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Suggested Citation:"Conflicting opinions on essential points." National Research Council. 1883. Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry: Being a Report Made in Response to a Request From the Hon. George B. Loring. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Suggested Citation:"Conflicting opinions on essential points." National Research Council. 1883. Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry: Being a Report Made in Response to a Request From the Hon. George B. Loring. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Page 15
Suggested Citation:"Conflicting opinions on essential points." National Research Council. 1883. Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry: Being a Report Made in Response to a Request From the Hon. George B. Loring. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
×
Page 16
Suggested Citation:"Conflicting opinions on essential points." National Research Council. 1883. Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry: Being a Report Made in Response to a Request From the Hon. George B. Loring. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
×
Page 17
Suggested Citation:"Conflicting opinions on essential points." National Research Council. 1883. Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry: Being a Report Made in Response to a Request From the Hon. George B. Loring. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
×
Page 18
Suggested Citation:"Conflicting opinions on essential points." National Research Council. 1883. Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry: Being a Report Made in Response to a Request From the Hon. George B. Loring. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Page 19

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14 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTEY. A proper introduction to this report, as it appears to the Committee, is a brief sketch of the history of the earlier investigations upon sorghum (especially American examples) as a sugar-producing plant, chrono- logically arranged. The following citations are by no means an exhaustive summary, but are, probably, sufficient to show the wide differences of opinion on nearly every important point of the subject entertained by the several authorities quoted. A few only of the more important points' of this inquiry have been selected as illustrations, and the conclusions reached are grouped under each head and chronologically arranged. CONFLICTING OPINIONS ON ESSENTIAL POINTS. OP THE KIND OF SUGAR PRESENT IN THE JUICE OF SORGHUM. a. In a paper by D. Jay Brown (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1856, p. 310), he says: Mr. Hervey, of France, contends that there is no uncrystallizable sugar pre-ex- isting in the cane (sorghum), and that the formation of glucose (grape-sugar) or molasses is only owing to the action of the salts contained in the liquid during the manufacturing process. 6. Dr. C. T. Jackson (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1857, p. 187) says: There is no doubt that this plant (sorghum), when unripe, contains only grape- sugar. c. Dr. J. Lawrence Smith, in a paper detailing the results of his in- vestigations of sorghum (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1857, p. 192), says: This result settles the question that the great bulk of the sugar contained in the sorgho is crystallieable, or cane-sugar proper. And again, giving his final conclusions, he says: 1. The sorgho contains about 10 per cent. of crystallizable sugar. 2. The sugar can be obtained by processes analogous to those employed for extract- ing sugar from other plants. In an article entitled " Contributions to the knowledge of the nature of the Chinese sugar-cane " (transactions New York State Agriculture Society, 1861, p. 785) by Dr. C. A. Goessmann, he says p. 789: The facts so far obtained prove that, besides cane-sugar, no other kind of sugar exists in the juice of the ripe and sound sorghum-cane. Again, in describing the general properties of the sorghum-cane juice, he says, p. 798: I have already mentioned that the results, which I obtained, entitled me to believe that cane-sugar is the only kind of sugar that exists in that juice. And on page 808, he says of results in extracting