A 7 :s : 2 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY. - BULLETIN No. 23. — RECORD OF EXPERIMENTS AT THE SUGAR EXPERIMENT STATION ON CALUMET PLANTATION, PATTERSONVILLE, LA HUBERT ED SiajANT I\ LiABORAl PUBLISHED BY AITTII >KH V <)K THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT n:ivi DIG 1 %i ■4bo-swsjzJ^vHsesv<~''t'z~ - »/ J. M. RUSK, 6/ecietaiy #/ < . 7 wtwasie. c/ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY. BULLETIN No. 23. RECORD OF EXPERIMENTS AT THE SCGAk EXPERIMENT STATION ON CALUMET PLANTATION, PATTERSONVILLE, LA BY HUBERT EDSON Assistant in Laboratory. PUBLISHED i;V AUTH IRITY oK THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. L889. i : PREFATORY NOTE. Sir : In submitting to you the results of Mr. Hubert Edson's work at Calumet Plantation, La., during 1888, I desire to call your particular attention to the fact that the yield of sugar by the milling process reached the unprecedented amount of over 200 pounds per ton. This remarkable yield was the result of a rich crop and careful chemical and technical control of the factory. It is believed that the data of this work here published will prove of great benefit to the sugar planters of the country. Respectfully, H. W. Wiley, Chemist. Hon. J. M. Rusk, Secretary. 3 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, August 3, 18S9. Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith the first report from Calu met sugar factory to the Department. Respectfully, Hubert Edson. Dr. H. W. Wiley, Chief Chemist. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/recexperimeOOedso REPORT OF EXPERIMENTS AT CALUMET SUGAR FACTORY, SEASON 1888-'89. The present being the first report from Calumet plantation published in the bulletins of this Department, it will be useful, for a proper un. derstauding of the data given, briefly to describe the machinery with which the recorded results were obtained. The following is kindly furnished by Mr. Wibray J. Thompson, who, having for many years had entire control of the factory, is familiar with the apparatus in every detail of construction, capacity, etc. I. REPORT OF CALUMET SUGAR FACTORY, LOUISIANA.— CAMPAIGN 1888-89. This factory is located on the immediate bank of the Bayou Teche, 4J miles above the post-office town of Patterson, parish St. Mary, La., and has therefore an unlimited supply of water, well adapted to every sugar factory purpose. It is the result of additions and extensions made to an establishment began before but left in ruins by the war. TIIE PLANT. Its plant consists of : (1) Five-roller mill j (2) bagasse burner of the so-called Taylor type,. the boiler setting being the invention of Mr. Lewis S. Clark, proprietor of the neighboring Lagonda factory; (3) eight copper clarifiers, with a capacity of L,306. 3 gallons each ; (4) live Kroog filter presses, manufactured by the Sangerhansen Machine Com- pany, Germany, of 220 square feci filtering area each; (5) vertical double effect of 2,000 square feet heating surface per pan ; (6) eight foot vacuum pan, affording 337 square feet heating surface, operated at L5 pounds; average steam pressure ; (7) Beveu Weston centrifugals, divided into one battery of four for first sugars and one of three for wagon sugars; together with appropriate pumps, sugar packers, elec- tric, lighting apparatus, machine shop, and their appurtenances. 7 THE BOILERS. In addition to the three boilers fired exclusively by bagassee are two batteries, both arranged for coal, nominally of about equivalent horse power with one another and with the bagasse battery: (1) Four double fine boilers, 2G feet long, 42 inches diameter; flues 15j inches diameter: (2) two 17 -flue boilers, 22 feet long, 54 inches diameter; flues C inches diameter. Of these one battery only is operated at one time, alterna- tion every second week permitting their maintenance in superior condi- tion. Average coal consumed per ton of cane and per 1,000 pounds of commercial sugar during each of the last three campaigns has been as follows: 1886-'S7. 1887-88. 1888-'89. Average coal per ton of cane pounds Average coal per thousand pounds of su<;ar ..pounds 105.4 G53.0 117. S G65. 5 130.41 630. 48 The three years' average per 1,000 pounds of sugar is believed to be the most satisfactory ever recorded for Louisiana. Steam is main- tained for the wagon-room until the drying of any thirds is completed which may have been boiled, this in 18S7-'88 beiug only on May 17. ]So thirds were made in 188G-'87. The coal, as stated, is for all pur- poses, including washing of house, preliminary trials of machinery, warming of sleeping and other apartments, electric lighting, etc., and is all actually weighed. "No hot water being allowed to escape from the establishment, the boilers are supplied almost entirely with hot distilled water. The small quantity required aside from this return is first fil- tered by a Hyatt apparatus. THE MILLS. The mills are operated by a single, adjustable cut-off engine, cylinder 24 inches diameter by 48 inches stroke. This is provided with Corless valves and the Joy expansion gear. The cut-off being ordinarily ac- complished only at 42 inches, the engine is practically controlled by the wire-drawing of its governor, a practice rendered permissible by the use of its exhaust, under about 4 pounds average pressure, in juice concentration by double effect An average of 43 revolutions of the engine I8 maintained, under 95 pounds initial steam-pressure. For every 100 revolutions of the engine the first or three-roller mill accom- plishes 5.142 and the back or two roller mill 4.210 revolutions. The principal dimensions of the t wo mills are given below : Length CM lolls in 1 'A ., II collars. Dtametei of rolls, 1 >l.l Ml - .■I, , of shalves. Length <>i journals. Diameter 0f journals. roller mill Two roll i mill In. In s u l- lining. Tneh$t. n 10) Both mills are heavily double geared with steel pinions and crown wheels throughout, neither being provided with hydraulic or other safety or pressure regulating attachments. The back mill is driven by its lower roll shaft, and is provided with a roughening device believed to possess much merit. The mills are separated 15 feet between cen- ters. Saturation between them was first introduced this season, be- ginning about the middle of its third run. This will find full discussion later. This apparatus is operated upon a plan quite unlike that customary in the milling of cane in Louisiana in that the feed upon the carriers is maintained as uniform at all times as possible, variations in the amount of cane consumed being regulated to that received from the fields as nearly as practicable by altering the speed of the engine, the governor to which is provided with a speeding device. The speed of the centrif- ugals is likewise regulated to the necessaries of the sugar being dried. The otherwise constant necessity for a change of the mills "set" is thus obviated, insuring a uniformity of expression and a reduction of time lost to be better secured only, it is believed, by the hydraulic-pressure regulator. The average juice extraction of this mill for a series of years, expressed in percents of the canes' weight, has been : 1885-'8G. 188V87. 1887-'88. 1888-'89. Extraction of 5-roll mill juice (per cent, of cane). 76.30 73.90 74. CO 72. 4:> That of the three-roll mill prior to the erection of the supplemental rolls, the same engineer remaining in charge throughout, was — 1881-'82. 1882-'83. 1883-84. Extraction of 3-roll mill .juice (percent, of came) . Gl. 70 C) G9.84 05.03 * Inundated ; no crop. This indicates an average advantage, by campaigns of 7.58 per cent, juice on the canes' weight, to the credit of the supplemental mill, in which do account is taken of the variations in the character of the canes or the quantity of these treated per hour, which remain much more constant in Louisiana than upon more tropical estates. M I NOR CONY K.N I ENOES. The minor conveniences of the establishment are as perfect as they are unusual, and are mentioned as contributing largely to the excel- lence Of results attained by it, and as worthy of imitation. Twont y-l'our sirup and molasses tanks and blowups, uniformly of 3,600 gallons ca- pacity each, and 300 sugar-wagons, together with the entire plan and plant of the house, offer exceptionally favorable opportunities both to 10 excellence of industrial work and of mechanical and chemical control. Strict uniformity of dimensions and patterns is adhered to wherever practicable in all duplications of tanks, wagons, pumps, centrifugals, or other parts. Two hot rooms permit string sugars to be treated at discretion by such temperatures as are thought best adapted to their va- rious needs. Gas and water, with appropriate drains, are everywhere conveniently located. The circulating pumps and oilers operate automat- ically, ^o washouts exist for the loss of juices, scums, or sirups. The sugar elevators, storage bins, and packing arrangements are particularly well designed and executed. All but minor steam -pipes, live and ex- haust, are felted, and all steam outlets are trapped. The pumping plant is so reliable as to have caused no loss of time to the establishment since 1883. Speaking-tubes connect various parts of the building, which last is well illuminated by day and night. Utility, convenience in ar- rangement, permanence and consideration for the possible demands of the future, are evident throughout the factory. