41 



THE CUTTING AND CLEANING APPARATUS. 



This consists of modifications of appliances which have long been 

 used for other purposes. Simple as it is, and presenting only mechan- 

 ical problems, the cutting, cleaning, and elevating apparatus is likely 

 to be the source of more delays and perplexities in the operation of the 

 sugar factory than any other part. 



The diffusion battery in good hands works perfectly; the clarification 

 of the juice causes no delays; the concentration to the condition of 

 semi-sirup may be readily, rapidly, and surely effected in apparatus 

 which has been brought to great perfection by long experience, and in 

 many forms; the work at the strike-pan requires only to be placed in 

 the hands of an expert ; the mixer never fails to do its duty. There 

 are various forms of centrifugal machines on the market, some of which 

 are nearly perfect. If, then, the mechanical work of delivering, cutting, 

 cleaning, and elevating the cane can be accomplished with regularity 

 and rapidity, the operation of a well-adjusted sugar factory should pro- 

 ceed without interruption or delay from Monday morning to Saturday 

 night. 



The machines used at Fort Scott for these purposes have not been 

 described in detail. They need only to be made stronger and simpler. 

 Their general plan is not far from that which is likely to be in general 

 use in the near future. 



The methods of handling cane need some modifications as to details. 

 The arrangement for making the factory engine unload the cane from 

 the farmers' wagons will probably never be abandoned, since it is much 

 more rapid and leaves the cane in better shape than it can be left by 

 hand. 



THE SCIENTIFIC WORK. 



The present favorable condition of the sorghum-sugar industry, like 

 the immense development of the beet-sugar industry of Europe, is in- 

 debted for its existence largely to long-continued scientific work ; and 

 while much of the scientific manipulation which it was once feared would 

 be necessary to success has been eliminated in practice, yet the scientist 

 has not been able to so far simplify the subject as to enable the manu- 

 facturer to dispense with his services. I shall try here to make a plain 

 statement of the scientific work necessary in a sugar factory under de- 

 velopments so far made. 



WHERE THE SCIENTIFIC WORK IS NEEDED. 



It has already been shown that it is only on reaching maturity that 

 sorghum is a profitable sugar plant. To determine when most farm 

 products are ripe is a simple matter of inspection. But it is astonish- 

 ing to note how greatly different will be the views of, say, a dozen prac- 

 tical farmers as to when a given field of wheat is ripe. Experience in 

 judging of the ripeness of sorghum is far less extended than in the case 



