12 



MACHINERY FOR HANDLING THE CANE. 



The apparatus for taking the cane from the carts and delivering it to 

 the cutters was designed bj Mr. W. L. Parkinson. The carts for bring- 

 ing the cane from the fields are provided with a rack of peculiar construc- 

 tion. On this rack are placed ropes in such a manner that when the 

 cart arrives at the unloading station the ropes can be brought together, 

 inclosing the whole load of cane. By means of a power drum the entire 

 load is drawn from the cart onto a weighing-truck running on a tram- 

 way. 



As soon as the weighing is completed the truck is moved along the 

 way until it comes opposite the cane-carrier. ' It is drawn from the truck 

 by means of a power drum and is dragged down an inclined plane in 

 large armfuls to the carrier. The carrier runs at right angles to the 

 length of the cane and to the elevators which deliver the canes to the 

 cutters. As the cane is carried along this feed-table the heads are cut 

 off by a circular saw running at a high rate of speed. The heads which, 

 escape the saw are afterwards cut off by hand. The canes then pass to 

 a point midway over the three elevators leading to the cutters. Thence 

 by means of an ingenious contrivance it can be dropped into either car- 

 rier at will. The apparatus worked well, but aside from the removal of 

 the tops I doubt whether so complicated a piece of machinery is neces- 

 sary. 



CARBON AT ATION APPARATUS. 



This apparatus consists of a lime kiln, washer for the gas, carbonic- 

 acid pump, and carbonatation tanks. 



LIME-KILN. 



The lime-kiln was built by Mr. G. L. Spencer, with castings and plans 

 from the Hallesche Maschinenfabrik. The pump was built by the same 

 firm, but was purchased, as well as the castings just mentioned, from 

 the Portland Beet Sugar Company. After the workmen learned how 

 to conduct the operations at the kiln we had no trouble with its manip- 

 ulation. It furnished an abundant supply of gas, and an amount of 

 lime in large excess of the quantity required. 



The limestone at first furnished contained a large quantity of cement 

 and was unfit for use. In all, several days' delay was caused by this 

 imperfection. 



After reasonably good limestone was obtained all worked well. The 

 analyses of the limestones employed will be found among the analyti- 

 cal data. The drawings and detailed description of the lime-kiln are 

 found in Bulletin No. 8. 



THE PUMP. 



The pump was delivered to us in that state of imperfection which 

 three months of very hard usage and six years of disuse produce. 