sugar from sorghum: These results are very encouraging, as they show that more than half the sugar, or 5 per cent. out of 9 to 9^ per cent. in the juice, can be separated. When Achard es- from Caffraria into France in 1854. (See translation of Vilmorin's paper in the ap- pendix (p. 59). An interesting letter from this veteran promoter of the sorghum sugar culture, of date of September 7, 1882, from Parak, Indian Archipelago will also be found in the Appendix.) Louis Vilmorin, just mentioned, is the author of one of the early memoirs on this subject (1855), of which a translation will be found in the Appendix, loc. cit. Consult in this connection the bibliography of sorghum in the Appendix, and also an extract from the work on sugar by Mr. Basset quoted on p. 37.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 15 taWished the first beet-sugar manufactory in Silesia, he was able to separate only from 3 to 4 per cent. of sugar, although 10^ per cent. was present; and the French manufactories were quite contented when they succeeded in extracting from 4 to 5 per cent. of sugar. The history of the development of the manufacture of beet-sugar may be studied with great advantage by those interested in the sorghum. d. Dr. Thomas Antisell, chemist Department of Agriculture (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1867, p. 33), says: The attempt to separate and crystallize the cane-sugar of sorghum, on a large scale, has been wholly unsuccessful, and, as a sacchariferous plant, it is only valuable for molasses. e. President Stockbridge, of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, in his Annual Report, December, 1881, p. 19, says: The experiments with sorghum, as a sugar-producing plant, forever settled the fact that no known variety of it can be profitably employed for the purpose, unless chemical science can discover a law by •which glucose can be changed for cane-sugar. THE BEST VARIETIES OF SORGHUM FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUGAR. I In the Sorgho Journal for February, 1869, p. 9, the editor, William Clough,says: The Oomseeana is altogether the best, Neeazaua is next, for making sugar. It is not worth while to try to make sugar of any other variety which we now possess. Again, p. 26, he says: It [the Oomseeana] is the only cane upon which the operation for sugar can be con- . ducted with any certainty. Again he says: Spend no time in attempting to make sugar from any but the Oomseeana or Neea- zana varieties. , Again, same page, he says: Its sirup does not tend to granulate. TIME FOR HARVESTING AND WORKING THE SORGHUM, AND WHEN THE MAXIMUM OF SUGAR IS PRESENT IN THE JUICE. a. Tn the Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1854, p. 222, M. Vilmorin, of Paris, is quoted as concluding that— The proportion of sugar in the stalks continued to increase until the seeds were in the milky state. * * * The ripeness of the seeds does not appear much to lessen the production of sugar, at least in the climate near Paris; but in other countries, where it matures when the weather is still warm, the effect may be different. b. J. H. Hammond, Silverton, S. C., Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1855, p. 282, found by his experiment (he records one only) with sorghum, taken before the seed was in the milk, when it was in the milk. and when it was mature, that The youngest canes had rather the most, and the oldest rather the least saccharine matter. * * » Beginniugto cutthe cane as soon as the head is fully developed, it may be secured for a monthbefore it will all ripen ; howlongafter that, I do not know. e. Dr. 0. T. Jackson (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1856, p. 307) found that— The juice from stalks, with quite ripe seeds, was, by far, the sweetest, while the green one, which was just in flower, contained but very little saccharine matter. Upon page 312 Louis Vilmorin is quoted as saying: The crystallization of the sugar of the sorgho, it seems, should be easily obtained in all cases where the cane can be sufficiently ripened; and, as the proportion of the sugar is an unfailing index of ripeness, it follows that we could always be sure of ob- taining a good crystallization of juices, the density of which exceeds 1.075, while weaker ones could not yield satisfactory results after concentration.

