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 (1883)

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APPENDED PAPERS. I.—OF THE SO-CALLED " CHINESE SUGAR-CANE." Dr. S. WELLS WILLIAMS, the learned Sinologue, whose remarkable familiarity with Chinese literature and natural history entitles his state- ments regarding that country to the greatest respect, has kindly supplied the Committee (October, 1882) with notes in reply to inquiries addressed to him for information, which we have condensed, thus: ON THE SORGHUM (KOW-LIANG) OF CHINA. 1. About the year 1857 the French consul at Shanghai, M. de Montigney. intro- duced theBarbadoes millet (Komliang of the Chinese) into France. He obtained the seed from the island of Tsung-ming, which lies in the mouth of the Yaugtsz' Kiaug, formed from deposits of detritus. This plant was exceedingly rich in juices, and "when subjected iu France to processes of manufacture produced a great quantity of saccharine matter. The plant attracted the attention of agriculturists in America, and they obtained small supplies of its seed from France, about the years 1855-'57, for purposes of making sugar. No seed was ever, to my knowledge, brought directly from China to this country. 2. The extraordinary richness of this plant grown on the island of Tsung-ming— resulting doubtless from the peculiarly fertile soil of this spot—is by no means equaled in other parts of China. All Chinese sugar is made from the sugar-cane (Saccharum officinarum) grown in the southern provinces, where sorghum is not found. Trom the latter the Chinese have never extracted sugar. In 1865 the United States Government sent an agent, Varnum D. Collins, to ascertain the methods employed among the Chinese in extracting and granulating sugar. This gentleman experi- mented upon the Tsung-ming sorghum seed, and obtained therefrom a sugar juice •which considerably surprised the natives, who were wholly unacquainted with its saccharine properties. The Chinese are abundantly supplied with good and cheap sugar in all portions of their empire, coming from the sugar-canes of the south ; they have, consequently, no need of other sources than this plant. Their uses for sorghum are various: fodder for cattle, from its leaves; fuel, wattles for fences, &c., from the stalks. In binding several of these together and cementing with clay, they get a cheap substitute for posts, while the stalks in many ways rake the place of timber. Many varieties of the grain, black, red, and white, are known to the farmer. Its seeds, which are abundant, are used for making a sort of spirits, also occasionally for feeding to horses, mules, and camels. The plant is almost wholly confined iu its cultivation to the provinces north of the Yangtsz' River, and forms in this region one of the principal crops. It is not em- ployed as food for man, save iu times of famine and great stress. When ripe, the grain is about the size of duck-shot. ' Question. Is it known how long sorghum has been cultivated in China as food, or for making spirits? 3. To this question it is hard to make any satisfactory reply, inasmuch as no Chi- nese books contain illustrations of grains or plants used in ancient times, nor are there found among their monuments pictures of these similar to representations of ancient Egypt, Assyria, Greece, &c. As to the history of this grain in China, Dr. Bretschneider, of the Russian legation at Peking, and foremost among the authorities upon Chinese botany, says (concerning the plant called Shu): " This cereal is separately described in the Pun Tsao (Chinese Herbal), published A. D. 1570. The grain is called Hwang-mi, and is said to possess much glutinous matter. It is used for manufacturing alcoholic drinks. This corn was known to the Chinese in the most ancient times. It seems to me that the menu 57 •'

58 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. ing of the character Shu in ancient days was not glutinous millet (as Dr. Legge states in the Shu King), but rather sorghum, as Dr. Williams translates."* If this deduction is true, the cultivation of this plant dates from about 2000 B. C. The precise uses of this grain in ancient times can only be inferred. If the identity of the Shu (mentioned in the classics) with sorghum conld be proved beyond question, this grain would rank in age as grown in. China with any in the world. 4. Sorghum is seldom used in China now as food for man ; the great food staples of Northern China are wheat, pulse, maize, a-id Italian millet (Setaria). Buckwheat, panicled millet, and the sweet potato may be included as secondary staples. Rice is imported to the north from the southern provinces. 