CANE SUGAR. 



5. In Mauritius a peculiar apparatus known as a Sac Portal (Fig. 11+1) 

 is frequently used ; this consists of a shallow tank about 1 foot deep, and 

 about 15 feet in length and breadth; the tank is divided into compartments 

 about 1 foot wide by divisions parallel to the sides ; at alternate ends of these 

 divisions the partition is cut away to a depth of 1 inch, and to a length of 1 

 foot ; juice being admitted to the tank at one corner fills the compartment, 

 overflows at the far end. changes its direction, fills the next compartment, 

 again overflows, and so on. The juice has to travel in this way a distance of 

 about 200 feet, and during all that time it is depositing the suspended dirt. One 

 apparatus will work continuously for twelve hours, and give a fairly bright 

 and clear juice, but not comparable with filtered juice. 



6. In Australia 1 a continuous clarifier is in use. It consists of a cylin- 

 drical vessel about six feet high, mounted on a conical vessel also about six 

 feet deep. The clarifier is capable of holding an hour's output of the mills, so 

 that the dimensions become very large. The juice is introduced by a pipe 

 which passes over the side of the vessel, and divides at the junction of the 

 cone and cylinder into eight branches, the juice being projected against the 



A n 



Elevct ft'f>t o/ far f if COTI Flo. ee 

 FlG. HI. 



sides of the cone. As the vessel fills there is a very slow upward movement 

 of juice, the dirt having time to settle. A gutter runs round the upper edge 

 of the cylinder, into which the clear juice flows, the dirt depositing on the 

 sides of the cone. Periodically this dirt is scraped off and the accumulated 

 deposit discharged without interrupting the working of the apparatus. 



7. In San Domingo 1 the cold limed juice is introduced at the bottom of a 

 double-bottomed clarifier. Within the latter is arranged a cylinder reaching 

 to within six inches of the bottom and to within twelve inches of the clarifier. 

 The short leg of a syphon reaching nearly to the bottom is placed within the 

 cylinder and serves to continuously draw off the juice. The juice is kept at a 

 temperature of 208-210 F., at which temperature the scums rise to the 



242 