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION. The organization of the establishment is probably the most complete in Louisiana, and its administration probably the most efficient, though possibly the most expensive. Besides an engineering department, with its chief, there are recognized the following distinct branches, each with its appropriate foreman or chief, viz, defecating and filter-press, boiling, centrifugal, packing-floor, clerical, and chemical. The foremen are chosen with reference to their especial skill in the various operations which they are to supervise, having been in the emplo37 of the house ranging from four to eight years, are paid exceptional salaries, are ex- pected to perform no part ot the ordinary manual labor of their divis- ions, have no authority outside their own well-defined precincts, live in the buildings subject to call at all hours, and are under the sole direc- tion of the factory superintendent, who, in turn, is alone responsible to the proprietor. All other operatives are subject to the orders of the various foremen in whose departments they work, the latter having the power to discharge. The foremen report regularly the number of men employed, the amount and character of work pel formed, and such other matters as arc desirable, either upon printed forms or blackboards, or otherwise, at the factory office daily. Temporary instructions are generally posted 14)011 ballet in boards in the various departments, instead of being orally given, to avoid mis- understanding. The work is for the most part done by six and twelve hour watches or shifts, instead of by the cightccn-hour Louisiana sys- tem. The fields-manager and factory superintendent meet daily to co-ordi- nate and arrange the work of their respective branches, as far as pos- sible, each to the best advantage of the Other. To this By Stem, worthy a larger institution, and to cleanliness another considerable part of the 11 establishment's past industrial success is no doubt due, the introduc- tion of which elsewhere is the more to be recommended that it involves no additional outlay of capital. PROCESSES PURSUED. The raw juices from the two mills, passing through paraffined wooden gutters, where they mix at once, enter a sulphur saturation machine placed as close to the crushers as convenient. This machine, of the paddle-wheel type, is described in Bulletin Xo. 3, page 99, of this Department, and, except for the excessive amount of power required to actuate it, seems highly satisfactory. The sulphurous gas is pro- duced by the burning of sulphur in a small iron furnace kept sur- rounded and cool by running water. The fumes first pass through lead pipes, also submerged in constantly changing water which effects their thorough cooling, then over a considerable surface of running water in- tended to wash them free of H2 S04. They enter the juice cool and practically free of the latter. A considerable quantity of this probably formed between the water bath and the saturation box, is trapped off at the entrance to the last. The draught necessary to a combustion of the sulphur is furnished by the movement of the paddle-wheel, and the furnace on which the com- bustion takes place is so constructed as to prevent, so far as practica- ble, the passage of any uncombined oxygen through the apparatus. Care is exercised to prevent the admission of air at any other point than through the furnace, as a safeguard against the subsequent pro- duction of sulphuric acid. A device to free the juice of its contained air also, before sulphurization, is proposed for next season, but seems little necessary. The juice, entirely altered in appearance by this treatment, is then pumped at once into the defecators, upon the third floor. Bronze pump barrels and copper conduits are alone used for juice, skimmings, and sirups. The coils of a defecator being covered, steam is immediately admitted to these, and the addition of lime begUO at once. By the time the defe- cator is tilled, the lining is complete, the juice heated, and skimming begun. No boiling in the defecator is permitted. The skimming hav- ing been completed, subsidence goes on for from one-hall' to one hour before deeantation of the clear, defecated juice. About 2 inches of juice are removed from the surface of each defecator by the skimming and blushing, ami about 8 inches of set I lings are left behind in the bot- tom of each 35 inches, approximately, being, therefore, decanted. The decanted juice goes immediately to the double-effect, no further settling being permitted. Skimmings and settlings are inn to an appropriate receiver on the floor below,' are limed and reheated whenever this is thought necessary, and are pumped immediately through the filter- presses. The defecators are thoroughly washed with a water-hose and 12 broom, the wash-water also going to the presses in the absence of wash- outs and a scum-ditch. The filtered liquors join the juice from which derived in the double effect's receiver, and are concentrated to sirup without delay. The rapidity and cleanliness with which these opera- tions are performed probably account for the almost total absence of inversion, attributable to a use of sulphur, between raw juice and sirup, and for the absence of fermentation in the juice department. The work of the filter-presses received no attention from the laboratory this season. Transparent liquors and a hard cake were the invariable rule. About eight hours and GO pounds pressure .were necessary to insure the last. Two hours were generally allowed for a cold-water lixiviation of the cake, a pressure some 10 pounds less than that employed for the juice being used and the sweet water being run to two and one-half or three degrees Baume. This supplementary process, it is said, is nowhere else followed in Louisiana. Basing calculations upon last year's chemical data, the net savings from it, after deductions for extra evaporation, interest on extra plant, etc., to be about $12 per day when the factory is working at its normal capacity — say, 300 tons cane per twenty-four hours. An extra large battery of presses was provided especially to meet the requirements of this lixiviating process. The filter press cloths are customarily washed biweekly. On one occasion they were operated one week without cleansing. This introduced fermentation, and is not to be repeated. Six sets of filter-cloths answer for five presses. The wear and tear of these are nominal. After two years' service already, very few will need replacement before the close of another campaign. The sirup-tank bottoms and other sweet waters of the es- tablishment are also brought back to the presses. The last operate en- tirely without expert attendance, except oiling of the juice-pump by the engineers. The lixiviation pump is allowed to run dry. The presses are worked on strict rotation and the times and other data of each pressing s\ stematically recorded. Over 22 percent, of the entire volume of juice passes through the presses. The treatment of sirups is similar to that of other Louisiana estab- lishments, it; is not thought necessary to settle these, and they are not reheated and skimmed after leaving the double effect The first prod- uct is a large grained V. 0. sugar, which grades in the New Orleans market from choice to ultra choice. The second product, boiled to wagons at a high String-proof, is a line grained article which dries very Slowly in the Centrifugals. As high as 50 per cent, commercial sugar was, in at least one instance, secured from second massecnite. With sufficient vacuum-pan capacity, this product might, the present season, with its rich and pure juices, have probably bet ter been grained in the pan, For the first time in the history of the establishment, the entire crop was reboiled to a blank- string-proof for a third crystallization. Though the second molasses .so reboiled showed in some instances glu- 13 cose to be already in actual excess of sucrose present, graining was rapid and copious and maturity rapidly attained. First sugars were washed with 2 pints of water, in which is dissolved a minimum of stan- nous chloride crystals. Seconds and thirds with one pint, more or less. Analyses of these sugars and of the molasses from them are given further on. The weights or gauges of all products being now ascer- tained, no estimates are incorporated in the returns to follow, and no allowances have been made for trash weighed as cane. MECHANICAL CONTROL. The system of department reports referred to constitutes an excel- lent mechanical control. The amount of coal and cane consumed, the n umber of laborers employed in each department, the quantities of juice, sirup, sugar, and molasses produced, and the number of pack- ages used, give daily the amount of work done by each department and the daily cost of each operation, and exhibits mechanical derange- ments and wastes before the loss from these can become important. The stop and start of all portions of the apparatus has been long re- corded and the average possible hours of daily operation and the hourly capacity of each machine thus established. The causes of lost time, with means for their remedy, have also been carefully determined; the house is thus found to be remarkably well balanced throughout and correspondingly economical in operation. The average performance of mill and vacuum pan, per actual running hour, the last three seasons, expressed in pounds of commercial sugar, has been — 188G--87. 