296 SORGHUM. 



a strong open glass tube, cut square off at each end, with an interior 

 diameter of not over one-quarter of an inch. By carefull}^ thrusting 

 this to the bottom of the defecator, while holding it upright, and then 

 after placing the finger firmly over the opened upper end and with- 

 drawing carefully, a good section may be taken out of the defecator 

 for inspection. 



By having a series of cocks up and down the defecator at intervals 

 of six or eight inches, it will be possible to draw off the clear juice 

 from above the sediment, without waiting for its complete subsidence. 

 The last cock should be an inch or an inch and a half from the bottom 

 of the defecator, so that nearly all the juice may be draAvn off without 

 disturbing the sediment. Finally, the sediment itself is drawn off, by 

 a cock in the lower part of the pan, which empties into a tank, the 

 same or similar to the one for the scum, and the juice remaining in it 

 may be secured by the bag filters or filter press. 



By proceeding as above, it will be found practicable to secui'e the 

 juice so clear as to permit its going at once to the evaporators, without 

 being passed througli any filter. 



It has been the practice of many to draw the contents of the defe- 

 cator immediately after skimming into settling tanks, where it is al- 

 lowed to stand, as in the defecator ; but it woidd seem desirable to 

 have two or more defecators in use, so that they may take the place of 

 settling tanks, and thus avoid the necessity of disturbing the juice dur- 

 ing the subsidence of the sediment. 



The plates will illustrate some of the several forms of defecators in 

 use among sugar makers. See page 344. 



OTHER AGENTS IN DEFECATION. 



Efect of adding Water to the Juice duriiig Defecation. 



It may frequently happen, where the specific gravity of the juice is 

 very high, from 1.075 to 1.090 (10° to 12°Beaumej, that, owing to 

 this great density, the precipitate will not subside in the process of 

 defecation, but will remain permanently suspended in the defecated 

 juice. As it has been found upon trial, that, during the process of 

 evaporation, this suspended matter was but partially brought to the 

 surface as scum, and remained in the syrup, giving it a disagreeble 

 appearance and taste, the experiment was made of diluting the juice 

 after defecation by adding buckets of cold water directly after having 

 rem.oved the scum, and it was in every case found entirely satisfactory, 

 causing the sediment to subside, and only necessitating the removal 

 of this additional amount of water by evaporation. 



Fourteen experiments were made, with an average of about 1,000 