5. I have never seen the broom corn grown in China. 6. The twenty or more varieties which President Angell brought from China could, probably, be increased in number if the collection were made from a more extended area. The uses of this plant for fuel tend to increase attention to the development of its stalk rather than the grain. The plant often attains a height of 15 or 16 feet. The common practice of stripping off all the leaves within reach upon the growing stalk, for feeding cattle, increases very materially its woody fiber. Cutting the stems while in their prime <*f growth, and chewing them green, as Southerners do the sugar-cane, is not unusual in the north. The Chinese do not possess the art of refining sugar or making sirup to perfection. Even in cane-growing districts their employment of molasses is tmiall; none of this is ever made from sorghum, to 7uy knowledge. Dr. E. BRETSCHNEIDER, physician to the Russian legation at Peking, who is quoted in the foregoing notes from Dr. Williams, says in his essay, or memoir, on the study and value of Chinese botany,t page 46: The true sugar-cane (Saccharumofficinarum) growing in China must not be confounded with what is called Northern China Sugar cane. This is Sorghum sacchanium, a plant now a days largely cultivated in Europe and America for the purpose of manufactur- ing sugar from it. This plant was first introduced from Shanghai into France by the French consul, M. Houligney, in the year 1851, whence it spread over Europe and America, after it was proved that it is very rich in sugar. Dr. Bretschneider then relates substantially the same statements, respecting Mr. Collins astonishing the natives by making sugar from sorghum, which Dr. Williams has already given. On page 45, after discussing the meaning of the Chinese terms ap- plied to these plants, he adds, in conclusion: It eeems to me that the meaning of the character translated Shu in ancient time» was not glutinous millet (as Dr. Legge states in his translation of the Shu King), but rather sorgho, as Dr. Williams translates. It seems. then, that the term Chinese sugar-caneis a misnomer only so far as the plant was not recognized as a sugar-producing plant by the Chinese, while the original seed of the Sorghum saccharatum, according- to these authorities, was undoubtedly imported into Prance from China. *As to the sugar-cane, the same writer adds: "I have not been able to find any al- lusion to it in the most ancient of Chinese works (the five classics); it is first men- tioned by writers of the second century B. C. » » * One says,'it grows in Cochin China; it is several inches in circumference, several chang (10 feet) high, and resem- bles the bamboo. The juice expressed is very sweet, and, dried in the sun, changes into sugar.'" Sugar-cano is not mentioned as indigenous to China. The Pun Tsao (ixxiii, 13) gives a good description of the sugar cane and its varieties, of the manufacture of sugar, &c., and quotes several authors of the Liang, Tang, and Sung dynasties, who describe the plant. In another book we learn that the Emperor, in A. D. 640, sent a man to India to learn there the method of manufacturing sugar. tOn the study and value of Chinese botanical works, with notes on the history of plants and geographical botany, from Chinese sources, illustrated with eight Chinese wood-cuts, dated Peking, December 17, 1870. 8vo. pp. 51. Printed by Rozario, Mar- cal & Co., Foochow.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 59 2.—M.LOUIS FILMORIN ON SORGHUM. M. Louis VILMORIN, of Paris, the well-known seedsman, in 1854, published in the Bon Jardinier Almanac for 1855, pages 41-53, an article on Sorgho mere of much interest, from which it appears that sorghum was grown as a sugar plant at Florence, in 1766, by Pietro Arduino, and also that M. d'Abadie sent to the Museum in Paris from Abyssinia a collection of seeds containing thirty varieties of sorghum, some plants of which attracted attention from the sugary flavor of their stems. M. Vilmorin calls attention especially to the fact that while the seeds of sorgho from the new importation of Montigney from China in 1854 (seeDr. Williams's notes on the Chinese sorghum, above) were black and apparently identical with those of the old collections, the seeds of the Florentine plants were described as of a clear-brown color, correspond- ing to well-recognized differences in the sugar sorghum. M. Vilmorin's article contains so much of interest as bearing upon the early history of sorghum, as well as results of well-conducted experi- ments by him to determine its industrial value for various purposes, that we add a translation of the paper to this Appendix. It is interest- ing to see how closely most of M. Vilmoriu's results compare with those of Dr. Collier. [Referred to in the report, p. 59. Translated from "Le Bon Jardinier" Almanac, Paris, for 185C, pp. 41-52.] Sorgho svcrf, Holcus saccharalns, Hort.; Andropogon saccharatust Kunth. This graminaceous plant, which seems destined to take an important place in the list of our industrial plants, was, like the " Igname of China," imported by M. de Montigny among other articles addressed in one sending to the Geographical So- ciety.