330 TlMEHRI. 
made in the results. He admitted he had been hasty in 
making the remarks that planters would have to go to 
Barbados to learn to grow canes. He felt indebted to 
Mr. Francis for his corre6lion. 
Mr. Francis said that he would like to ask Mr. Matthey 
whether any experiment had been made, showing that 
the juice from diffusion was more pure than that from 
pressure. It appeared to him that when canes were cut 
transverse, the vessels would be laid open and the saps 
would diffuse out into the water. He should think that 
to cut the canes longitudinally would produce the best 
results. He further considered that if the water in 
which the slices were to be steeped was kept up at a 
temperature of about 73 centrigrade the result would be 
almost perfect, as all the sugar would be obtained ; this 
he thought would suit in conjunction with the process 
now being carried on in the colony for paper making to 
utilise the fibre. It was very likely in the future the 
diffusion process would be adopted. 
Mr. Pitman said he had been told that the diffusion 
process was a system that could never be adopted in 
Demerara, as the success of it entirely depended upon a 
supply of water serviceable for diffusion. He would like 
to know whether Mr. Francis or Mr. Matthey agreed 
with this conclusion. 
Mr. Francis said that the water used should be con- 
densed water. 
Mr. Matthey said, a good supply of water for the 
diffusion process could be got from the ordinary vacuum 
pan. 
Mr. Bellairs suggested that experiments should be tried 
on a small scale, and as the results would be interesting 