1887-88. Mill L', 224. 87 2,804.98 Vacuum pan 2,566.19 2,738.13 >—\-P. 2, 904. 04 2,731.41 This indicates the maximum capacity of the establishment to be something over GO, 000 pounds commercial sugar per diem. Previous to my arrival at Calomel a general plan of work had been arranged lor the chemist, in which the main features were experiments in connection with the mechanical filtration of cane juice. With this end in view, a physical laboratory, equipped as a minature sugar-house, had been added to the "plant" This included a small mill, small diffusion battery of the Hughes system, with defecators, filter press, open evaporators, and vacuum strike pan of corresponding ca- pacity. These experiments, the mechanical part of which was under the direction of Mr. IX. Bem iners, who worked most intelligent l\ and per- 14 sistently at them, were undertaken by myself with a great deal of re- luctance. Knowing the amount of work already done on this subject and the uniformly unsatisfactory results, it was hardly possible that where much of the time had to be occupied with affairs of the sugar- house that anything worthy of note could be accomplished. However, that which was attempted was very thoroughly and sys- tematically executed. Caustic lime, carbonate of lime, superphosphate of lime, and many other reagents, besides brown coal, wood char, and other substances, were all tried in the cells of the small battery, not only as an aid in mechanical filtration, but also to assist in defecation. ^Yhile it was found that diffusion juices tiltered mu2h more easily than mill juices, none of the different clarifying agents employed seem to have assisted the subsequent filter press filtration to any appreciable degree, and the analysis are not thought to be of sufficient value for publication. Aside from the work on filtration, however, careful and systematic analyses of the raw, sulphitred, and clarified juices were made three times daily, and of the sirup once daily throughout the season, and during two runs alter the work on filtration had been discontinued a complete chemical control was maintained throughout the house, each stage of the manufacture being carefully gauged, samples taken, and analyses made. The season's work was, for convenience, arbitrarily divided into five runs two of them on stubble and three on plant cane. FIRST STUBBLE RUN. The cane of this run had nearly all been ground before my arrival at Calumet, and but few analyses of juices were secured. Judging, how- ever, from the analyses made, the juices were the richest of the season, butthecane being second-year stubble, contained a very high percentage of fiber. There was on this account not only a less quantity of juice in the cane, but also a poor extraction of that present, the woody-fibrous cane making good mill work impossible. The yield, however, was very good, the ratio of glucose to sucrose in the final molasses being higher than any ever reported before by a Louisiana sugar house. Its analysis gave sucrose double polarization 23.56 per cent, glucose 42.09, and purity HI*. 70. One thing worthy of much notice, in this run, was the boiling of mo- lasses, for third sugar, in which the glucose was already in actual excess of the sucrose. This molasses contains 33.20 per cent sucrose and .">.'>. 7 1 per cent glucose, and gave a masseciiite which grained excellently in the wagons, "swung * onl well in the centrifugals, and yielded L2.06 pounds of commercial sugar per ton of cane. The extraordinarily high content of glucose compared with sucrose in the final molasses is probably due in part to a high percentage of glucose present in the raw juice. Owing to the non-arrival of the chemical ap- 15 paratns no glucose determinations were made the first run, but since in subsequent work the analyses of the final molasses showed as low per- centage of sucrose without as high glucose content, it is reasonable to assume that the glucose in the molasses in question was derived from that originally present in the juice and was not a result of inversion. SECOND STUBBLE RUN. On this run the data are more complete than on the previous one. The remarkably good work which had characterized the house in the first run was once or twice slightly interrupted during this run. The most serious mistake made was the neglect of the sulphur machine, by which moist air was admitted freely to the sulphur dioxide after it had passed over the wash water, and, as the conditions were most favorable, there was, in all probability, quite an appreciable amount of sulphuric acid formed. At any rate, the inversion in this run was much greater than in any other, amounting to 4,365.54 pounds of sucrose, being 1.32 per cent of sucrose present in raw juice. The analysis of the final mo- lasses gave sucrose, 23.78 per cent; glucose, 32.68, with a purity of 30.87. The sucrose in the final molasses of the second stubble run, it will be noticed, is very little in excess of the sucrose of the first stubble, while there is nearly ten per cent less glucose, making the content of total sugar in the last run much lower. It would seem from this work that the glucose present in the juice of the cane did not possess the power to restrain the crystallization of sucrose that it is commonly supposed to have. With much more glu- cose in the first run the amount of sucrose is a little less than in the second. Whether this glucose is different from artificially prepared grape sugar in its physical characteristics or whether the restraining power of the latter over crystallization has been greatly overestimated, are questions that this work would naturally suggest, and it is probable that, with the awakening interest of the Louisiana planter in scientific work, both these questions will, before many years, be settled. These two runs are noticeable, not so much for the yield of sugar as for the point to which crystallization was carried. Molasses, which be- fore would have been considered worthless, can now, in view of the work done at Cain met. he profitably boiled again for another crop of crystals. In boiling for the lower-grade sugars, the masseouite was boiled as stiff as possible without converting it into "taffy." This required a good deal Of judgment on the part of the SUgarboiler, and it is to the cxecl- lent manipulation Of the material at this point that tin high yield of sugar is due. FIRST PLANT RUK. This was much the largest run of the season, and had the richest cane. The work of the sugar-house was uniform! v excellent . theme chanical loss between the juice and sirup being small a>> compared with the stubble cane, and in other parts ot the house gcaroeh notice- 16 able. Maceration, or the addition of water to the bagasse between the front and back mill was commenced in this run, and a remarkable in- crease in the yield was derived from it. This will be discussed further on under the head of " maceration." Available sugar, or sugar actually secured, expressed in terms of glucose present in the juice, was 0.82 times the glucose deducted from the sucrose. The final molasses contained 26.80 per cent sucrose, 30.85 glucose, with a purity of 33.49. SECOND PLANT RUN. This run, judging merely from the nicety with which the machinery worked, would have been pronounced the best of the season. Careful chemical control showed, however, that the mechanical losses were pro- portionately larger than in any other run of the season. The chemical control carried through this run was, I believe, one of the most complete if not the most complete work of its kind ever at- tempted in Louisiana. All the products from the raw juice to the final molasses inclusive were carefully analyzed, weights and measure- ments taken at each stage, and the sugar present compared with that of the previous stage. The work was extremely satisfactory, the losses being accurately located and the parts of the house which worked well noticed. The chief and in fact almost the only loss after the juice had been expressed occurred at the double effect. This, owing to the prac- tice of maceration at the mills, was being so worked beyond its capacity that not over 7 to 8 inches of vacuum could be maintained in its fust pan, while 27 to 28 were secured upon the second. The difference of the boiling points