SUGAK. 



183 



West Indies the consumption of coal has been reduced to a quarter 

 of a ton per ton of sugar ; but this is in addition to the megass, and 

 triple- action concentrators are in use. The quantity of extra fuel 

 required in any case depends upon the percentage of juice pressed 

 out. From Mr. Black's experiments at Magaga, dry megass appears 

 to contain 10 per cent, of moisture. Payen gives the composition of 

 Otaheite cane at maturity as, water 71 per cent., sugar 18 per cent., 

 and ligneous and other matters 11 per cent.; consequently the com- 

 position of dry megass may be assumed for different degrees of press- 

 ing to be as follows : 





Percentage of juice pressed out .. 

 Water dried out of megass . . 



„ left in dry megass . . 

 Sugar „ ,, .... 

 Ligneous matter, &c., left in dryj 



60-0 

 211 

 1-9 

 6-0 



11-0 



70-0 

 13-6 

 1-6 

 3-8 



11-0 



80-0 

 5-7 

 1-5 

 1-8 



11-0 









100-0 



100-0 



100-0 







Percentage of sugar and ligneousl 



28-3 



21-1 



17-3 





"The last set of figures shows how rapidly the fuel available 

 decreases with the increased yield of the cane mills. In such great 

 factories as that at Aba, when worked only to about a quarter of their 

 power, great loss arises from condensation in long and large steam 

 pipes, as well as from frequent stoppages for want of cane, and from 

 the nature of the case, a really trustworthy return could only be 

 obtained from records kept during the whole crop. The megass being 

 spread out to dry over many acres of land, it is dif&cult to bring it 

 in with the necessary regularity, so that observations taken only 

 from day to day would most likely be deceptive. The Aba mill, 

 however, was run some days by burning megass only, but no record 

 exists as to how the stock of megass which was in course of drying 

 was affected. 



" The cost of the machinery, iron buildings, and roofs of the Aba 

 factory in England, including also the animal charcoal filters and 

 reburning apparatus, which were supplied as a measure of precaution, 

 but never erected, was 90,000Z. The cost of the Bene Mazar factory 

 for machinery and iron buildings was 130,000Z. Correcting the cost 

 of the Aba factory so as to bring it up to the same powers of pro- 

 duction as Bene Mazar factory — but deducting the cost of the 

 charcoal apparatus — the amount would be 100,000Z., thus showing an 

 economy in favour of the sulphurous acid gas over the animal char- 

 coal process, in producing white sugar, of 30,000?. on the capital 

 account, in addition to a saving of 14,000Z. for the first year, and 

 7500L per annum afterwards, in animal charcoal, and labour and fuel 

 in using it. The Aba factory was ordered in April, 1870, and the 

 whole was made and shipped before the April following. The Bene 



