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been properly tempered, and this prevented the use of this cutter for 

 the preliminary experiments. 



Mr. E. Sieg, of New Orleans, who had had large experience in work- 

 ing cane-cutters in Louisiana in 1874 and the following years, was also 

 instructed to build a cutter with vertical disk and multiple feed. We 

 found, however, that the time at his disposal was too short to permit 

 the building of such a machine as he desired. 



On October 6, 1 received the following instructions : 



You are hereby instructed to go to Fort Scott, Kans., and after inspecting the work 

 of the Department there in the manufacture of sugar, you will proceed to Lawrence, 

 La., to conduct the work of the Department at that place in the application of diffu- 

 sion to the extraction of sugar from sugar-cane . 



You are also authorized to travel between Magnolia Station and New Orleans as 

 often as may be necessary to secure the proper conduct of public business. 



Very respectfully, 



NORMAN J. COLMAN, 



Commissioner. 



In obedience to the above instructions I reached Magnolia on the 

 evening of October 17, 1887. The experimental work was conducted 

 without being complicated by the use of any process or machinery in 

 which any one in the employment of the Department had any patented 

 or financial interest whatever. The sole object in view was to benefit 

 those engaged in the manufacture of sugar in all parts of the country. 

 Experiments conducted at public expense should, in my opinion, be for 

 the public good, and not for the benefit of a private individual or cor- 

 poration. 



On the morning of the 19th the diffusion building was badly injured 

 by a cyclone. The water tank to supply the battery, together with the 

 tower supporting it, was blown on to Governor Warmoth's sugar-house, 

 causing great damage. Nearly a month was required to repair the dam- 

 age and restore the building and apparatus to the condition in which it 

 was before the storm. 



The delays incident to the working of new machinery were numerous. 

 The original plan contemplated having all the machinery ready by the 

 1st of October, thus permitting a series of preliminary trials extending 

 over a month before the regular season began. 



Instead of this, however, unavoidable delays, incident to the imper- 

 fections of the machinery and the damage of the storm, postponed even 

 the preliminary experiments until the beginning of December. 



A recital of the details of these delays would only lengthen the re- 

 port without adding anything to its value. It must be said, however, 

 in this connection that the gentlemen associated with me worked ear- 

 nestly and faithfully through all the discouragements attending the 

 preparation of the machinery. 



Mr. Ernest Schulze, representing the Sangerhauser Company, was 

 also present, and rendered valuable assistance in putting his cane- 

 slicer in working order. 



