52 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



to be the most promising aid in securing a greater density. But there 

 is no reason to hesitate in combining all three of these proposed meth- 

 ods of securing a heavier product in case any one alone should fail. 

 The best way of all to have secured a denser juice would have been to 

 use a less quantity of water. It is probable, from a study of the ana- 

 lytical data, that the proper weight of water to use would be equal to 

 the weight of the chips diffused. In this way, if all the other condi- 

 tions of manipulation were properly attended to, a juice of 1.05 specific 

 gravity would be secured from canes giving a mill-juice of LOG. 



(2.) The discrepancy which exists between the data furnished by the 

 analyses and those obtained by the weight of the cane diffused" and 

 iuices obtained is the most unsatisfactory result of the work done. 



It appears from the analyses that the total sugars left in the chips 

 and lost in the waste water are — 





Sucrose. 



Other 

 sugars. 





.468 

 .094 



.159 



. 102 







.572 



.271 





In all, .843 per cent. The total sugars in the canes worked was 

 13.12 — (13.12 x. 11) =11.68 per cent., and the per cent, of sugar 

 extracted (by analysis) is (11.68— .843)4-11.68=92.78. According to 

 the record of weight and measurement kept at the sugar-house, the 

 total percentage of sugar extracted was about 85. In the two days' 

 run, when the juice obtained was boiled separately in a small vacuum 

 pan to masse cuite, the weight of the melada obtained was, in round 

 numbers, 11 per cent, of the cane. This shows that the results of the 

 analyses were borne out by the amount of melada obtained. 



It 'would be fair, in giving a summary of the work, to base it on a 

 mean of these two sets of results. We prefer, however, to take the 

 lower numbers as a basis, as much injury may be done by generalizing 

 on a few good results and taking no account of those of an inferior 

 order. 



SUCCESS. 



Respecting the success which attended the experiments, the following 

 statements may be made : 



(1.) The extraction of at least 85 per cent, of the total sugars present 

 was secured. In many of the experiments, as will be seen by consult- 

 ing the table, scarcely a trace of sugar could be detected in the ex- 

 hausted chips. 



(2.) The production of a quantity of melada represented by from 10.9 

 to 12.28 per cent, of the weight of the cane diffused. 



This was secured with a cane in which the total sugars did not exceed 

 11.68 per cent. The percentage of melada by this process will be found 

 just about equal to the per cent, of total sugars in the cane. 



It ought to be greater with a more perfect extraction, but we are 

 speaking only of results actually obtained. 



This yield is just about double that obtained by the large factories at 

 Eio Grande, Champaign, and other places. 



(3.) The production of a juice of great purity, which lends itself easily 

 to processes of depuration. 



