40 



With double shredded cane and actual running, the dilution was re- 

 duced to 4 per cent, and approximated the mill juice within four- tenths 

 of a Brix, with a loss of only 1G pounds of sugar left in each ton of 

 cane. The Brix of the milled diffusion chips showed from 1J to 2. 

 Without double shredding the battery gave within to 2 Brix of the 

 mill juice, and left about 16 pounds of sugar in the chips per ton of 

 cane. The purity fell off one to two degrees, but it must be remem- 

 bered that no chemicals were used to prevent it. There is always a 

 percentage, about 2 per cent., of leaves and sheaths which pass the 

 cleaners, and as their purity is very low they must reduce the purity 

 of the diffusion juice. Lime and its salts and sulphites have been used 

 in batteries, and have appeared to give juice of as high a purity as the 

 mill juice; but it would have to be shown that some of the glucose had 

 not been destroyed before the point can be positively settled. Besides, 

 alkalies used on the fiber in the cells and clarifiers where the fiber is 

 present are believed to produce gum. 



It has been observed this season that when scum raised in the chips 

 from heat, while diffusion was going on, that the juice coming from this 

 battery was higher in purity than mill juice. There is no evidence that 

 the air passes through the cane, while being diffused, except when first 

 heated ; neither do the juice or chips turn black while diffusing, as is 

 supposed by some; and the color of the juice will compare favorably 

 with the mill juice. 



INVERSION AND CLARIFYING. 



Considerable inversion has taken place in the house this season. The 

 most of the inversion takes place by permitting the juice to stand hot 

 for a considerable time in tanks, and in process of manufacture this 

 should be carefully avoided. 



This is the third year during which we have used no clarifiers, and the 

 writer does not see what use they are with the present knowledge of 

 the juice. Alkalies used too freely in the battery or in the clarifiers 

 when fiber is mechanically suspended are thought to produce gum and 

 prevent crystallization, although the instruments may show no loss 

 from inversion. After the juice has been filtered, the addition of alkali 

 in not too large quantities, so that the juice would be neutral, or, better 

 still, slightly acid, would no doubt prevent some inversion. The cor- 

 rect method of properly clarifying the juice of the sorghum so that the 

 " not sugar" parts can be precipitated, and the purity be made to gain 

 largely, is not known to the writer. Kapid running in the diffusion 

 battery and quick running in the open evaporator will almost entirely 

 prevent the inversion of sugar. 



COMMERCIAL POINTS AND AUXILIARY HOUSES. 



The auxiliary houses have been steadily kept in view during the sea- 

 son's work, and the fact has been remembered that the industry will 

 spread and succeed at a much quicker rate if the capital necessary to 



