136 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



apparatus might result in sliowiug that sugar for general family use 

 might be made in a small way, and without expensive apparatus, led to 

 a trial of both forms. 



This trial was under the immediate supervision of JSlr. A. A. Dentoii. 

 The results of the experiments were not satisfactory. 



The Stuart apparatus gave fairly good results as far as temiierature 

 is concerned. The sirup wa« heated by steam coils in the bottom of a 

 long rectangular tank, through which air was forced by devices described 

 in Bulletin ISTo. 5, x)age 178. 



lu the exi)eiiments made at Ottawa the temperature of the body of 

 the sirup was kept at about 180° F. Near the end of the concentration, 

 however, it was impossible to avoid a little scorching of the mass in 

 contact with the pii^es. 



The apparatus, however, is extremely simple and cheap, and I think 

 with rich cane might be made to yield a fair quantit}^ of sugar. 



The apparatus constructed by Mr. Denton consisted of a rectangular 

 box 28 feet high, the other dimensions being 4 feet and 2 feet respect- 

 ively. In this box was a double endless chain carrying two sets of 

 galvanized iron pieces. These pieces dipped into the sirup below and 

 thus carried it towards the to]) of the shaft. 



A blower attached to a heating chamber containing 400 feet of steam 

 pipe threw a current of hot air into the bottom of the apparatus, which, 

 ascending through the box, came in contact with the thin surface of 

 liquid spread over the galvanized iron surface. 



Apparently the heating surface was not suiBciently great, for it was 

 almost imi^ossible to raise the temperature of the liquid within the box 

 to lOOo F. 



The experiment was therefore abandoned, but Mr. Denton thinks that 

 with a proper heater it will prove successful. The low specific heat of 

 air will render it quite difficult to keep the temperature high enough to 

 allow the escaping air to carry off any considerable quantity of aqueous 

 vapor; but it is possible that some such device will secure the i^roduc- 

 tion of sugar on a small scale. 



I still, however, adhere to the opinion, expressed in Bulletins Nos. 3 

 and 5, that sugar making on a small scale is not the rational method of 

 procedure. The experience of the whole world has been that successful 

 sugar making implies the investment of sufficient capital to secure the 

 best machinery and to work in the most economical manner. 



The experiments of the present season have not shown any sufficient 

 reason for a change in that oi)inion. 



DEFECATION WITH ACID AI.BUMEN. 



A trial was also made with the WUcox method of purifying sorghum 

 juice with acid albumen. 



The method employed was communicated to me by Mr. Wilcox, the 

 inventor. 



Following is his description of the process: 



"Our first care is that tlio sorglium juice is from frcsldy cut cane, as a fow Irours 

 makes a great diftercnco iu its sugar-yielding qiialities, as you are aware. 



" The fresli juice being placed in a defecator and -wliile in the cold state, tvo add 3i 

 grains of dried egg albumen dissolved in cold' water for each pound of juice, and 

 thoroughly incorijorate with the same. AVe next slowly add enough of a solution, 

 consisting of one part of OC^ B. suljihuric acid and seven parts of water, till litmus 

 shows slightly more red than it would if the juice were simply in the natural state. 



•'•'The correct acid point is very important, and to determine this we take some of the 

 contents of the defecator in a test tube and heat it over a lamp to the boiling point 



