48 



REPOIIT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



dmrge of fresli chips, and the process now goes on regularly, nine cells 

 being always iu use and two being tilled or emptied. 



RESULTS. 



Careful analyses were made during the process of the experiments to 

 determine the completeness of the extraction and the character and 

 quality of the diffusion juices, and to compare them with the juices of 

 the same canes obtained from, the mill. The diffusion cells held 18.2 

 kilograms (40 pounds) of chips. This quantity was weighed and put in 

 each cell. The cell, after being filled with chips, would still hold 

 nearly 22 kilograms of water (48 pounds). The exhausted chips were 

 found to have increased in weight, so that each cell-full weighed nearly 

 22 kilograms. The charge and discharge of the cell, therefore, are rep- 

 resented by the following table: 



Kilograms. 



Weight of chips taken 18 



Weight of exhausted chips 22 



Weight of diffusion juice drawn off 22 



Weight of waste water 22 



Per cem. diffusion juice to weight of chips 122 



Each 100 parts chips gave of juice 122 parts. 



INCREASE IN VOLUME OF DIFFUSION JUICE OVER MILL JUICE. 



A large number of experiments has shown that the total content of 

 juice in the cane is 89 per cent, (nearly). Of this amount about 85 per 

 cent, are extracted by diffusion. "Whence it follows that a mill which 

 would extract as much of the saccharine matter as diff usion would give, 

 for each 100 parts cane, 85 parts ; by diffusion, for 100 parts cane, 122 

 parts; or 100 parts mill juice are represented by 113.5 parts diffusion 

 j uice. It thus appears that the amount of evaporation required for diffu- 

 sion juice is a little less than one-half more than that required for mill 

 juice. Nearly 180 experiments made this year with diffusion have 

 shown that only about one-half of one per cent, of sucrose is lost in the 

 pulp and waste water. Let us take, therefore, for instance, as an illus- 

 tration a cane containing 12 per cent, sugar : 



100 kilograms of this cane contain of sugar kilograms.. 12 



Loss, .5 percent do 2.5 



Sugar obtained by diffusion _ do . . 9. 9.5 



Per cent, sugar obtained by diffusion 80 



100 kilograms of cane contain of juice kilograms.. 89 



Obtained by mill do 50 



Per cent, obtained by mill 55 



Per cent, sugar obtained by mill 6. G 



Per cent, sugar obtained by diffusion 9. 5 



Per cent, sugar gained by diffusion 2. 9 



Per cent, sugar gained to total sugar 24 



Thus allowing a liberal loss of sugar in diffusion, and taking a fair 

 average result of single milling, we find a gain of 24 per cent, in sugar. 



We will compare this theoretical result with one obtained, in actual 

 practice : 



Experiments in diffusion run of November 9, 1883.* 



Cane diffused kilograms. . 990. 00 



Juice obtained do 1,210.00 



Wastewater do 1,210.00 



Pulp do.... 1,210.00 



* Boiled to scmi-sixup on this date and to inelada several days later. 



