SUGAR-CANE JUICE CLARIFICATION. 7 
press cloths, leaving them clean and in good condition for another 
filtration. 
By this method of clarification a clean, clear, bright juice was 
obtained. Only the insoluble material in the original juice or 
that flocculated by heat was removed, that is, the material which 
the simple process of straining and skimming attempts to remove 
and does less thoroughly. After filtration by this method, it was 
necessary only to evaporate the resulting clear juice to sirup. As no 
further " skimmings " appeared the full heating capacity of the 
evaporators could be employed and evaporation was conducted as 
rapidly as the type of evaporator in use permitted. 
The resulting sirup was not absolutely clear, owing to the separa- 
tion during concentration of material which was soluble in the thin 
juice, but insoluble in the more concentrated sirup. However, this 
material formed only a slight cloud in the sirup, which is not ob- 
jectionable. All the dregs and dirty-looking material which un- 
fortunately are so characteristic of the usual run of cane sirup were 
removed by the filtration process, making the final sirup clean and 
pleasing to the eye. The color of the sirup made by this process 
was much better than that of the average unbleached cane sirup, as 
no particles of bagasse or other trash were present to stick to the 
coils or sides of the evaporators and cause discoloration by burn- 
ing. Also the juice could be cooked to sirup more rapidly, allowing 
the man in charge to give his whole attention to the evaporation 
without having to worry about skimming or to take care lest "the 
skimmings boil in." 
After this method of clarifying, the juice is in good condition to 
be evaporated under diminished pressure in one of the various 
types of vacuum evaporators, for it is clean and no additional scum 
forms as the evaporation proceeds. 
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS. 
A description of a new method or process of manufacture would 
not be complete if it did not give an estimate of its practicability, 
convenience, cost, and advantages in comparison with the processes 
in general use at the present time. For purposes of comparison the 
prevailing methods of making sirup may be classified into three 
groups : 
1. The method used by the individual farmer who raises only a 
few acres of cane and makes this cane into sirup by his own labor 
• and that of his hired help. His equipment consists usually of a 
comparatively small mill, operated either by horsepower or by a 
gasoline engine. The juice is evaporated in a kettle, home-made vat, 
or baffle-plate evaporator placed directly over a wood fire. The daily 
production is seldom over 300 gallons and is often less than 100 
gallons. 
