The loss of material thus sustained, which is, on an average, equal in every mill, whether driven by steam, water, or animal power, is entirely chargeable to the construction of the mill, and amounts to about ten per cent. of the saccharine matter contained in the sugar canes.

M. Duprez, an agent of the French Government, having experimented on the canes in Guadaloupe, found the quantity of juice in every 100 lbs. crushed—­

lbs.
1 By mills having horizontal rollers; the
motive power not stated                     61.2
2 By mills, motive power, steam               60.9
3 By mills, motive power, wind and steam      59.3
4 By mills, having vertical rollers           59.2
5 By mills, motive power, cattle              58.5
6 By mills, motive power, wind *              56.4

  [* Dr. Evans’ “Treatise on Sugar,” p. 75.]

The average of all these experiments being 56 per cent. only.  The result of M. Avequin, on Louisiana cane, was 50 per cent.  Mr. Thompson, of Jamaica, states 50 per cent. as the average throughout the island of Martinique.  Dr. Evans ventures 47 per cent. as the lowest, and 61 per cent. as the highest in the West Indies.  A mill in Madeira gave 47.5 and 70.2 of juice—­the larger yield being obtained by bracing the horizontal rollers more than usually tight, and introducing only a few canes at a time, the motive power being cattle.

The three roller mill has the disadvantage of re-absorbing a part of the cane juice in the spongy megass, (or trash as it is termed in the West Indies), and a loss of power.

Those with five rollers have been used in Cuba, Bourbon and the Mauritius, which gave 70 per cent., but a great increase of motive power is necessary.  Four roller mills, two below and two above, requiring little more motive power than three rollers, have given 70 to 75 per cent of juice.

Some years since, the East India Company instituted inquiries relative to the cultivation of the sugar cane in Hindostan, and the information obtained was published in a large folio volume.  The Reports furnished by their officers, from almost every district, concur in stating that there were three kinds cultivated:—­1.  The purple. 2.  The white. 3.  A variety of the white, requiring a large supply of water.  The epitome of the Reports affords this information:—­

1.  The purple colored cane yields a sweeter, richer juice, than the yellow or light colored, but in less quantity, and is harder to press.  Grows on dry lands.  Scarce any other sort in Beerbhoom, much in Radnagore, some about Santipore, mixed with light colored cane.  Grows also near Calcutta; in some fields separate, in others mixed with pooree or light colored cane.  When eaten raw, is more dry and pithy in the mouth, but esteemed better sugar than the pooree, and appears to be the superior sort of cane.  Persons who have been West Indian planters do not know it as a West Indian cane.

2.  The light colored cane, yellow, inclining to white; deeper yellow when ripe, and on rich ground, it is the same sort as that which grows in the West India Islands; softer, more juicy than the Cadjoolee, but juice less rich, and produces sugar less strong; requires seven maunds of pooree juice to make as much goor or inspissated juice as is produced from six of the Cadjoolee.  Much of this kind is brought to the Calcutta markets, and eaten raw.