16 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Again he says, same page: This difficulty [of purging, through presence of the gum] only presents itself in the employment of unripe canes; for, as soon as the juices attain the density of 1.080 and more, they contain little else than crystallizable sugar, and their treatment presents no difficulty. d. Dr. G. T. Jackson, in his report (Annual Eeport Department of Agriculture, 1857, p. 187), says: A ripe plant yielded a juice of 1.063 sp. gr., which yielded 16.6 per cent. of thick sirnp, which crystallized almost wholly into cane-sugar, the whole mass becoming solid with crystals. And he concludes: From these researches I am fully satisfied that both the Chinese and the African varieties of sorghum will produce sugar of the cane type perfectly and abundantly, whenerer the canes will ripen their seeds. Again he says: The unripe canes can be employed for making molasses and alcohol, but, as before stated, will not yield true cane-sugar. e. The committee of the United States Agricultural Society, appointed to investigate the subject of sorghum, in their report (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1857) say: Where the plant was well matured, the juice yielded from 13 to 16 per cent. of dry saccharine matter; from 9 to 11 per cent. of which was well-defined crystallized caae- sugar. * * * A palatable bread was made from the flour ground from the seeds. * * * Paper of various qualities has been manufactured from the fibrous parts of the stalks. /. J. N. Smith, of Quincy, 1ll. (Annual Report Department of Agri- culture, 1862, p. 134), says: The sirup [from sorghum] will not make sugar if the cane is cut before the seed it in the dough. * * * The crop should be allowed to sta,fad in the field as long as possible, without being in danger of frost. g. L. Bollman, Bloomingtou, Iowa, upon page 147, loc. cit., says: To me it is obvious that the chief requisite for sugar-making from the sorghum canes is their perfect maturity, a,nd such maturity is dependent on correct cultivation and late cutting. h. J. Stan ton Gould, in a report on "Sorghum Culture" made to the New York State Agricultural Society, 1863 (Transactions New York State Agricultural Society, p. 752), says: The seed of the cane [sorghum] continues in the dough for about a week. It is th» general impression the cane should be cut during this period, as it is then supposed to have the greatest amount of saccharine matter; at least this is thought to be true of all the varieties except the white imphee, which is usually cntjust as it it going out of the milk or just entering the dough. i. William Clough, editor Sorgho Journal, Cincinnati, Ohio (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1864, p. 59), says: The precise period most appropriate for harvesting the cane is when the saccharine properties are fully developed, and before any supplementary action sets in. This will bo found to be at the time when the seed at the middle of the panicle is just beginning to harden, or to pass from the fluid or milky state. Again he says (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1865, p- 312): Until recently the opinion has prevailed that cane for making sugar should be thoroughly ripe; that it could not remain standing in th« field too long, provided it escaped the frost; but lately this notion has been somewhat modified. * « * Something like a case for early or premature harvesting has been made out. The matter cannot, however, be considered as definitely settled until the results of the seas n of 1866 shall have been determined. After the next year it will be fully un-

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 17 derstood. The precise stage of maturity most favorable for the production of crys- tallizable sugar, according to the new theory, is just after the, seeds are formed and before they begin to harden. .;,. Prof. Henry Erni, Chemist, Department of Agriculture, 1865, p. 48,says: Contrary to my expectations, I found that the expressed sorgho juice of ripe cane, •whether neutralized by lime or not, refused to crystallize, for what solidified or granulated after long standing of the sirup, was grape sugar. And, in a foot-note, he says: The juice from unripe cane readily crystallized. k. In a pamphlet entitled, " The Sorgho, Manufacturer's Manual," by Jacobs Brothers, Columbus, Ohio, 1866, p. 4, it is stated that— The cane is in the best state for harvesting when part of the seed is beginning to turn black, or, in other words, when the seed is in the doughy state. l. A correspondent of the Department of Agriculture (Annual Re- port, 1867, p. 359) says: I take the sorghum (Otaheitana) when just fairly in bloom. In no case do I allow the seed to mature when I wish to make sugar; but for No. 1 sirup I let the cane mature. m. The Sorgho Journal, William Clough, editor, February, 1869, p. 26, speaking of Neeazana, says: Do not mind the panicle; if the juice has a clear, sweet taste, even if the panicle is only in bloom, cut and work the cane. Again, p. 92, under an article entitled "Immature cane best for sugar," it says: The theory that cane should be harvested before fully ripe, when designed for sugar. has been further confirmed by the experience of this year. The other idea, that the cane should be fully ripe, was never confirmed by facts. Page 58 it says: The weight of evidence, just now, is