of the two pans being thus so great the juice from the first entered the second pan far above the tatter's boiling point, and flashed therefore instantly into vapor, the excess of its sensible, being absorbed as latent heat. This instituted a current of vapor direct from the liquor feed-pipe towards the condenser evidently sufficiently violent to entrain large amounts of the entering juice in the form of globular spray or mist which escaped the catch all. Alter the juice had passed the double effect there was only one other place where there was any appreciable loss, the work in the refinery be- ing remarkably good and close. In boiling for third sugar some of the massecuite was boiled too stiff, and about (> inches in the bottom of the Wagons having been chilled by too low a temperature at or near the floor of the hot room during a spell of cold weather could not be dug out, and had to be melted and run into the molasses. This accounts for the relatively high percentage of sucrose in the anal molasses, the analysis of which gave 29.11 per cent of sucrose, 29.36 glucose, and purity of 36.94. THIRD PLANT RUN. In this run, though the chemical control was carried as systematically as in the previous, the results were not quite so satisfactory from the tact thai a great deal Of settlings from the first molasses were carried 17 over from the first plant and worked in with this run. All this was of course measured, analyzed, and deducted from the sugar present in the juice, but what the effect was on crystallization, added as it was to all the different grades of product, it would be impossible to state. One very serious accident occurred during this run which delayed the work for three days. The shaft of the back or bagasse roll of the front or three-roller mill was broken, but as the season was so near the end the crop did not suffer from the delay. Thecaue worked, being from new, back, stiff, and inadequately drained lands, was comparatively poor, the sucrose being much lower and the glucose much higher thau in the previous plant cane runs. A neutral defecation was carried throughout this run, and a good deal of glucose was destroyed, forming probably a compound with the lime, which was broken up and dissolved by the juice. The amount of first sugar secured was very large compared with the sucrose in the juice, and as a conse- quence the lower grade sugars did not crystallize as well as in the other runs, much of the grain in the seconds being so small that it passed through the sieves of the centrifugals. The final molasses contained UG.Oli per cent of sucrose, 28.52 glucose, and a purity of o4.44. The last two runs made with the idea of comparing a neutral with the ordinary Louisiana acid clarification both as to the effect on yield yield and care of working, will be discussed further on. SPECIAL INQUIRIES. One of the things watched with especial interest was the effect upon thejuices from the use of sulphur dioxide as a depurator. No data on this subject have ever been collected in Louisiana in practical sugar-house working. Laboratory practice has, of course, made us familiar with the danger attendant upon the use of sulphur, if not properly handled. The Louisiana experiment station, under the direction of Dr. Stubbs, has Strongly condemned its use, without suggesting anything to take its place, and, judging from the published reports of the station, the loss there was much greater than any sugar-house could afford. In endeavoring to find out how great the inversion was at Calumet, analyses were made three times daily of the raw, sulphured, and clari- fied juices throughout the season. Samples were also taken from each tank of sirup and from the different grades of sugars and the final molasses, and in two runsof all the intermediate products. As all these different products were carefully weighed or measured, any increase in the glucose would he quickly noticed. The analyses of hot It raw and sulphured juices are, I conclude from the season's work, unnecessary, and either the one or the other should be dropped, thus reducing the chemist's work a great deal and eliminating nothing essential. Of COUrse where the sulphured juice is heated before being run into the clarifiers both juices should be analyzed. Enough BUgar would, 7083— Ball. 23 2 18 however, be inverted by this treatment, I should say, to speedily induce any one to stop its use. As a result of Calumet's work, I can not but be very favorably im- pressed with the use of sulphur as au aid in improving the quality of the output of a sugar-house. The total inversion for the crop was G,111.91 pounds sucrose, of which a loss of 4,865 pounds as already mentioned, was sustained mainly through inattention during the second stubble run. This is undoubt- edly a smaller loss than would be occasioned by the use of a bone- black plant that can be operated on any Louisiana plantation. The entire loss by inversion, with the exception of 317 pounds, was confined to two runs, and in another year's work will be almost en- tirely overcome by a new arrangement, designed by Mr. Daniel Thomp- son, for cooling the sulphur dioxide fumes as they come from the furnace. This improvement was put in at Calumet the latter part of the season, and after its introduction the inversion was practically nothing. It consists of a box about 18 feet long by 2 in width and depth, and is divided into two parts, the first division containing about 10 feet of G-ineh lead pipe, through which the sulphur fumes passed, and around which cold water was kept continually circulating. This effectually cooled the fumes and allowed the absorption in the second division of the box of any sulphuric acid which had been formed. In this sec- ond division the fumes came in actual contact with water, allowing, as mentioned above, the absorption of sulphuric acid, while having been cooled by the previous treatment the sulphur dioxide formed no fresh sulphuric acid. A further trap for sulphuric acid, which had been in use with the old sulphur-box, was kept in place and allowed any sul- phuric acid present to drop perpendicularly down, on account of its spe- cific gravity, into a suitable receptacle, while the lighter sulphur diox- ide is drawn oil* by suction at right angles into the juice. Alter the new arrangement for cooling the fames had been put in, two runs were made, one with an acid defecation, the other with a neutral. Each run contained a little over 197,000 pounds of sucrose in the juice extracted, and with the acid defecation only .'H7 pounds of sucrose were losl by inversion, while in the neutral not a pound disap- peared from this cause. From this ! am led to believe that in another year the Inversion caused by sulphuric acid will be entirely stopped, hut. Since to secure the best rcsulls with sulphur the juices must be left a little acid after defecat ion, there will always he a slight inversion, but the acidity will he from ;i weaker acid, and will amount to nothing. That sulphur in cane juice can be made a dangerous and formidable enemy in the hands of untrained and unskilled workmen can not for a moment be denied, but when properly and scientifically handled it is one of the most, if not the most, valuable aid in a null house. With dif- fusion it will n<»t be as important if used at all, as the diffusion juices 19 are usually drawn from the cell at too high a temperature to admit of its use without great danger of inversion. With mill juices even, when sulphur is used, great care and celerity should always be exer- cised. Separate the sulphured juice at once, evaporate the juice to sirup immediately after defecation and from the sirup concentrate to massecuite without stopping, and so on as fast as the lower grades will allow of good results. This, however, is true of any sugar-house, whether sulphur is used or not, and large losses, which are often attributed to some method of manufacture, are due to nothing else but delay in work- ing up the juice after it has been soured. Certainly Calumet, with the highest average season's yield ever reported in Louisiana, and this with an extraction of from 80 to 87 per cent of sucrose present in the cane, has no reason for changing its treatment of the juice as long, at least. as it continues mill-work. Cheapness and effectiveness are two as good recommendations as anything needs, and both of these can be applied to the use of sulphur at Calumet. MACERATION AND ITS EFFECT ON YIELD. Below is given a table showing the work done both before and after maceration was begun: Without water added. With water added. Cane ground tons . . 3, 993. 26 3, 388. 31 Do pounds . . 7, 980, 925 6, 776, 623 Sucrose in cane do 1, 016 363 843, 488 Juice extracted gallons.. 650, 878 599,21:; Do pound-;. . 5, 786, 909 5, 327, 383 Sucrose in.juico do — 818, 269 736, 478 Sucrose in bagasse .do 198, 096 107, 008 Sucrose in bagasse, percent of total 19. 49 12. 69 Sucrose obtained, percent of total 80.51 Em roae obtained, per 1,000 pounds su- in cane pounds.. 