98 



composition. It was found that with bagasse dried down to a water 

 content of 10 or 15 per cent very little trouble was caused by fermenta- 

 tion, even if it was kept for several days; if not so dry it deteriorates 

 quite rapidly. 



For example, number 13, from a small and rather weak mill, on first analysis 

 yielded a factor of only 162, owing to the fact that the sample was taken late in 

 the afternoon, had to be carried back to the laboratory in a partially dried con- 

 dition, and was left thus overnight without further drying owing to a temporary 

 shut down in the mill and no steam in the boiler. When analyzed it still 

 contained about 35 per cent of water. As this bagasse was so evidently poorly 

 crushed, it was necessary to make another test of the mill and analyze the bagasse 

 immediately, with the result, as sho\vn in the table, of 220. 



The average of all the mills tested shows that 178.5 parts of mill 

 juice are lost in bagasse for every 100 parts of fiber in the bagasse, 

 or, since all the fiber of the cane finally goes into the bagasse, 178.5 

 pai-ts of mill juice are lost in bagasse for every 100 parts of fiber in 

 the cane, this figure corresponding to what Watts gives as the working 

 of a "fair single mill." From these data it is easy to calculate the 

 percentage of juice (or of sucrose) lost in crushing by the average 

 mill in Negros. 



The average composition of the cane of the island has already been stated as 

 sucrose, 16.06 per cent; fiber, 10.02 per cent, with a juice containing sucrose, 

 18.40 per cent when expressed by a hand mill; therefore the make-up of the cane 

 is, approximately, fiber, 10.02; juice, 87.28; water other than juice, 2.70 — assum- 

 ing the residual juice to be of the same composition as that first expressed. 

 Since there are 178.5 parts of juice in bagasse for every 100 parts of fiber present, 

 there would be lost, if perfectly clean cane of the above composition were ground, 

 17.88 parts juice from every 100 parts cane containing 10.02 parts fiber and 87.28 

 parts juice. 



In other words, the ''extraction" of juice in per cent on the cane 

 would be 69.40 out of a possible 87.28, or the per cent of total juice 



1 n oo 



(or of total sugar) loss in milling would be n^'g — 20.48 per cent. 



It is very doubtful if as good results as this are ever secured in 

 actual practice, for the following reason: 



To bring in cane from the fields absolutely free from trash and adhering leaves 

 requires considerable extra care and attention, which ordinary laborers can not 

 be depended on the exert; moreover, came is much easier to carry on the shoulder 

 if cushioned and held together by a few extra leaves, and packs more easily in the 

 wagons without slipping out of place, so that the cane carts usually come into the 

 factory laden with a goodly amount of dirt, dead leaves, and other trash. A careful 

 manager will see that the greater pa'rt of this is removed before it enters the mill, 

 but very often up to 3 per cent or more of the weight of the cane will enter the 

 mill dry, and come out wet with juice. 



Most planters do not seem to realize the loss which this practice 

 entails, since, judged by the eye alone, a few leaves more or less are 

 of little importance. In some lots of cane, which had been if any- 