in favor of cutting as the seed is passing from the milk to the dongh state. Again, p. 73: Cut the cane as soon as the seeds are formed. * * * Cut the cane as soon as they acquire a clear, sweet taste. This may occur in some seasons when the cane is in the flower, and in other seasons not till the seed is fully formed. n. E. W. Skinner, of Sioux City, Iowa, says (Annual Report Depart- ment of Agriculture, 1873, p. 393): The best sirup is made from cane not fully ripened. o. In his report on ''Early Amber Cane," by Dr. C. A. Goessmaun, of Amherst, Mass., 1879, he says, p. 9: The safest way to secure the full benefit of the Early Amber cane crop, for sirup and sugar manufacture, is to begin cutting the canes when the seed is full grown, yet still soft. p. In the Sorgho Hand-Book, published by the Blymyer Manufactur- ing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1880, it is directed, upon p. 8: The cane should be cut when the seed is in the dough. q. In a "Report on the manufacture of sugar, sirup, and glucose from sorghum," by Professors Weber and Scovill, of the Illinois Indus- trial University, 1881, p. 22, they say: The proper time to begin cutting the caue is when the seed is in the hardening dough. r. Vilmorin, of Paris, in the Journal d'agriculture pratique, February 17, 1881, p. 230, says: The period during the development of the plant (sorghum) when the juice is purest and richest in sugar is that which precedes the maturity of the seed. It is at that point when the interior of the seed has the consistence of soft dough, easily crushed under the finger-nail, that the plant should be cut and pressed. S. Mis. 51 2

18 8OKGKUM isUGAR INDUSTRY. PROMPT WORKING OF THE SORGHUM AFTER CUTTING. a. Dr. J. Lawrehce Smith, in his report (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1857, p. 192) says: The uncrystallizable sugar forms rapidly after the caue is fully ripe and recently cut. And again, as the result of his examinations, he says: Hence it is evident that no time is to be lost, after cutting, in expressing the juice. b. D. M. Cook, Mansfield, Ohio (Annual Report Department of Agri- culture, 1861, p. 311), says: Let the cane fully ripen if possible. If the caue is fully ripe it may be worked into sirup and sugar with advantage as fast as it is cut up; but if the juice is not per- fectly matured, it should be allowed to "season" a few days. [By having the cane cut up, bound in bundles, and shocked under a barn jr shed for a few days.] c. In an article on "Soighum. culture and sugar making," by I. A. Hedges ^Ainual Report Department of Agriculture, 1861, p. 297), he says: After thecaneshave been topped. stripped, cut up, and tied in bundles, they may be set up in the open air, or, preferably, under shelter, and kept for some weeks. Such keeping improves the juice not only in flavor, but also in saccharine richness from 1 to 3 degrees B. This improvement takes place upon the same principle and from similar causes which determine the sweetening of acid fruit after pulling, viz, the change of gum and starch into sugar. d. J. H. Smith, Quincy, 1ll. (Annual Report Department of Agricult- ure, 1862, p. 134),says: The cane should be cut and brought to the mill and crushed on the same day ; and the topping of the cane and the stripping of the leaves from the stalks should pro- ceed no faster than it is cut and bronght to the mill, if the very best results are de- sired and all danger of souring is to be avoided. * * * It is much better, there- fore, not to give the cano any rest, after being stripped and topped, till the juice is expressed and run into sirup. » * * When the cane is ripe, it should be immedi- ately cut, for if suffered to remain, after it is ripe, in connection with the roots, a deteriorating effect upon the quality and flavor of the sirup will be the result, and at the same time the quantity will be greatly diminished. e. William Clough. editor of the Sorgho Journal, says (Annual Re- port Department of Agriculture, 1865, p. 312) : It would be best to allow but little time between harvesting and working the cane, and on no account should it be stored and allowed to remain long in large shocks. It is almost demonstrable that no caue sugar is developed under any circumstances after the cane is harvested. The changes that occur after the cane is cut, if any, must be in their nature depreciative, consisting in the transformation of crystallizable to un- crystallizable sugar. f. The Sorgho Manufacturer's Manual, Jacobs Brothers, Columbus, Ohio, 1866, p. 4, directs that: The cane should be cnt and shocked in the field, with tops on, and in this con- dition it may remain several months before being worked up, for the cane matures and forms more saccharine matter. g. A correspondent (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1867, p. 359) gives his method of working: I strip, cut, and work up the cam the same day, if possible. h. E. W. Skinner, Sioux City, Iowa (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1873, p. 393), says: As so.rn as matured, cut, pile, and cover with leaves; never allow it to stand, after maturity, in connection with the roots. i. The Sorgho Hand-Book, Blymyer Manufacturing Company, Cin- cinnati, Ohio, 1880, p. 8, directs that: The cane should be cut several days before grinding. as it will be more free from impurities if cured for a few days before going to the mill.