805.1 873.1 Sucrose gained per 1,000 pounds b\ mao- 68 Sucrose Lost in lir>t part of season by not 69, 113 17. :u Sucrose, lost in first pari of Beaton per ton of cane pound* , Sucro&e gained in second part of 57, 357 16 18 Sucrose gained in second part of aeaaon Water add. d, pel cent ot normal juice, 11 '.»4 Mill extraction of juice per sent i The addition of water was began about the middle of the first plant- run, and as it was thought unnecessary to divide the run, the actual yield of merchantable sngar can not be given exactly, bat since a pound 20 of sucrose in the juice meant a pound of commercial sugar the return can be easily figured from the table. At any rate, as the extra amount of sugar secured in the juice is the only way to judge of the good mac- eration does, everything will be found in the table which is necessary to form an opinion of the work. A gain of 17 pounds of sugar per ton of cane by simply adding 11.94 per cent of water is an amount of sugar secured in such a way that no planter can afford to overlook it. The only extra expense entailed is the evaporation of the water added, and, as at Calumet, all the exhaust-steam could not be used before macera- tion was begun the extra yield was secured with almost no expense. The method employed for adding the water is believed to have much in it to recommend itself, and since the manner of doing anything has as much to do with success as the mere fact of doing it, the method will be given in full. The water was ejected from a perforated pipe upon the bagasse as it was being released from the pressure of the front mill. It was argued by Mr. Wibray J. Thompson, and rightly, too, in my opinion, that during the expansion which follows this pressure the bagasse is more likely to thoroughly and uniformly absorb the added water, as it is known to do such juice as passes through the mill, than at any subsequent period, a minimum of water thus being made to pro- duce maximum results and a maximum of time afforded for diffusive and osmogenic action before entering the second mill. The water added and the juice present in the bagasse from the front mill should, he thought, become a homogeneous liquor practically resembling the nor- mal juice in every particular except in having a lower specific gravity. It can readily be seen that this juice of a uniform quality would give a higher extraction of sucrose than if the water be added indiscriminately at any point of the intermediate carrier, supersaturating some of the bagasse and not reaching other parts at all, which would give a smaller extraction of sucrose with a higher dilution, since from that part of the bagasse which was supersaturated an excess of water would be expressed while an excess of juice would be left behind in parts insufficiently saturated or diffused. By carefully observing these conditions the yield of sugar, as was mentioned before, was increased 17 pounds per ton of cane. This is an enormous advance over ordinary mill work, but on an estimate of what diffusion would have done with the same cane and a 96 per cent ex- traction, which can easily be obtained, a net gain over maceration of 23 pounds of sucrose per ton of cane would have been made. Thus, while it can be seen that maceration is of great advantage, it is at its besl <»nly a temporary expedient to be used till plantation owners can prepare their sugar-houses for diffusion* The most effect ive and economic maceration will require a, dibit ion of about 15 percent, on the weight- of normal juice, while tl illusion needs but tittle more. Multiple effect evaporation is, then, as necessary for maceration as for dilfusion, and without this aid tin expense and loss 21 of sucrose during evaporation would not be balanced by the return of sugar. The chances for extremes of dilution are much greater in maceration than by diffusion, allowing both to be in charge of inex- perienced persons, and taken all iu all, though the gain by good macer- ation is great where a house has to be changed at all for either of the two processes, there should not be the slighest hesitancy in choosing diffusion. Easy to handle and effective, the latter has everything in its favor, and, since it has been proven that the exhausted chips can be burned, there is nothing against it. Come it will sooner or later, and he who introduces it first will reap the greatest benefit. AVAILABLE SUGAR. While in my opinion it is unnecessary and useless in sugar-house work to have an arbitrary formula for predicting results, as from the very nature of the material nothing constant can be secured, still as it has hitherto been customary by the Department to use some such standard, I will report Calumet's work in the same way. The formula which has been mostly used for this purpose has been one and a half times the glucose present in the juice deducted from the sucrose. The product thus expressed is sugar of 100° polarization, which should go to market as crystal. At Fort Scott, Kans., campaign of 1887, working sorghum cane the crystallized product obtained was expressed by deducting 1.42 times the glucose from the sucrose, this being slightly better work than according to the ordinary formula. The following table gives the- results of each of the five runs into which the campaign was divided at Calumet. This table gives both the amount of sugar according to the regular formula and that which was actually secured; also a formula expressing the results. It will be seen that even in the one sugar-house the widest variations exist. Firsl stubble Second Btnbble First plant Second plant Third plant Total crop Pounds of sucrose — 1.60 x Pounds of sucrose a<*tu- Formula for available sugar. ally secured Analyst ! of jui< e not , ompb te 898, 180.62 177,438.40 861,674.02 7J7,071.!>H 171,168.83 188. ], 157, 838. 16 Sucrose — 1.04 glucose. Sucrose — .81 glucose. Sucrose — I, 26 glucose. Sucrose — . 68 glucose. Sucrose— . 87 glucose. This is up to the present time the besl work with cane juice ever pub- lished, there being a difference of .55 between Calumet's average factor for available sugar and that of the FortScott works, the latter the best previously recorded. 22 NEUTRAL YERSTJS ACID CLARIFICATION. In all Louisiana sugar-houses where sulphur is used the juices are left slightly acid for the purpose of securing an improved color in all the products from first sugar to final molasses inclusive. This practice is followed both in open-kettle and vacuum-pan sugar-houses. The great trouble in working such juices is, naturally, the inversion caused by the presence of a free acid. A very slight acidity is all that is pecessary to secure the desired color in the production of yellow clarified sugars, but even in skilled hands this acidity is very difficult to control, and under the charge of the ordinary Louisiana clarifier- man the juice is left first at one extreme and then at the other, with a tendency always to the more acid juice. In the manufacture of white sugar the evil is, of course, intensified by higher degrees of acidity sought. The lack of knowledge and care has been so marked in most cases that the owuers themselves were ignorant even that it was possible for such a loss to occur. Only in a very few places, and even in these but for a few years, have any attempts been made to give the juice a practical chemical treat- ment. In most places where this has been done a considerable inver- sion has been found in working the acid juices. To overcome this loss by inversion the juices are limed to neutrality. This practice, how- ever, lowers the quality of the sugar, for as soon as the juice loses its acidity it fails to give so brilliant a sugar, because of the formation of calcic glucates and other dark-colored compounds; hence it is necessary that a sufficient, amount of additional sugar be recovered by the neutral clarification to overcome the difference in price of the sugar from an acid clarification. The last two runs of the season were selected for a trial of the relative merits of the two methods of clarification, and a tabulated statement of the work done is given below : ground tana . Mill extraction per cent.. 'lion of sik rose .do --■ Dilation dne '<> maceration. . . , — Sue iosc in diluted Juice »l<> — osc in joice pounds.. Sucrose in sirup do Biechanioal loss between juice and snnp do — in\ i i -sion of em rose In whole run. — Sngai 100 polarization obtained do Ac id run. B7.21 13. 54 197,281 817 Neutral run. 956. 66 80.31 BO. 16 16. 19 11.48 197,817 194,671 2,646 None. The selection of these two runs lor the trial proved to b»i a very mi- fortunate one, the difference in the quality of the cane being \ Purity coefficient Sucrose in juice pounds.. 1,54b. '.»?.". Glucose in juice do 10:>, 332 Commercial sugar obtained do 1,549, 078 Sugar of 100° polarization obtained do 1,458,876 Sucrose in final molasses 67, 4"J;> Inversion of sucrose pounds. . 0, 112 Mechanical loss of sucrose do 30, 4:51 Total loss of sucrose t do.... 150, 543 Total loss of sucrose per cent.. 2. 30 Analyses of molasses boiled for third sugar. Sucrose. Xo Solids. Direct. Indirect. 224 Per cent. 77.4 ■ Per cent. 33. 