Report of Society's Meetings. 207 
stoppage as in England when the mud settled to the 
bottom, and was blown out before starting; however he 
was trying an apparatus to overcome this difficulty of 
settling the mud whilst firing, and if it proved satis- 
factory he would be pleased to place the results before 
the Society. 
Mr. Abell said he would be only too happy to 
furnish Mr. Francis with any samples of water or speci- 
mens of corrosion he thought would further his investiga- 
tion on this subject. 
A cordial vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Abell. 
Mr. D. Skekel read the following paper on " An Im- 
" proved three-roller Sugar Mill" : — 
The unprecedented and long depression the Sugar producing world 
has undergone, and the continued moderate prices obtained for our 
staple product — coupled as far as we can look into the distant future, 
with the uncertainty of any further improvement for the better — must 
be my apology for occupying your time, while I call your particular 
attention, briefly, to a description of the improved Sugar Cane Mill — a 
working model of which is before you for inspection and trial. 
The planting community are now I think agreed that, to hold their 
own against the beet root competition, the most improved machinery 
from the hands of the engineer and the greatest skill in the manu- 
facturing department by the chemist, are the two essentials wanted, 
and the gradual introduction of the most improved machinery into the 
colony testifies to this faft. 
The introduction of the diffusion process on Plantation Nonpareil, 
and the application of the Triple effet apparatus, which is gradually 
displacing the old copper wall, will gradually but surely lead to good 
results. Mechanical subjects usually to those who do not understand 
them, or take an interest in them, are uninteresting and dry ; but as 
several of my professional brethren are present, the subjeft I hope 
will not be void of interest to them ; and the other gentlemen whose 
welfare is centred in the sugar cane product, will not, I hope, consider 
their time unprofitably employed in listening to my discourse as it 
concerns their future prosperity. The horizontal sugar cane mill of 