* We still hesitate about the botanical name by which this plant should be designated. The name of " Holcm saccharntus '> is evidently erroneous, for, although the plant is very probably the same which was formerly so denominated, that di- vision of this genus, which is characterized by the presence of a small pedunculate male awn by the side of each fertile awn, has been thrown out of the " Holcus" group into the genus "Andropogon" or "Sorghum." In all likelihood the species "Sorghum vulgare" (Andropogan sorghum) will include among its varieties the plant which is now engaging onr attention, as well as the "A. cafer ticolor," &c., of Kuntb. A recent work, yet unedited, which Mr. Wray, the author, has been kind enough to show to me, points out some fifteen varieties of this plant growing on the south- east coast of Canraria, and in a collection of seeds from Abyssinia sent to the Museum. in the year 1840, by M. d'Abailie, and containing about thirty different kinds of sorgho, we had ourselves noticed some plants particularly remarkable on account of the sugary taste of their stalks. It is evident from all this that the occasions for confusion, which furnish at the same time a subject for critical examination, are not at all wanting. My colleague, Mr. Groenland, has, at my request, set about making a special study of the subject, and I hope that his researches, aided by the comparative cultivation of the several known varieties, will enable us to bring these different varieties back to the botanical types from which they were derived. Mean- while we may just as well adopt the name " Holcus saicharatus," which, although doubtless inexact in regard to the generic characters, has the advantage of being known and of never having been applied to other plants. The plant which was submitted to the experiments made at Florence for the pur- pose of making sugar in the year 1766, by Pietro Arduino, belonged, very likely, to the same species, but it must have been of another variety, for he describes its seeds as light brown in color, whereas the seeds of the newly imported plant are black, and in all appearance identical with the "black sorgho" ("torglw noir") of the old col- lections. The "sorgho tucrf" is a slender, tall plant, rising ordinarily to a height of 2 to 3 meters, and more on rich soils; its stalks are straight and glossy, the leaves flexuous and curved downward, and its general appearance is similar to that of maize, but »See the de Chiu* ingu he Revue Borticole, February, 1854, " Holeut saccharatus;" July, 1854, " Ignamt ;" "Bulletin du cornice agricole de Toulon," 1853; list of the Montigny send-

60 SORGHUM, SUGAR INDUSTRY more graceful. As a rule, the sorgho forms a tuft of 8 to 10 stems, terminating in a conic ]»anicle, thickly studded with flowers, green at first, and then changing through different shades of violet to a deep purple hue when they mature. The plant is probahly annual,* and its culture and time of growth agree with those of maize. In the climate of Paris it requires to be sown as soon as the soil is warm, viz, at the same time with the first seed-beds of kidney-beans. The maturity of the seeds is better assured when the plant has been grown in a sheltered nursery, or, still better, on a deep hot-bed ; but, for the extraction of sugar, cultivation in the open field is sufficient, provided the soil be light and somewhat warm. The product of the "sorgho mere" consists of the juice, which is abundantly con- tained in the pith of the stalks, and which can furnish three important products, viz, sugar, alcohol, and a fermented beverage similar to cider.t In fact, this juice, if ob- tained with care, on a small scale, and stripping the cane of its green bark, is nearly colorless, and contains nothing, so to speak, but water and sugar. Its density varies from 1.050 to 1.075, and the proportion of sugar from 10 to 16 per cent. I mean here the total amount of crystallizable and uncrystalli/able sugars, the latter amounting, sometimes, to