20 42. 77 33. 74 488 75.4 34.4 38.96 51.67 20.38 493 77.6 33.4 37.10 47.81 21.51 494 75. 8 30.4 36.88 48.65 21.17 HO. 1 27.2 33. 10 40.09 8L5 28.2 33. 92 41.62 32. 4ii 407 77.1 36.4 41.18 53. 41 23. 60 76.6 35. 4 52.06 20. 12 199 7.i. 2 3.-». 2 39. 72 52. 11 L9.84 f.OO 71.4 39.0 12 82 20. 2:; 80. (i :;:;. fl 87.80 46. 28 19.97 77.1 :::t. c, This table is given to show to what point crystallization can be car- ried. In one instance the glucose is already ill excess of the sucrose, and in others the amount is nearly equal, and \e( from all these a good Crop of Crystals was secured. "Unstable does nol include the Aral Btubble run, as complete analyses of thejaioea in. 1 made. Inclusive of this run the total commercial sugar was 1,783,421 pound t 'flu- apparenl excess of Buorose in the added products Is due fco tin- fact that ' pounds of sucrose are shown by double polarization of the molasses, winch were presenl but not shown i>\ the Bingle polarization of the juice. 25 Analyses of final molasses. The exceptionally fine record made by Calumet is worthy of more than passing notice. As mill work it is unprecedented, having sur- passed anything which has heretofore been thought possible. The ex- traction of juice was not phenomenally high, though after mascer- ation was began it was much above the average, but the manipulation of the juice after it was once secured was remarkably good. The machinery was well arranged and worked admirably, and to the ar- rangement is due much of the credit, as it allowed an ease and speed in working which otherwise could not have been attained. The one noticeable mechanical loss was at double effect. The loss here was larger than thought possible, but the most careful measure- ment and analyses of the material, both before and after entering the double effect, only confirmed the disappearance. During the campaign 30,431 pounds, or 1.97 per cent., of the sucrose extracted disappeared at this place. A portion of this loss is really due to the press-cake, but as this was carefully lixiviated from two to three hours all through the campaigns, the sucrose lost in this way was but a small amount. No analyses of cake were made, as the presses gave no trouble whatever at any time, and the other work was thought to be more important. Steps have been taken to stop this loss during the next campaign. A Helix separator is to be attached to the condenser pipe, and it is ex- pected thai this will arrest the Spray and return it to the pan. From the sirup to the final product it is hard to see how the work could be improved. The most noticeable feature, and the one, i think, to which the high yield maybe attributed, was the remarkable stillness to which the massecnites were boiled. In all grades of the material as much water was driven oil' as was thought safe to do. By this remarka- bly good boiling an amount of sugar was recovered which leaves abso- lutely no loom for comparison with the work of other Louisiana sugar- houses. This is a record to be proud of, and the enterprising proprietor of Calumet, Mr. Daniel Thompson, ami his son, W.J, Thompson, di- rector of the sugar- house, deserve unstinted praise for showing the pos- sibilities of cane culture in Louisiana w hen the manufacturing is carried out on a rational basis. 2G What has been done can be done again, and when the Louisiana planter adopts diffusions and carries his sugar-house work to such a degree of perfection as has already been attained at Calumet it will be no unusual thing to hear that 250 pounds of sugar have been obtained . from a ton of cane. Table No. 1. — Raw juice, second stubble run. Number. l)at.-. 23 Nov. 8 29 Nov. 8 33 Nov. 8 37 Nov. 9 42 Nov. 9 48 Nov. 9 52 Nov. 10 56 Nov. 10 59 Nov. 16 64 Nov. 11 77 Nov. 13 83 Nov. 13 87 Nov. 13 91 Nov. 14 04 Nov. 14 97 Nov. 14 102 Nov. 15 105 Nov. 15 113 Nov. 15 Means . .. Solids. Sucrose. 15.97 16.40 16.38 15.84 15.67 15. 79 16.10 16.88 16.29 16. 79 16.01 16.60 16.40 15.99 16,54 16.32 16.80 16.87 1G. 44 Purity. 12.77 13.41 12.91 13.30 13.03 13.00 13. 49 14.41 13.60 14. 31 13.79 14.36 13.88 13.85 13.96 14.66 14.56 14.17 16.32 13.78 79.96 BL 77 78.81 83.96 83.16 83. 7*3 86.73 83. 48 86.47 86.13 86.51 84.63 81.74 83.67 85. 54 88.57 86.31 86.19 Glueose. 84.43 1.19 1.11 1. 33 .98 1.00 .98 1. 02 .92 1.06 .97 .94 .91 Glucose ratio. 8.28 10.30 7.37 7.67 7.54 7.56 6.37 7.79 6.78 6.82 6.13 0. 56 6.57 6.21 6.16 ti. 42 7.04 Table No. 2.- -Sulphured second stubble run N umber. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glaooee. Glucose ratio. 24 Nov. 8 Nov. 8 Nov. 8 Nov. 0 Nov. 9 Nov. 9 No- . in Nov. 10 Nov. 10 Not. n Nor. 18 Nov. 19 Xo\. 11 Nov. it Not. 16 Nov. 16 Nov. 15 16.06 16.61 16.81 16.02 15.70 16. 01 it;. 16 17.08 17.17 16.66 16.64 L8.09 16.66 16.77 16.80 12.87 13. GO 13.20 13.19 12.93 12.60 18.27 l L 46 18. in 1 1. 27 18.66 1 1. 20 18.96 18.54 14.54 81.88 8(1. :.7 82 18 B6. 17 84 i" 84.09 L 17 1.05 . 98 1.01 1.03 .91 .'.'ii 88 .•71 .81 9.01 9. 82 7.60 7. 76 6. 26 6. 87 8.81 9 ii 30 34 38 60 65 7 !»'_' 95 L06 ill 16.44 1I5.68 8::. 21 .95 0.91 27 Table No. 3. — Clarified juice, second stubble run. No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glucose. Glacose ratio. 9.61 8.36 9.G5 7.21 G.7G 7.45 7.54 6.27 • _ 6.70 6.51 G.60 6.21 6.55 6.14 6.34 5.41 5.49 G.77 25 31 35 Xov. 8 Xov. 8 Xov. 8 Xov. 9 Xov. 9 Xov. 9 Xov. 10 Nov. 10 Xov. 10 Nov. 11 Xov. 13 Xov. 13 Xov. 13 Xov. 14 Xov. 14 Xov. 14 Nov. 15 Xov. 15 Xov. 15 /'- r '■■ nt, 1G. 71 1G.23 16.85 16.34 1G.60 16.13 Vcr ■ 13. 42 80. 19 13.27 81.76 13. 2G 78. 82 13. 32 81. 52 13. 60 81. 93 13.15 81 52 1.28 1.11 1.30 .9G .92 .98 1. 03 .92 1.16 .97 .93 .91 .77 39 44 50 54 10.48 13. G6 82.89 85.89 82.10 82.88 -" 1 - 85.01 79.69 58 17.08 17.04 17.47 16.90 16.21 15. 5G 1G. 21 16. GO 16.46 17.00 16.97 16.71 14. G8 14.09 14.48 14.27 13.78 12.40 13. 7(i 14.00 13.89 14. 6! 14.40 14.04 61 6G 79 85 89 93 84.51 | .87 84.34 .86 84.33 .88 85.94 .79 84.36 .79 84.02 ' .95 96 9i) 104 107 115 16.61 18.78 83. 02 97 7.03 Table No. 4. — Sirup, second stubble run. Xo. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glucose. Glucose ratio. 36 51 63 Xov. 8 Xov. 9 Xov. 10 57. 90 55. 28 57.06 56.86 54. 8G 56. 58 46.10 46. 1G 48. 76 79. 76 85. S3 i 4. 25 3.92 8.33 9. 27 8.04 6.9S 6 42 90 Xov. 13 Xov. 14 Xov. 15 49.10 86.46 48.58 88.55 49. 66 ■~7 :: 3.44 3. 12 100 116 3. 12 fi 9S 5G. 42 47. 70 85. 72 3. G2 7 R7 Table No. 5. — Sugars, second stubble run, l lesoi tptdon of sample. Date. Glucose. 20 446 447 44H 449 521 a ... do ...do Nor. 6 }'< r (■■ ill. . ..do ....do M 88 Third sugtT .. Feb. is 7.13 28 Table Xo. C. — Third molasses, second stubble run. No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Double polariza- tion. Glucose. Glucose ratio. Double polariza- tion. Single polariza- tion. Double polariza- tion. 521 Feb. 18 Per cent. 78.3 ! 17.6 23. 78 30.37 36.62 154.00 Summary. — Second stubble run. Cane ground tons.. 1, 945.04 Cane ground pounds.. 3, S90, 078 Sucrose in cane do 482. 447. 44 Juice extracted gallons.. 318, 775 Juice extracted pounds . . 2, 831, 535 Sucrose in j uice do 390, 185. 52 Sucrose in bagasse do 92, 2G1.92 Sucrose extracted, per cent of sucrose in cane 80. 88 Glucose in juice pounds.. 27, 465. 89 Available sugar at 1.50 X glucose deducted from sucrose do 348, 986. 68 Total ragars in juice .% do... 413, 120.95 Sirup obtained gallons.. 75, 006 Sirup obtained pounds.. 799,155.42 Sucrose in sirup do.... 381,916.38 Loss of sucrose between juice and sirup do 8, 269. 14 Glucose in sirup do ... . 28, 929. 43 Inversion of sucrose do 1,922.94 Commercial first sugar obtained. do 2G0, B83 First sugar of 100° polarization obtained do 256, 753. 06 Commercial second sugar obtained do — 96,145 Second sugar of 100° polarization obtained do 84, 607.60 Glucose in BCCOnd sugar do ... 3, 259. 82 Commercial third sugar obtained do — 25, 141 Third sugar of 100° polarization obtained do 29,213.36 Glucose in third sugar do I, 792. 56 Third molasses obtained gallons . . 6, 900 Third molasses obtained. pounds.. 80. 868 Sucrose in third molasses, single polarization do 14, 232.77 Sucrose in third molasses, double polarization do 19, 230. 41 Glucose in third molasses do 26,427. 66 Gain in glaoose between sirup and product do 2, 559. 16 Inversion of sue lose bet ween sirup and product do ... 2, 422. 69 Inversion of extracted sucrose during entire run do 4, B65. 54 Sucrose In simp -f. thai shown by double polai Isation do — 886, 91 1. 02 Sucrose obtained as sugar do . .. 861, 574.02 Total sucrose o! it. •limd in sugars ami molasses do . . . 889,694.43 Total glucose obtained In sugars and molasses do — 81, it*.1 58 Mechanic il loss of BUCTOSe bet ween sirup and product do. . . . B, 676. 99 Mechanical loss of sucrose during whole run do 10, 023. 19 of extracted sucrose during entire run by inversion and meohan< i.ally pounds.. 14,8 Loss of extract* d sucrose during entire run per oenl . . •*• fio 29 Table No. 7. — Raw juice, first plant run. No. Date. 117. 123. 126. 129. 138. 141. 146. 153. 159. 164. 163 171. 174. 180. 183. 187. 193. 