, 1875-05-01

well denuded of its juices, and at others but
very indifferentIy so, but leaving in both in.
stances more or less 5acchariDe, either in crys-
tails or solution, or as others contend In both,
as the cane may be matured by nature. That
some gentlemen dispute that any material
amount Of saccharine is conveyed away in the
bagasse, is, to say the least, singular, but that
such arguments may readily be answered by the
practical experiments hat have been made by re-
liable gentlemen both here and in the. West In-
dies to which l shall presently refer, sustalns the
fact. But | may remark that as the bagasse,
when we'll pressed has been found TO weigh
some SO per cent. (waiving the c~rystas), when
it is evident that it should not weigh over Ia
per cent. when dry, and by some asserted to be
not over 10 per cent 1t Is certain that some
"a per cent. to IS per cent. remain OF moisture
that this moisture or juice must necessarily be
of the same density as that expressed, there
can be no question. To obtain the whole of
this would require the precise manipulation of the
chemists laboratory, as it is simply too diff
cult an operation for the sugar house but that
the greater part may be obtained by difusing
with steam, softening the bagasse, and sub
hitting it thus prepared to a second and more
efficient pressure is a simple proposition. That
crude attempts are made to obtain this by means
OF a Jet of steam underneath the bagasse (un-
cOnfned), and also by sprinkIlng warm water
on the bagasse, then by second pressure after
such treatment, thus obtaining a partial
effect. AS a great portion OF the steam es-
capes, and a portion Of the water falls
throuoh the hacaSse it necessarily difuses but
q small portion of the bagasse, the time being
too brief in a passage of ten feet. it has no eff
feet on the hard fibre or rind, to render it soft
or pliable for an effective pressure by the
second mill. This plainly indicates its
neficiency. There is also smother ain 10 be
accomplished, and that is, if possible, to mate
rally reduce the time now required to take
of he crop. The sad losses now experienced
in the depreciation of the sacchArine Juices
after the visitation Of frost, (our dread enemy
in cane culture,) renders speed au undenlaols
requisite to enable the planter not only to
lower his expenses, but also to harvest his
cron in eafeiv for many now, after the long,
tedious months of cultivation, find that the
Weld is so deprecated at the latter part of
the season, that it hardly pays them to COM
ple,e the rolling, and others are compelled to
leave more or less quantities OF the cane on
the field, frosted and worthless. To obvIate
these delays and secure the saccharlne now
lost, the &" saturator" was erected at the beka
plantation, twelve miles below the CITY, tho
DrOperty of Messrs. Blanchin, Glraud, d Rlaud
The bagasse, as 1T falls from hrss MILL Is wei
crushed. and the cells are incontes'ably ruptured,
so that there is no d ,f6culty in saturatiDg them
with so efficient an agent as steam, when pro"
perly applied. The bagasse is received on an
endless belt of similar construction to the well
known cane carrier, the difference being that
wove wire forms the body instead OF wooden
slats Here one man s%catters The bagasse SO
that it is evenly spread for difusing. or satu-
ration. The bogasse is borne along at a
slightly accelerated speed, to keep free OF
bunches, that frequently fall from first mill.
Al it enters the machine 40 upper belt Of the
same texture covers the bagasse, holding 1t
firmly 10 it's passage through the machine which
should be, say so or so feet long, this length
being necessary 40 as TO insure a thorough
saturation and softening of the material. The
machine is divided into various compartments,
in each of which are one or more perforated pipes
the full width of the belts, which correspond
with the width Of the mill In each partition
are two rollers, one supporting the belts and
the other acting as q valve, also %kneading the
bapasse, thus assisting the operation. AS the
baSasse is carried through the various compart'
ments, the exhaust steam from the mill engine
ia delivered TO it at each stroke of the piston,
The partition rollers are acted on by the belts
the partitions preventing the steam from passing
from one chamber to the other. Thus, being
confined, it rapidly condenses and absorbed by
the spungy bagasse, relieving the saccbarlne'
dissolving The crystals. and sottenlrg the ma
terial. # requisite, water may be added to
.os;st Tho ctaarn Assuming the machine to be