48 TiMEHRI. 



the larger the quantity of sugar obtained from a 

 given weight of canes, by so much the cheaper will 

 be the constant expenditure per ton sugar manufac- 

 tured. 



Before diffusion was fairly established much appre- 

 hension was entertained in reference to the water- 

 supply question. But these fears have vanished along 

 with a good many others conne6led with the new 

 process, now that experience has shown that an abundant 

 supply can always be obtained from the condensers of 

 the various evaporating apparatus. Neither does it 

 appear to matter much whether the water is pure, dirty, 

 or sour, or even somewhat contaminated with lees. In 

 December, 1888, the water supply on the various Deme- 

 rara estates was about as short as it ever has been ; 

 Nonpareil, was no exception to the general rule, and the 

 new process was very severely tested with reference to 

 every possible drawback to which it could possibly be 

 subje6led by such a state of affairs, but the results ob- 

 tained were nevertheless excellent, and none of the 

 provisions that had been made for the purification of the 

 water were ever brought into use. They were not 

 wanted even with absolutely stinking water. In such a 

 drought as is now referred to, when the Water Conser- 

 vancy scheme was of no avail, and the estates' trenches 

 were rapidly drying up, it was not possible to throw 

 away a drop of the affe6led water, either from the con- 

 densers, or from the exhausted slices after squeezing. 

 This was all therefore returned to the navigation trenches, 

 and used over and over again for some weeks, without 

 any perceptible injury to the results obtained by the 

 process of diffusion. When the water smelt very badly. 