196. Nov. 16 Nov. 16 Nov. 16 Nov. 17 Nov. 17 Nov. 17 Nov. 19 Nov. 19 Nov. 19 Nov. 20 Nov. 21 Nov. 21 Nov. 21 Nov. 22 Nov. 22 Nov. 22 Nov. 23 Nov. 23 199 Nov 23 203 Nov. 24 206 Nov. 24 214* Nov. 24 227 Nov. 26 231 Nov. 26 236 Nov 26 241 Nov. 27 245 Nov. 27 253 Nov. 27 258 Nov. 28 264 Nov. 28 268 Nov. 28 273 Nov. 29 280 Nov. 29 N«.v. 30 298 Nov. 30 302 Nov. 30 306 Deo. l 308 Deo. l 310 Dec 1 Mi MM. .. Solids. Per cent. 16.98 16.73 16.87 16.82 16.69 17.07 17.55 16.68 17.16 17.21 16.36 16.06 16.37 16.97 16.94 17.03 16.35 16.62 16. 83 16.87 16.51 16.02 14.65 15.04 15.74 i 15.35 i 15.24 15.23 14.60 1 1. 6fl 15.10 14.80 15.63 14.67 14.62 14. 60 14.73 13.60 [ Sucrose. Purity. 15.92 Per cent. 14.69 14.31 14.39 14.61 14.15 14.83 15.27 14.25 14.83 14.45 14.23 13.79 14.28 14.65 14.84 14.81 14.05 14.42 14.83 14.53 14.28 13. 97 12.72 13.07 13.28 12.94 13.45 12. 57 12.45 12.59 13.00 12. 58 13. 17 12.64 12.41 12. 4.-- 12. 56 11.81 11.95 86.63 85.53 85.30 86.86 84.79 86.88 87.01 85.24 86. 42 83.96 86.99 85.86 87.23 87.51 87.60 86. 96 85.93 86.76 88.01 86.13 86.49 87.20 86.83 86.90 84.38 84.30 88.25 82. 53 85.27 85.88 86.09 85.00 84.25 86.75 84.88 65. 27 85.52 87 13.69 85. 99 Glucose. Per cent. .70 1.10 .74 .54 .85 .80 .94 .90 .74 .73 .72 .99 1.00 .78 .79 .98 .88 .61 .61 .67 .89 .56 .68 .71 . 92 .'.)? .99 .94 .84 Glucose. Katio. 4.79 7.77 4.99 3.53 5.96 5.39 4.77 5.05 4.91 4.87 7.04 6.93 5.26 5.44 6.86 6.30 4.79 4.67 4.29 6.88 4.16 5.41 5.70 7.31 7.23 7.87 6.45 7.44 6.77 7. 15 .SI 5. 92 * M.u oration begun. 30 Table No. w. — Sulphured Juice— Jirst plant run. No. 118. 124. 127. 130. 139. 142. 147 154. 160. 1G5. 169 172. 175 181. 184. 188. 194. 107. 200. 204 207. 215* 228. Date. .' 2fi 287. 242. 246. 254. 265. 269. 274. 290. :h)3. Means. Nov. 16 Nov. 16 Nov. 16 Nov. 17 Nov. 17 Nov. 17 Nov. 19 Nov. 19 Nov. 19 Nov. 20 Nov. 21 Nov. 21 Nov. 21 Nov. 22 Nov. 22 Nov. 22 Nov. 23 Nov. 21! Nov. 23 Nov. 21 Nov. 24 X..Y. 24 Nov. 20 Nov. 26 Nov. 26 Nov. 27 Nov. 17 Nov. 27 Nov. 28 Nov. 26 Nov. 28 Nov. 29 Nov. 30 Nov. :;o Nov. :;o Solids. 17.04 17.02 16.93 16.87 16.72 16.90 17.48 16.72 17.14 17.06 16.33 16.18 16.43 16.88 16.91 17.27 16.48 16. 62 16.91 16.86 16.63 15.96 14.67 14.81 15.54 14.65 14.81 15.22 ll.r,i 14.57 15.08 1 1. 79 15.97 1 1. 88 14.58 1 I. 72 16.05 ! 14.58 14.30 14. 2.". 14.47 14.18 14.58 15.12 14.37 14.56 14.47 14.06 13.79 14.09 14.52 14.68 14.64 14.09 14.51 14. 73 14.60 14. 22 13.98 12.74 12.74 13.49 12. 29 12.67 12.63 12.49 12.05 12 7! 12. 48 12. 38 12. in; 12.51 12 46 Puritv. 13.70 85.56 84.02 84.16 84.81 S6. 27 86.50 85.94 84.95 84.82 86.10 85.11 85.15 86. 81 84.77 85.50 87.30 87.11 86.60 85. 51 87.59 86.84 86.02 86.81 S3. 89 85. 55 82. 97 85.93 82. 70 84.48 Glucose. . .70 .93 .75 .64 .83 .78 .70 .72 .72 .89 .84 .79 .81 .97 .86 .62 .57 .67 .87 .53 .71 .7:; .95 .:»7 . 85 .81 Glucose ratio. 4.84 6.56 5.14 4. 2:; 5.78 5.36 4 -; 6.60 5.54 4.82 4.90 4. 92 7.03 5.78 5.36 5.55 6.82 6.15 4.87 4.47 4. 90 7.68 4.20 5. 62 5.80 7.W 7. 22 7.77 6.83 7 38 Maceration begun. 31 Table No. 9. — Clarified juice— first plant run. Xo. Date. Solids. Sucrose. 119 125 128 131 140 143 148 155 161 1G6 170 173 176 182 185 189 195 198 201 205 208 216*.... 229 .... 238 .... 243 247 255 .... 260 ... •-'tit; 270.... 291 . Nov. Nov. Nov. Xov. Nov. Xov. Nov. Nov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Xov. Nov. Nov. Xov. Nov. Xov. Xov. XoV. Xov. Xov. Per cent. 17.68 16.87 16.90 16.62 16.70 ' 16.71 17.57 16.87 17.22 17.40 1C. 57 16.56 16.75 17.24 17.38 17.00 16.77 16.71 16.94 17.16 16.82 16.31 14.75 15.06 15.81 14.71 14.74 15.40 14.94 15.01 15. 20 14.65 15.41 15.13 15.00 15.07 Per cent. 15.15 14.27 14.40 14.50 14. 43 14.48 15.09 14.61 14.85 14.66 14.21 14.08 14.31 14.71 14.89 14. 75 14.73 14.70 14. 78 14.77 14. 22 13.91 12.83 13.01 13.64 12. 40 12.85 12.76 12.77 12.98 13.08 12.58 13.13 12. M 12.55 Purity. 85.80 84.58 85.21 87.24 86.41 86.65 85.88 86.60 86.23 84.25 85. 18 85. 02 85.43 85.33 85.67 86.77 87.83 87. 97 87. 25 86.07 85.14 85.28 86. 99 86.39 86. 27 83.95 87.18 82.86 84.81 86.05 85.87 85.20 82.22 83.67 83.15 Means 16.21 13.89 Glucose. Glucose ratio. Per cent. 4.69 6.16 5.12 3.84 5.61 5.19 o.07 6.24 5.94 4.96 4.83 4.68 6.45 5.51 5.07 5.48 6.40 5.89 4. 52 4.87 5.05 6.77. 4.12 5.41 5. 40 7.10 7.03 6.25 7.56 6.62 7.10 5. 02 'Maceration 32 Table No. 10.— Sirup, first plant ran. No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glucose. Glucose ratio. 1L'8 Nov. 1G 55.90 54.60 53.95 54.29 53.87 49.50 40. S3 4-. 41 48.67 L8.84 49.14 47.54 47. 30 48.59 44 83 40.72 87.35 87.07 87.40 -: -J BO. 20 90.56 85.79 Per cent. 2.50 2.36 2.99 5.05 6.08 163 Nov. 17 Nov. 19 179 5.45 4.98 6.29 6. 05 5.25 190 Nov. 22 Nov. 23 Nov. 24 Nov. 26 Nov. 27 Nov. 28 °02 223 239 256 2. 4*0 5. 35 271 2.65 6.51 2.82 6.72 283 Nov. 29 48.92 41.97 53.03 46.68 87.84 2. E2 6. 04 Table No. LI. — Sugars, first plant run. No. 4o 4 457 4> 461 it; 4 465 MM 511 Description of -ample. Mat.-. Sucrose. Glucose. Par cent. Bee. 2 . do Dec. 2 Dec. 2 Dec. 2 Dec. 2 Dec. 2 Deo. 2 98.4 9& 98.2 98.2 !)7. G 99. do do do do do 88.4 88. 87.4 86. Jan. 4 Jan. i • i. in i Jan, i Jan. t •J. '.•:: :;.o7 3.19 :;. it do do do do do 87.4 3. 25 Feb. '.» 80. 6. 92 Tab] i N". L2. — Third molasses, first plant run. No. Date. Solids. Sim i I'uiitx . ( illH use. Single polai i/a linn. Doable polariza- tion 514 ft 1.. '.' ; • /". /' r, ,,t 33 Summary — First plant run. Cane ground tons . . Cane ground ponndB. . Sucrose in cane — do Juice extracted, without maceration gallons.. Jnice extracted, with maceration do Total juice extracted do Juice extracted pounds.. Sucrose in juice do Sucrose in bagasse do ... Sucrose extracted, per cent of sucrose in cane Glucose in j nice pounds . . Available sugar, at 1.50 X glucose deducted from sucrose do Total sugar in juice do ... Sirup obtained gallons.. Sirup obtained pounds . . Sucrose in sirup do ... Loss of sncrose between juice and sirup do Glucose in sirup do Inversion of sucrose between juice and sirup do ... Mechanical 'oss of sucrose between juice and sirup do ... Commercial, first sugar obtained do First sugar, 100° polarization obtained do Commercial, second sugar obtained do Second sugar, 100° polarization obtained do ... Glucose in second sugar do Commercial third sugar obtained do Third sugar 100° polarization (1,726 pounds of 57.6" polarization) .do Glucose in third sugar Third molasses obtained gallons.. Third molasses obtained po Sucrose in thiid i "arization do. ... Sucrose in tLiid njulasses, double polaiizatiun do ... Glucose in tbiid : do.... en sirup and product do ... Inversion of sucrose between sirup and product do. .. Iu version of sucrose dining cut ire run Suci - t shown by double p. 66 0. f9 35 Table No. 18. — Second massecuite, Second plant ran. Sucrose, Sucrose, No. Date. Solids. p^. *J* Pun,,-. tior. Hon. Glucose. 440 Dec. 26 441 Dec. 26 Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent. 84.78 65. G G'J. IS 81.60 12.45 83.18 1 63.6 67.04 80.65 11.25 65.30 64.6 68.18 79.94 12.55 83. 97 | 65. 4 68. 32 81. 36 1 84.40 ' 62.4 64.fe4 76. 82 13.51 443 Dec. 26 444 Dec. 27 Means 84. 32 • 64. 32 67. 51 80. 06 12. 27 Table No. 19. — Sugars, Second plant run. Xo. 435 436 4:; 7 438 439 4'.- 46!) 513 Description of sample. Date. Sucrose. 98.8 99.0 09.0 ' 99.0 98.8 Glucose. First sugar .. ...do Dec Dec. I), r. Dec. Dec. 24 24 24 24 24 Per cent. ...do ...do --•4o 98. 92 4.71 i 4.41 Second sugar.. ...do Jan. Jan. 7 83.8 85.2 84.5 4. 56 Third sugar .. Feb. 9 78.8 ■6.43 Table No. 20. — Molasses, Second plant run. Sucre* Purity. ETc, "tion of n tan | L,ate- Single polariza- tion. Double polarise tion. Glucose 4M Firs( moles* », 1 1 ....do i> liMOfl Beo'd molasses Jan. L5 - - do .Ian. 15 ' /'■ /■ i ■ at 55.0 1 58.90 81.97 10.62 10.10 71.56 55.7 58.06 81. 14 10.89 33.4 37.10 21.51 21.17 76.7 83.4 36. 09 t& 23 21. 31 Third molasses Feb. 10 29.11 36 Summary. — Second plant run. Cane ground tons.. 886.23 Cane ground pounds.. 1, 772, 400.00 Sua oso in cane do 226, 201. 33 Juice extracted, as dilated gallons.. 178, 230. 00 Juice extracted, normal do 156, 370.00 Jaice extracted, as diluted , pounds.. 1, 574, 811. 00 Juice extracted, normal ..do 1. 391, 145. 00 Sucrose in juice do 197, 281.00 Sucrose in bagasse do 28,920. 34 Sucrose extracted, per cent of sucrose in cane Glucose in juice pounds.. 13, 228. 41 Available sugar, at 1. 50 X glucose deducted from sucrose do 177. , Total sugar in juice do 210.5C9.41 Sirup obtained gallons.. -12, 540. 00 Sirup obtained pounds.. 4:;C, 460.00 Sucrose in sirup do .. 186, 543.00 Loss of sucrose between juice and sirup do 10, 738.00 Glucose in sirup do 12, 613. 65 Inversion of sucrose between j uice and sirup . do 106. 37 Mecbanical loss of sucrose between juice and sirup do 10, 631. 63 Number of cubic feet of first massecuito obtained 2, [OS. CO First massecuite obtained pounds.. 229, 207. 50 Sucrose in first massecuite do 186, 116. 48 Inversion of sucrose between sirup and first masse cuite do 210. 87 Mecbanical loss of sucrose between sirup and first massecuite.. do 215. 65 Glucose in first massecuite do 12,835.62 Commercial first sugar obtained do 126,616. 00 First sugar of 100° polarization do 125, 248. 