83 



The numerous defects in the battery and the cutter having been 

 remedied, the apparatus of the Colwell Company was accepted on De- 

 cember 11, 1887. 



Mr. A. W. Colwell, the president of the company, was present during 

 the 'final trials of the battery, arid rendered valuable assistance in 

 putting it into working order. The defects in both cutter and battery 

 were of a minor character, but were such as to greatly delay the use of 

 new machinery for new purposes. The final working of all the machin- 

 ery was excellent and satisfactory. The season's experiments, how- 

 ever, disclosed many improvements of a seemingly trivial nature, but 

 by the adoption of which a more economical working of the diffusion 

 process can be secured. These improvements will be discussed in 

 another place. 



The first results from the experiments were obtained from the run of 

 December 3, 1887. 



The juice was treated with .3 per cent, its weight of lime, and after 

 the precipitation of the lime with carbonic dioxide, an amount of lignite 

 equal to 10 per cent, of the weight of the sugar present was added. 



The juice filtered readily through the presses, forming firm, hard 

 cakes. The filtered juice was treated with phosphate of soda, 15 pounds 

 of this salt being added for each 5,000 pounds of juice. 



The phosphate produced an abundant flocculent precipitate, which 

 filtered easily through the twin filter presses, giving a juice of remark 

 able limpidity. The masse-cuite, however, was dark, and the molasses 

 much inferior in color to that made by the use of bone-black and ordi- 

 nary clarification. 



The phosphate of soda did not produce as favorable results as had 

 been expected, and its further use was discontinued. 



Following ar the data obtained in Jhe first run : 



First diffusion run, December 3, 1887. 