one-third. • * it i * * * # Considered from the standpoint of the sugar manufacture, the sorgho has, as it seems to me, little chance of success in those regions, viz, the northern and central of France, where the success of the beet culture is already assured. The large proportion of nncrystallizable sugar which is contained in sorgho is not only lost for this industry, but it also creates a difficulty in regard to the extraction of the crystallizable sugar. What we mean is not, however, that the products of sorghum are poor, or difficult to be obtained, but simply that their nature renders them, all circumstances being equal, more important for alcohol than for sugar. If the distillation of beet, which does not yield. even by the most perfect processes, an amount of alcohol proportional to the quantity of sugar that can be extracted, gives, in the present condition of the market, a good profit, the sorgho juice, yielding much more in alcohol than in sugar, will, a fortiori, prove also profitable. The result would, of course, be different for sorgho cultivated in warmer regions, and where beets cannot grow by its side. Some experiments made on some sorgho stalks cultivated in Algiers, and which had been sent to me by M. Peschard d'Ambly, the mayor of Philippeville, gave-me a product in sugar considerably superior to that obtained from my own plants, grown near Paris. Owing to the length of time re- quired for the parcel to reach me, an alteration had set in, which rendered it impos- sible for me to determine with certainty the ratio of the two kinds of sugar in the sorgho from Algiers. Rut the nature of the juice, and the observations communi- cated to me by Mr. Wray, an old colonist of Natal (Caffreria), lead me to think that the proportion of crystallizable sugar becomes much greater whenever the climate allows the sorgho to reach complete maturity. This plant, then, might fill, in regard to the production of sugar, the gap intervening between the tropical regions—the only ones adapted to the culture of cane—and the forty-fourth parallel, which seems to be the southern boundary of the belt where beet culture is profitable. The beet will, very likely, maintain itself in the field of sugar production beyond this limit, whereas the sorgho will surely prevail, chiefly in the western and southwestern prov- inces of France, as an alcohol-producing plant. Asa sugar-producing plant sorgo would have in its favor the facility of cultivation and of the treatment of its juices. Its gross product will probably surpass that of the sugar-cane in those countries where, as in Louisiana, e.g., the latter becomes an, annual plant. Its tops and leaves would also furnish abundance of excellent green forage. Finally, its molasses, wholly similar to that of cane, could be used for the pro- duct ion of mm, and its juice for that of a liquor very much like tafia. The main difficulty would probably be to preserve the stalks long enough to allow time for manufacturing. Hut, without saying that the climate within the above-mentioned geographical limits would permit of successive crops in the same season, I learn from Mr. Wray, whom I have already cited, that in the vicinity of Natal the Zulu Carl,rest * I say probably, because when I saw, last autumn, the vigor and size of the stubbles I thought that they might be put in under shelter to furnish plants for the following spring. ISee the "Moniteitr unicersel" of November 13, 1854; also the "Rerue horlieole" of November 16. JTbe Zulu Caffres cultivate a great number of varieties of the sugar sorghum, (caled by them "imphee"), not for the purpose of making sugar from them, but of sucking their stalks. M. Boussignault has told me of late that in New Grenada pieces of sugar-cane and f maize stalks are sold in the market-places for the same use. There is in this a suggestion quite interesting in regard to the " sugar-maize ques- tion," which is now engaging me (see the " Revue horticole," November 10, 1854, p. 426), and about which I propose soon to speak.