A Few Popular Facts About Diffusion. 35 



Now these two batches of "points," as I may term 

 them, do not exhaust the questions associated with the 

 successful working of the diffusion process. There is 

 a third class of problems not yet fully solved, and the 

 final solution of which should add much in the near 

 future to the advantages to be gained by the adoption of 

 diffusion. They may be briefly stated as follows ; — 



istly. The best style of slicing machinery to be adopted; combining 

 the best form of slice suitable for the purposes of diffusion pure and 

 simple, together with the most convenient method of handling the 

 canes. 



2ndly. The best method of preparing the exhausted cane slices for 

 fuel ; whether by double or single crushing ; whether by two or three 

 roller mills.. 



jrdly. The most important and altogether unsettled question con* 

 cerning the proper and complete clarification of diffusion juice. 



I think, gentlemen, I may now say that I have enume- 

 rated all the " burning'' topics conne6led with diffusion, 

 and that the minor questions not touched upon are such 

 as are related to extraflion by the aid of mills equally 

 with diffusion, and therefore call for no notice in the 

 paper I am reading to you to-day. 



I have so far taken it for granted that you are all 

 more or less acquainted with the main principles of 

 diffusion, but perhaps I ought at once to imitate some of 

 my predecessors, and apologize to you for once more 

 endeavouring briefly to define and explain the new pro- 

 cess, which, by the way, I notice Mr. Matthey eulogizes 

 as ** this rational and scientific system." 



Diffusion has been known for very many years as 

 occupying an a6live position in nature and various 

 persons have made frequent efforts to apply this 

 natural principle, as illustrated in Laboratory experi- 



E2 