55 Second massecuite obtained do ... 94, 272. 74 Sucrose in second massecuite, single polarization do 60, 646. 23 Sucrose in second massecuite, double polarization do 63, 643. 53 Sucrose in second massecuite and first sugar do 188, 892. 08 Excess of sucrose sbown by double polarization do — 2, 997. 30 Glucose in second massecuite do ... 11,567.27 Commercial second BUgar obtained do 57,262. 00 Second sugar of 100° polarization do 48,386.38 Glucose in second sugar do ... 2, 611. 1 5 Second molasses obtained do ... 42, ;;t;7. 4"> Sucrose in second molasses, single polarization do 14, 150. 7:: Sucrose in second molasses, double polarization do 15,671.72 Glucose in second molasses do 9,041.21 Commercial third sugar do 8,998.00 Third sugar of 100° polarization do — 7,090 IS Glucose in (bird sugar do — 578.57 Third molasses, obtained gallons.. 2, 550. 00 Third molasses obtained pounds.. 29, 962.50 Sucrose in third molasses, single polarization do 6,940.28 Sucrose ID third molasses, double polarization do — B,722 08 Glucose in third molasses do — 8, 796. 99 Sucrose obtained as sugar do.... 180. 725 35 Sucrose obtained in sugar and molasses do — 189, n 7. 1 9 duetoerroi In sampling or analysis do ... Loss "i extracted sucrose during entire run by Inversion and mechan- ically pounds.. lu, 738. 90 Loss of extracted BUCrote during entire run per cent. . 5.44 37 Table No. 21. — Raw juice — Third plant run. No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glucose Glucose iriucose. iatiQ 368 Per cent. Per cent. Dec. 6 14.37 11.42 Dec. 7 13.90 11.49 Dec. 10 13.51 11.40 Dec 10 13.95 11.55 Dec. 10 ' 14 05 ' 11 78 79.42 82. 16 83.64 82.80 83.13 80.41 79. ,^4 83.20 89. 55 Per cent. . 80 7. 00 1.17 10.18 . 92 8. 00 1.10 9.52 1. 04 8. 83 1.11 9.62 1.08 9.48 . 84 7. 12 1. 03 9. 26 . 82 7. 39 372 379 385 389 396 Dec. 11 14. 50 11. 56 402 Dec. 11 Dec. 11 14.24 ! 11.39 U. 17 11.79 408 413 Dec. 12 13.47 11.12 418 Dec. 12 13.32 11.09 83.26 Means... 13. 95 11. 46 82. 15 . 99 8. 64 Table No. 22. — Sulphured juice— Third plant No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glucose. Glucose J ratio. 369 Per cent. Per cent. Dec. 6 14.38 11 38 79 14 Per cent. 80 373 380 Dec. 7 13.97 11.44 81.89 Dec. 10 13. 75 11. 26 80. 43 Dec. 10 13 95 11 f.ft 09 15 1.20 10.49 .95 8.44 1. 12 9. 06 1.04 * 8.76 386 390 Dec. 10 14. 20 11 88 83 66 397 Die. 11 Dec. 11 Dec. 11 Dec. 12 Dec. 12 14.73 14.35 14.27 11.51 78.14 11.34 79.02 19 ft.T 8i an 403 1.08 .93 1.01 .77 9.52 7.73 9.04 : 6.88 409 414 13.50 11.17 82.74 13.37 11.18 83.62 419 14 05 ii J-8 ai 7i Table No. 23.— Clarified juice— Third plant No. Date. Solids. Sin rose. Purity. Glucose. Glucose ratio. Dec. 6 Dec. 7 Dec. 10 Dee. in Dec. 10 !>..• 11 Dee. n Dee. n Dec. 12 lire. 12 nt Percent 14.85 /•• /• cent. 371 381 387 891 14.:::. 1 L u 14.47 14.91 it:: 13 i" 11.92 12.12 i 1 . 92 1U. 17 12. i" L2.80 83.07 LU 8.40 84.94 .91 7.51 82.26 1.12 !(4(i 84.11 .97 L08 a :i B8 H l.OJ .88 398 404 410 415 13 82 11 '><; L2Q L8.44 11.58 86. 16 .73 <;.:«> Means . .. 14.44 11 M 09 7') OK - .;.: 38 Table No. 24.— Simp— Third j)lant run. No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glucose. Glucose ratio. 37o 394.. 411 Dec. 7 Dec. 10 Dec. 11 Dec. 12 Per rent. 48. 22 47.41 49.87 48. 22 Per cent. 41.43 85.92 40.22 84.84 42. 00 84.34 4<). 78 84. 57 Per cent. 3. 10 3.35 3.31 2.88 7.48 8.33 ; 7.87 7.00 ! 422 48.43 41.12 84.91 3 1(5 7 R8 Table No. 25. — First masaecuite — Third plant run. No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Purity. Glucose. Glucose- ratio. 460 Jan. 3 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan. 7 Jan. 9 Jan. 11 Jan. 11 Jan. 11 Jan. 11 Jan. 12 Percent. /' 89. 17 80. 8 90.61 Per cent. 4.97 5.73 5. 45 6.03 5.81 G. 13 5.87 5.35 ■". 25 4. 82 6.15 7.20 6.81 7.54 7.23 7.57 7.26 6.57 6.50 5.94 467 88 >:• 79.0 RQ SR 470 89. 97 ' 80 0 477 480 481 482 90. 86 ' 80. 0 90.48 ; 80.4 91.41 81.0 90.95 80.8 90.99 1 81.4 88.05 88.86 88.61 88.83 89 4(! 483 484 90. 51 i 80. 8 89. 'M 485 90.75 81.2 89.48 90. 70 80. 6 89.16 5.54 6.87 TABU No. 26. — Second massecuite — Third plant run. No. Date. Solids. Sucrose. Parity. Glucose. Single polariza- tion. Double polariza- tion. 490 Jan. 15 Jan. 15 Jan. 15 Per cent. 83.7 85. 0 Per cent. 64.8 63.6 63. 2 66.90 65.84 79. 92 7G. 48 7G. 2G Per r. nt. 13.51 18 24 15.58 491 492 85.8 63. 38 65. 85 77 5.1 14. 11 Table No. 27. — Sugar — Third plant run. No .t Kill Of iple. lute 7 7 B 11 Su< rose. Per cent. 98.0 09 0 Glucose. 172 .. da do Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Feb. . 171 J75 . do .. do M.atl .. Second sugar Thixd sugar 98.76 178 83.2 81.8 4.55 39 Table No. 28. — Molasses— Third plant run. 487 488 500 502 519 Sucrose. No. Description of D sample. Solids. Single Double polariza- polarisa- tion, tiou. Purity. Glucose. First molasses Jan. 13 ...do Jan. 13 Mean Second uiolas- 9S ...do Jau. 26 Third molasses Feb. 11 Per cent. Per cent. 74. 49 54. 6 69.27 I 53.0 Per cent. 55.90 54.04 53.8 54.97 74.4 80.6 77.6 39.0 33.6 22.0 42. 88 37.30 26. 62 75.04 78.01 Per cent. 11.21 11.94 76.53 11.57 57. 28 20. 23 46.28 19.97 34.44 28.52 Summary — Third plant run. Cane ground tons . . 956. 55 Cane ground pounds.. 1, 913, 100 Sucrose in cane do 221, 177. 84 Juice extracted as diluted gallons . . 199, 855 Juice extracted, norma' do 173, 040 Juice extracted as diluted pounds . 1.761, 837 Juice extracted, normal do 1, 536, 595 Sucrose in juice do 197, 317. 13 Sucrose in bagasse do 23. 860. 71 Sucrose extracted, per cent of sucrose in caue 89.21 Glucose in juice - pounds.. 17.442.20 Available sugar at 1.50 times glucose deducted from sucrose., .do 171, 153. 83 Total sugars in juice do ... 214, 759.33 Sirup obtained gallons.. 46, 114 Sirup obtained pounds.. 473, 422 Sucrose in sirup do 194,071.15 Loss of sucrose between j uice and sirup do 2. 045. 98 Glucose in sirup do ... 14,960 Inversion of sucrose between juice and sirup None. Number of cubic feel of ftrsi massecuite obtained 2, 760 First massecuite obtained pounds.. 253,920 Sucrose in first massecuite do 2o» i of sucrose due to adding " tank bottom " do ... 9, 987. 85 Glucose in firs! massecuite do 14. or>7. 17 Commercial lirst BUgar obtained do ... 140,431 sugar of 100 polarisation do i massecuite obtained do 102 Sucrose in second masse* nite single polarization do se in second massecuite; double polarization do ... 87 due to double polarization do ... 2,04< 50 Glucose in second massecnite do li Commercial second sugar obtained ... 56, 742 Second Bug a- of 100° polarization do ... 47 Glucose in second BUgar do Second molasw - obtained do ... 50,779. 77 Sucrose In second molasses single polarisatioD <1<> Sucrose in second molasses double] do ... 20,291.68 Glucose in second molasses do ... 10 Commercial third sugar obtained do ... 18 742 Third sugar of 100° polarization do ... 15 181.83 Glucose in third sugar do ... i Third molasses obtained do Sucrose in third molasses, sing ion do ... 4<) Summary — Third plant run — Continued. Sucrose in tliiid molasses, double polarization pounds.. 9,083.72 Glucose in third molasses do 10,439 18 Excess of sucrose over second molasses due to " tank bottom '.do.... 3, 973. 14 Sucrose obtained as sugar do 201,080. 02 Sucrose obtained in sugars aud molasses do 210, 163. 74 Excess of sucrose during entire run due to " tank bottom " do 13, 448. 09 Loss of extracted sucrose during entire run per cent . 1. 34 Table No. 29. — Calumet Plantation totals, campaign 1838-89. Total stubble. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 7.20a.m.. Friday, Nov. 16, 4.40 a. m Hrs. in in 214 43 Total plant... Friday, Nov 10, 8 a. m. Wednesday , Dee. 12, 5.40 p. m 10 Total crop Wednesday, Oct. 31, 7.20 a. in Wednesday, Dec. 12, 5. 40 p. no. 596 55 Total Total stubble. plant. Tons ground, no allowance for trash Average tons ground per hour, actual miming time. Percent juice extracted on weight of cane Weight of ' third plant run, analyses of L, Letter of transmittal M. Maceration, effect of 1 .' increased yield by 20 method of adding frataxin 80 water added in 20 7083— Bull. 23 4 n 42 :|| | lllllllttllllllll 3 1262 09216 6254 Pace. Massecuite, second plant rnn, analyses of . 34, 35 third plant run, analyses of 38 Molasses, analyses of 24, 25 first plant run, analyses of 32 second plant run, analyses of 35 third plant run, analyses of 39 second stubble run, analyses of 28 P. Plant run, first 15 maceration in 16 second 16 chemical control of 16 third 16 accident in 17 Prefatory note 3 R. Be miners, B., supervision of 13 S. Sirup, first plant run, anlayses of 32 second plant run, analyses of 34 stubble run, analyses of 27 third plant run, analyses of 38 ial inquiries.. 17 Stubble run, tirst 14 second 15 inversion in 15 Sugar, first plant run, analyses of \V2 second plant rnn, analyses of 35 stubble run, analyses of 27 third plant run, analyses of 38 Sulphur dioxide, cooling of 18 effect of, on products 18 inversion due to 18 investigation of 17 use of 17 Summary, first plant run 33 for whole campaign 40 second plant run 36 Btubble run 28 third planl run 39 Superphosphate of Lime, use of 14 T. Thompson, w. J., report of 7