92 



(2) That with a slight excess of lime, precipitated with carbonic acid, 

 lignite caii be successfully used to increase the filtering surface. 



(3) The decolorizing power of lignite varies with the nature of the 

 sample. In some cases this property is present in a high degree; in 

 others, entirely absent. 



(4) The successful working of the process on a small scale would 

 indicate that it might be worked commercially. 



(5) In juices as pure as those of sugar-canes, filtration through lig- 

 nite, even if easily done, does not seem to be necessary. 



I had expected to have Mr. Thompson's complete report on the 

 experiments with lignite before this time, but it has not yet been re- 

 ceived. 



COMPARATIVE YIELD FROM MILL AND DIFFUSION BATTERY. 



The comparative yield from the cane-mill and the diffusion battery 

 is given by Governor Warmoth in a paper read before the Planter's 

 Association at the February meeting, viz : 



The first cane worked was from second-year stubble, and it gave us 146 pounds of 

 first sugar to the ton and 40 pounds of seconds. 



The molasses was put into the cisterns with the other, and we can not give any 

 estimate of the thirds. Our mill gave ua 145 pounds first and second sugars from this 

 cane. 



The next test was from some green cane, grown on new land, yielding 28 tons of 

 cane per acre considerably blown down and sprouted in a small degree. This had 

 much less sugar in it than the first cane. Yet we got 128 pounds of first sugar and 43 

 pounds second sugar per ton from it. 



Our mill gave us 140 pounds of first and second sugar per ton from this cane. 



The next run gave us 165.5 pounds firsts, 45.9 of seconds ; total, 211.4 pounds, with 

 thirds in the wagons, which we estimate will give us 15 pounds more, a total of 226.4 

 pounds. 



The next run was on 450 tons of cane, beginning on the 13th of January, ending on 

 the 18th, This cane was rich and fine. It had been killed on the 26th of December, 

 was not windrowed, but was in fine condition. From this cane diffusion gave us 181 

 pounds of first sugar and grained seconds, with enough left in the wagons to bring it 

 up to 223 pounda. From this cane we got 193 pounds of first and second sugar by our 

 mill.* 



All of this shows about the same difference between diffusion and our mill- work of 

 about 35 pounds of sugar per ton of cane. I do not mean to be invidious when I say 

 that I think we got a little better extraction by our mill than any of our neighbors. 

 My friend, Mr. Dan Thompson, got more sugar to the ton of cane in 1886 than we did, 

 but this result was obtained not so much by his extraction as by the skillful work in 

 the balance of his house, in which I firmly believe the equal does not exist in Lou- 

 isiana. 



It is safe to say that the average yield per ton of cane in the State is not over 110 

 pounda. I believe diffusion will bring the average up to within the neighborhood of 

 200 pounds a gain of certainly 75 pounds, and perhaps 90 pounds, per ton of cane. 



* Mr. Thompson's report was received March 5. See Appendix B. 



NOTE. In respect of the last run, the analytical data show that the cane worked by 

 the mill during its last run, from which 193 pounds per ton were made, was richer in 

 sucrose by nearly 1 per cent, than that worked at the last diffusion run. 



