, 1890-04-09

AOVA VIZ luIOuEI tic CcuS u Tic iOOlSs 4LIS
discovery of the osmotic flow of soluble sub.
stances from cell to cell in the living plant
suggested the application of diffusion to the
extraction Of soluble substances from the
plant after it had been removed from the in
fuence of vitality. Accordingly experiments
were made and appliances adopted best con.
ducive to the end in view. Sugar being one
of the most soluble aud easily difused of all
known substances received the first success.
full attention.
Beet3 by this application became a form;-
dable competitor of the sugar, and once
thu 2atened its destruction. And Just here |
may remark cen p~assant' that our subject
for discussion this evening could find no
place in the records of the proceedings of the
sugar manufacturers of Germany.
The cane sugar industry, scattered over the
word IN the various insular and peninsular
lands which lie within or near the tropics,
continued wholly tie primitive method of
crushing until very recent years. Now in
almost every cane country a few of the most
progressive and daring planters have erected
diffusion batteries, and while they work, the
tropical a world await their results with
anxious curiosity. SO far in this country at
least, our records, while favorable to the
principle, have shown serious mechanical de-
tects to a practical application of diffusion on
a large scale in our sugar houses. Thu is
evidenced by the question under discussion
to nlght-a question though ably and lengthi-
ly discussed at our last meeting was deemed
worthy of further consideration this eve ere
a decision could be reached. 1t is now quite
certain that all Of the sugar within the cane
entered into the cell into which it is stored
hy osmcse. 1t is also quite certain that all
Of it can be extracted by the same principle.
Therefore diffusion is the natural method Of
removing soluble substances from cells-or
sugar from plants. Crushing is a mechanical
operation which, unaid2d, can never com.
'otelyremove the soluble material within
c ! walls. 1t is an artificial process, origi-
rlting IN the power and genius of man, and
ike all eman&tions from this source is i'm
perfect and incomplete Units work.
1t is, perhaps, not an extra VACANT assertion
to pronounce our ponderous five roller mills
az marvels Of human perfection, and unaidod
have reached the highest extraction which
the process of crushing can obtain. Diffu-
sion batteries are new institutions and their
possibilities for perfect development exceed
ingly p:on.sin3. Therefore we find the
sugar planter of Louisiana in a dilemma, one
of whose horns leads to diffusion, a process
capable of total extraction, yet of such re-
cent application to sugar cane as to require
q more perfect development and adjustment
of machinery, the other pointing to the mas.
sive mill, a paragon of mechanical excellence
toiling all in vain for complete extraction,
though aided by ~shredders, saturation, by.
draulic pressure, and heat.
To discuss this subject fairly comparison
OF extraction only should be made, since the
after works of the sugar house can and ought
to be common to both processes.
have just remarked that diffusion could
extract all the sugar from the cane. This is
true, yet experiments have proven that the
limits Of profitable extraction at present are,
perhaps, reached when less than 3 per cent.
of sucrose is left in the chips. A further ex-
traction involves an Improbable dilution.
This limit with proper working Of a bat.
terry, can be reached by drawing a weight
of juice equal to the chips diffused. II the
cane contain 10 per cent of fibre and IL per
cent OF sucrose, an approximate average OF
this state, this extraction will represent near.
ly 96 per cent of the sugar of the cane, or an
extraction of juice equal to Sc per cent Of the
cane difused. If the dilution be extended so
that only one per cent of sucrose be left in
the chips, then the extraction will be over SO
per cent of the sugar IN the cane.
The best five roller mills working without
saturatlon rarely obtain q greater extrae.
ton than 20 per ce,t on the cane worked
with sa,uration about 75 per cent. The re.
lative extractions, then. of a five roller mill