80 



This difference is due either to error of experiment or to the equal- 

 izing effect of large quantities of juice or to a slight inversion in the 

 double-effect vacuum pan. 



It is interesting to note this, as it is the first time that the Lillie patent 

 has ever been used as a double effect. It is true, the pan gave a great 

 deal of trouble and caused a great deal of delay during the working 

 season. This was due, first, to the fact that the pumps put in to keep 

 up the circulation of the juice, viz, rotary pumps, were not suited to the 

 work, and secondly and chiefly, because the effect had been hurriedly 

 and carelessly put up by inexperienced workmen. At the close of the 

 season centrifugal pumps were substituted for therotaries and the pan 

 thoroughly overhauled by an engineer from Philadelphia, and it then 

 gave satisfaction. The inside of the juice-tubes became rapidly coated 

 with a hard scale, which necessitated their being cleaned every four or 

 five days. This scale was due principally to the mineral water, which 

 will be referred to in another connection. 



The first sugar made was grained in the wagons. The grain was 

 small, and as it had been allowed to stand for a considerable length of 

 time and become cold, it was difficult to free it in the centrifugals from 

 the gummy matters. Table No. 7 gives the polarization of this prod- 

 uct. All of it was reboiled and used for enriching the semi-sirups, 

 hence the high purity and increased percentage of sucrose in the masse 

 cuites and molasses over and above the semi-sirups. The samples of 

 the masse cuites were taken from the mixer, and the samples of molasses 

 taken from time to time from the storage tanks and barrels give the 

 average composition of this product for the season. The purity of the 

 molasses from the enriched sirups is higher than the purity of the semi- 

 sirups at Fort Scott in 1887, but as the molasses could be disposed of, 

 it was considered more profitable to sell it than to work it for seconds. 



The water from the well proved upon examination to be highly 

 charged with mineral matter, containing 318 grains to the gallon. This 

 was chiefly gypsum, together with some little magnesium sulphate and 

 sodium chloride. A 10 per cent, solution of sugar prepared with this 

 water and evaporated to a thick sirup showed no more inversion than 

 a solution of the same strength made up with distilled water and evapo- 

 rated. The addition of acetate of lime to the solution had no inverting 

 action. 



The water gave particular trouble in the boilers, forming rapidly a 

 heavy scale. The want of proper cleaning in the early part of the sea- 

 son caused burning of the boilers on November 4 and stopped the work. 

 The latter part of the season the vapor water was run into a pond and 

 used for diffusion purposes. This water was strongly acid, due to the 

 decomposition of organic matter, and not much of an improvement on 

 the well water. On account of the foaming it was difficult also to use 

 it in the boilers. 



In the few samples of masse-cuite not enriched the proportion of 



