FOR HISTORICAL REASONS and space considerations, the two rotary juice screens at South Johnstone mill are mounted over the #2 intercarrier that feeds #3 mill. Cush is deposited directly down into the intercarrier. As part of an investigation to identify opportunities to increase extraction, the option of diverting the cush back to the #1 intercarrier that feeds #2 mill (the common approach in Australia) was considered. Recent modelling work, as well as encouraging advice from international technologists, suggested significant benefit in doing so. To test this concept, a screw conveyor was installed to convey the cush to the #1 intermediate carrier. An experiment to measure the effect of this cush diversion on extraction was conducted. Because of capacity limitations with the installed screw conveyor, the full cush loading from both screens could not be reliably conveyed and so the experiment considered only the diversion of the cush from the #1 mill expressed juice stream. The results indicated an increase in extraction of 0.3 units by diverting the cush from this one screen. A greater increase can be expected through the diversion of cush from both screens.