 

 made about the same as that of the cane diffused. The mean specific 

 gravity of the 32 charges of 700 liters each was 1.0394 at 25° C, or at loo 

 1.0411, corresponding to 10.24 per cent, total solids. The average spe- 

 cific gravity of the juice of 32 charges of 600 liters each was 1.0405 at 

 25° C, or 1.0424 at 15° corresponding to 10.55 per cent, total solids. The 

 ciiiie varied so greatly in its composition that no estimate of the degree 

 of extraction could be made from the analyses of the caue juices. 

 The following analyses were made of the diffusion juices at 10.30 a. m. : 



No analysis of the diffusion juice was made at night. 



Analyses were also made of the caue juice expressed on small mill 

 from canes taken from the yard whence the cutter carriers were sup- 

 plied: 



Total solids 



Sucrose 



Glucose .w- 



Solids not sugar. . 



No. 1, 

 10 a. m. 



Pr. ct. 



17.00 



11.24 



2.44 



3.32 



No. 2, 

 11 a. m. 



Pr. et. 



15.60 



9.62 



2.85 



3.13 



No. 3, 

 11.30 a.m. 



Pr.ct. 



15.20 



9.83 



3.41 



L96 



The small samples taken for the above analyses showed how seriously 

 the frost had affected the canes and how irregular they were in their 

 composition. The peculiar odor characteristic of frosted sorghum was 

 also very apparent In the chips as they came from the cutter. This con- 

 dition of things rendered this part of the work very unsatisfactory. 



The weight of coal used from the time of firing up on Thursday morn- 

 ing until the time of stopping Friday morning — nearly twenty -four 

 hours — was a little over 3,000 pounds. But when the chips could be 

 promptly removed from the cells it was possible to make a diffusion 

 every ten minutes. Hence the whole work might have been done in 

 seven hundred minutes, or eleven hours and forty minutes. In that case 

 half the coal might have been saved. 



The force required to do the work was — 



One fireman (day) and one (night), at $1.50 $3 00 



Four men on cane carrier (day) and four (night), at §1.25 10 00 



Four men at battery (day) and four (night), at $1.25 10 00 



One team to remove chips (day) and one (night), at $2.50 T) vO 



One valve-man (day) and one (night), at $2.25 4 50 



U tons of coal, at $3.25 4 t-y 



O'il andlights 1 00 



One boy (to sweep, &c.) 75 



Total cost of diffusing 49 tons of cane 39 13 



