96 



I do not think, therefore, that it is extravagant to believe that with 

 the best culture and most economical method of manufacture the yield 

 per ton of cane in Louisiana may be brought up to 200 pounds. The 

 introduction of diffusion means almost a complete rehabilitation of the 

 average sugar house. It would be unreasonable to expect that plant- 

 ers will have the money and the desire to undertake such a radical 

 change, or at least to make it rapidly. 



But it seems to me that the gradual introduction of diffusion, with 

 its concomitant machinery, will work a great change in the sugar in- 

 dustry of the South, bringing success and prosperity where, for years, 

 a hard struggle for existence has been going on. 



The final result, I sincerely hope, will bring into cultivation the ex- 

 tensive areas of rich sugar lands nofir lying idle and increase the pro- 

 duction of the State of Louisiana to 500,000 tons annually. 



I can not close this report without expressing my hearty appreciation 

 of the support I have received from the sugar planters. The great 

 majority of them were skeptical in respect of the process, but all were 

 anxious that a thorough trial should be made. 



Particularly I desire to thank Governor Warmoth for his constant 

 and enthusiastic support and for generously giving $5,000 and more to 

 continue experiments, when the funds appropriated for the"rn had been 

 exhausted by the expensive delays caused by the cyclone and imperfec- , 

 tious in the machinery. Without this timely aid the whole work would 

 have been stopped on the very threshold of success. 



The advice and encouragement of Messrs. Dymond and McCall, mem- 

 bers of the advisory committee, helped me greatly during the most try- 

 ing days of the work, when it seemed an almost hopeless task to wrestle 

 further with difficulties of a purely mechanical nature. 



The active co-operation of Mr. J. B. Wilkinson, jr., was a source of 

 constant assistance during the whole progress of the work, which is 

 but inadequately recognized by a simple sentence of thanks. 



Of my own assistants, Messrs. Barthelemy and Spencer had charge of 

 the erection of the building and of the apparatus, except that put up by 

 the Col well Company. 



Mr. Barthelemy took charge of the sugar making during the various 

 trials and Mr. Spencer had the general supervision of the diffusion 

 process and particularly of the limekiln and carbonatation apparatus. 

 Messrs. Crampton and Fake took charge of the chemical work. Mr. 

 John Dugan was master of diffusion. Mr. E. Sieg, as consulting engi- 

 neer, rendered much assistance. His long experience and thorough 

 knowledge of the literature of diffusion rendered his services particu- 

 larly valuable. 



Finally) I will say that no one recognizes more fully than myself the 

 many imperfections noticed during the progress of the experiments in 

 the machinery and methods employed. I have endeavored not to con- 

 ceal these, believing that in pointing them out a service is rendered the 

 public onlv less valuable than that secured by complete success, 



