WHORE PERE A ste REN RN GATS Mpg Pe Se 
ri : “ es “eh pss a wer ok i K hy licen WG ot cae 3 4 A . wy : 
- REPORT OF THE ‘CHEMIST. . DO Oe rs 
 La., to conduct the work of the Department at that place in the application of diffu- _ 
gion to the extraction of sugar from sugar-cane. ‘ , Ue 
-- . You are also authorized to travel between Magnolia Station and New Orleans as 
NORMAN J. COLMAN, 
Commissioner. 
’ In obedience to the above instructions I reached Magnolia on the 
*- evening of October 17, 1887. The experimental work was conducted 
without being complicated by the use of any process or machinery — 
in which any one in the employment of the Department had any 
patented or financial interest whatever. The sole object In view was 
to benefit those engaged in the manufacture of sugar in all parts of 
the country. Experiments conducted at public expense should, in. 
_ my opinion, be for the public good, and not for the benefit of a pri- 
- vate individual or corporation. 
iy On the morning of the 19th the diffusion building was badly in- 
_ jured by acyclone. The water-tank to supply the battery, together 
with the tower supporting it, was blown on to Governor Warmoth’s 
. sugar-house, causing great damage. Nearly a month was required 
4 ° Bate 
_. to repair the damage and restore the building and apparatus to the 
» condition in which it was before the storm. 
_. The delays incident to the working of new machinery were numer- 
ous. Theoriginal plan contemplated having all the machinery ready 
by the Ist of October, thus permitting a series of preliminary trials 
-extending over a month before the regular season began. 
Instead of this, however, unavoidable delays, incident to the im- 
perfections of the machinery and the damage of the storm, postponed 
even the preliminary experiments until the beginning of December. 
4 A recital of the details of these delays would only lengthen the re- 
- port without adding anything to its value, It must be said, how- 
ever, in this connection that the gentlemen associated with me worked 
earnestly and faithfuly through all the discouragements attending 
the preparation of the machinery. 
~ 4 Mr. Ernest Schulze, representing the Sangerhauser Company, was 
_.also present, and rendered valuable assistance in putting his cane- - 
slicer in working order. 
The numerous defects in the battery and the cutter having been 
remedied, the apparatus of the Colwell Company was accepted on 
December 11, 1887. 
Mr. A. W. Colwell, the president of the company, was present 
during the final trials of the battery, and rendered valuable assist- 
- ance in putting it into working order. The defects in both cutter 
.. and battery were of a minor character, but were such as to greatly 
delay the use of new machinery for new purposes. The final work- 
ing of all the machinery was excellent and satisfactory. The season’s 
experiments, however, disclosed many improvements of a seemingly _ 
~~ trivial nature, but by the adoption of which a more economical work- | 
ing of the diffusion process can be secured. These improvements 
_. will be discussed in another place. 
; The first results from the experiments were obtained from the run 
ef December 3, 1887. 
The juice was treated with .3 per cent. its weight of lime, and after 
the precipitation of the lime with carbonic dioxide, an amount of 
i pee equal to 10 per cent. of the weight of the sugar present was" 
e, . added. 
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