SORGHUM SUGA.K INDUSTRY. 19 j. Professors Scovill and Weber, in their report, 1881 (Illinois Indus- trial University), say: The cane (sorghum) should be worked up as soon as possible after cutting. THE NECESSITY OF FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF SORGHUM. a. D. J. Brown (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1856, p. 313) says: Let the same skill, direcied by science, be applied to the making of sugar from the sorgho sucre", and we may reasonably expect the happiest results. 6. Prof. J. Lawrence Smith (Annual Report Department of Agricult- ure, 1857, p. 192) further says: On investigating the sugar-bearing capacity of the Chinese sugar-cane, the first step required was to ascertain the true chemical constitution of the juice extracted from the plant. From various conflicting statements on the subject nothing satisfac- tory could be gleaned, some of the best authorities insisting that there was not any crystallizable sugar in the juice, or but a very small portion, while others, equally as strong, held the contrary opinion. c. Dr. J. Lawrence Smith (Annual Report Department of Agricult- ure, 1857, p. 192) further says: It must not be forgotten that sugar-making is an art, and cannot be practiced by every one with a mill and a set of kettles. * * * What was necessary for the beet root is doubtless required for the sorgho, namely, a thorough study of its nature, with a process of extracting the sugar specially adapted to it. d. J. Stanton Gould, " Report on sorghum culture," (Transactions New York State Agricultural Society, 1863, p. 740) says, in view of the dis- cordant testimony concerning the sorghum question: These conflicting opinions might easily be reconciled by a few well-directed experi- ments. , Again he says, same page: After the most careful inquiry, orally and by letter, I am unable to find that any such experiments have ever been made. Again lie says (p. 747 :) These experiments are not conclusive, and the whole question needs a careful and accurate investigation. e. Dr. J. M. Shaffer, Secretary Iowa State Agricultural Society, says (Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1868, p. 515): The production of sugar (from sorghum) is rather the result of accident than of any well-digested system for its extraction. From the foregoing discordant statements upon some of the more im- portant points selected for comparison, viz, (1) the kind of sugar found in the sorghum; (2) the best variety of sorghum for the production of sugar; (3) the time for harvesting and when the maximum of sugar is present in the juice; (4) the prompt working of the canes after cutting, &c.; it is evident that nothing was definitely determined even on points where work in the laboratory and the exercise of analytical skill was apparently sufficient to settle most doubts, aside from economic ques- tions, relating to methods of manufacture. Such we find was the condition of the " sorghum-sugar question" up to a period immediately preceding the researches undertaken by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1878 by their present chem- ist, Dr. Peter Collier. All the analytical and scientific work of this chemist has been before us, either in the published reports of the Department of Agriculture; in the manuscript report of the work of 1881 and '82, with its appendices,

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Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry: Being a Report Made in Response to a Request From the Hon. George B. Loring Get This Book
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Sorghum is a plant that for many years has been used in the United States in an attempt to produce sugar. For over 25 years sorghum had been used to create syrup and it was believed that it sorghum would become a vital source of cane-sugar. Despite attempts, sorghum did not produce enough sugar to be of worth commercially. On January 30, 1882 the United States Commissioner of Agriculture of the Department of Agriculture, Hon. George B. Loring, requested that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) review "the sorghum question"; that is the sugar-producing value of sorghum. Investigation of the Scientific and Economic Relations of the Sorghum Sugar Industry presents the NAS sorghum Committee's results following its investigation into the matter. The report includes the findings of the committee, the failures and success of producing sugar from sorghum, letters of transmittal, and more.

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