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220 ‘REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. —- 
ortionate capacity. The cost of such machinery will, of course, 
epend largely on its kind and quality,.and can be readily obtained — 
from any reliable manufacturer. The cost of a factory is almost. 
o 
always underestimated, owing to many items which are not taken | 
into account, The capital for building a factory of theabove capacity _ 
“ should not be less than $100,000 to $125,000, anything below -being , 
certainly unsafe. Nothing but the best machinery should be used 
and every precaution should be taken to prevent breakage of ma- 
chinery and to be able to make repairs quickly by having duplicate 
parts of such machinery as are liable to break. There is no manu- 
facture which depends more for its success on the proper working of 
the machinery than the sugar industry. 
COST OF WORKING. 
The success of this industry does not depend altogether on how 
much sugar can be produced per ton of cane, but the cost of this pro- 
duction must also be considered. 
There is no doubt but that $2 per ton for working cane are suffi- 
cient to cover all legitimate expenses connected with the manufacture. 
UTILIZATION OF THE EXHAUST CHIPS. 
It will soon become a matter of necessity to dispose in some way ~ 
of the exhausted chips from the battery. 
The great amount of this material accumulating about the factory 
makes it imperative that they be utilized in some way. ‘Three meth- ~ 
ods of disposition have been suggested: (1) To return them to the | 
land as a fertilizer; (2) to use them for fuel; (3) to manufacture into | 
paper pulp. One of the last two methods will no doubt be adopted. 
ome experiments in using for fuel were made during the season. 
A large portion of the water was pressed out by passing the chips 
through a 3-foot cane-crusher. The chips dropped from the last roll 
into a hopper, from which they were taken up by a suction-fan and 
blown over to the boiler-house. This method of handling the chips 
has many features to recommend it. It is very simple, and, besides, 
the chips are dried somewhat by being subjected to the strong cur- 
rent of air. No doubt the making of paper pulp from the chips will 
become the most profitable disposition to make of them. The cane, 
after being reduced to fine chips and thoroughly washed in the dif- 
fusion battery, is certainly in an excellent condition for this work. 
No attempts have been made, as far as I know, to make paper pulp 
on a large scale from this source, but very fine samples of pure white 
pulp have been made inasmall way. This matter is certainly de- 
serving @f thorough investigation. 
NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY. 
One of the greatest difficulties which will be encountered by those — 
engaged in developing this industry will be the scarcity of men ~ 
capable of operating factories. This will be the most serious hin-~ 
drance to rapid development, as nothing but time can produce men of 
the requisite experience. The establishment of a school for training 
young men in this work would be of inestimable value. Here they 
should receive thorough technical training, which should be supple- 
mented with a drill in the factories while they are in operation. — 
This would ina short time develop a number of men capable not — | 
