24 



Some of tbe results are very unsatisfactory and conflicting, owing to 

 difficulty in controlling the conditions, but I will insert them notwith- 

 standing, hoping that they will at least serve to call attention to the 

 method and secure it a wider application in mill work the coming sea- 

 son, and closer and more careful study. 



The water was added at Des Lignes by means of a rectangular tin 

 box with the bottom pierced full of holes so as to serve as a rose ; this 

 box was about 8 inches wide, and in length somewhat less than the 

 width of the intermediate carrier, over which it was hung. It was 

 connected with an exhaust receiver, and a valve placed just above the 

 rose served to regulate the flow of the hot water through the latter. 

 Probably a better method of application is that used by Mr. Thomp- 

 son at Calumet, which will be found described in Mr. Edson's report. 



The amount of water added at Des Lignes was not subject to any 

 careful regulation. The pressure of the exhaust receiver caused varia- 

 tions in the supply of water, and it was necessary to set the valve in 

 the pipe leading to the rose to correspond ; then the perforations in the 

 latter would become clogged at times, and this would hinder the flow, 

 so that altogether the supply was quite irregular. The general idea 

 followed was to give the bagasse about all the water it would absorb. 

 It was surprising to see how much water would be taken up in this way 

 without dripping from the carrier. The quantity of water which passed 

 through the fine perforations of the rose was not fully appreciated until 

 it was collected by running it off in a trough for a certain length of time 

 and weighing the amount obtained. 



The following results of experiments of this kind made at different 

 times during the season show the amount of water added during a cer- 

 tain time, and indicate the variation in the supply at different periods. 

 The quantities are all calculated to a period of one hour, though the 

 actual time during which the water was collected was in some cases a 

 shorter and in some a longer period : 



Lbs. Galls. 



First experiment, November 13 1,818 or 218 



Second experiment, November 14 1,500 180 



Third experiment, November 16 1,356 163 



Fourth experiment, November 24 1,776 213 



Fifth experiment, November 30 2, 622 315 



The last trial given was made in connection with an experiment to be 

 described later on, in which an extra quantity of water was used ; omit- 

 ting this, the average of four trials gives 1,612 pounds or 193 gallons of 

 water added in an hour. The average quantity of cane ground per 

 hour was about 10 tons. Taking the extraction of the mills without 

 water as being 68 per cent., this would be a dilution of about 12 per 

 cent. This is a rough estimate, of course, and a better basis of calcula- 

 tion is afforded by the following table, giving the results of comparative 

 analyses of juices from the mill with and without water. The samples 