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 6l preserve the sorghum stalks for a very long time by burying them in the earth, which in that climate is very warm and damp. We have just seen that sorgho has for the production of alcohol the advantage of turning to account its uncrystallizable sugar, whjch is lost when sorghum is exclusively Tised for ihe manufacture of sugar. Another advantage consists in the pureness of its juice, owing to which the alcohols, and even the crude brandies, obtained from it are pure enough to permit immediate deli-very to consumers. The alcohol, imperfectly rectified through one distillation only, and which I obtained with a laboratory apparatus altogether incomplete, had no foreign taste whatever; and even niy products of from 40 to 50 per cent. had a rather agreeable taste, somewhat like that of "eau de noyau," and I have no doubt they could be used to mix with the analogous products of beet. When they are genuine their flavor is by far less strong and lees peculiar than tLat of rum, and I am convinced that if permitted to age they would be excellent. I have said above that the sorgho juice could furnish, besides alcohol and sugar, a leverage similar to cider. In a note in the Moniteur of November 13, 1854, as also in the Reviie horticole of the 16th same month, I endeavored to call attention to the advantage there might be found in trying to make such fermented beverages. This question is yet ent irely new; therefore no one can foresee whither it may carry us; but from the results which I obtained, under circumstances entirely unfavorable, I caunot help thinking it has some prospects. The culture of sorghum is not likely to meet with difficulties; it will be conducted pretty much in the same way as that of maize and millets, and it, moreover, already exists in some of our provinces. The question of the place to be assigned to the sor- ghum, in the laying out of fields into plots for rotation, is probably the only one which is likely to give occasion to dimcnliies. In this respect I believe that there is more to lose than to gain by the introduction of the new crop, while beets have, on the whole, constantly improved the production of the regions where they have been cultivated. Sorghum is, as well as maize, considered as an exhausting plant. My experiments in this direction have, so far, been not numerous enough to enable me to form a correct opinion on this point on the basis of direct observation, but I have very good reason to believe that sorghum is really an exhausting plant; at any rate, the family to which it belongs makes it little probable that it should rank with beets in regard to rota- tion. The estimate of the products that can be expected from sorghum is difficult enough in the present state of the question; my experiments so far have' been on a very small scale. The following are the data gathered from them, and the conjectures that can be formed: The small crop of sorghum which I had cultivated in an open field at Verrieres, on a sandy soil of middling quality, was harvested on October 30. The cultivation had been proportioned to the wants of the different experiments in the laboratory ; more- over, one portion of the crop was much impoverished by the vicinity of a large tree, and another was preserved for a comparative experiment on lopped plants mingled with others having their panicles on. The surface cut over on October 30 measured 5H.40 meters. The produce was (weight taken on the day after the cutting)— Kilograms. Stalks and leaves 2H5. 400 Stalks stripped of leaves and tops 179.250 The plot on which the crop had been raised was so irregular and uneven that I determined on taking a counter-proof. In that portion which lay at the greatest dis- tance from the trees I traced a square wherein the plants were, if not fully developed at least all even, and the ground equally filled throughout. The surface was 5m.32, and its produce, weighed the day subsequent to the cutting, was as follows: Kilograms. Stalks and leaves 4l.110 Stalks stripped of leaves and tops 26.230 In my judgment, this portion of the crop could well be taken as representing a good average harvest, such as would be 45,000 kilograms of beets per hectare. It is on these figures that I am about to make my comparisons. In the same portion of the field the plants had been forwarded on a hot-bed and transplanted in rows at the beginning of May. In another part, where the ground had been sowed on May 18, only a few plants appeared. The crop hadnot been weeded when young, and its growth was, therefore, much retarded. Its average gross produce was 38,000 kilograms to the hectare. A third crop, started on a hot-bed and transplanted in a garden, was not weighed; we took now and then from it what we wanted for our own experiments, directed to the determination of the period when sugar is developed. Yet I do not think I am

62 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. mistaken in estimating this produce, from the appearance of the plants, as surpass- ing by a half the yield of the plot of 5m.32 given above. The proportion of the juice obtained from stalks stripped of leaves was from 55 to 60 per cent. It is plain that by working canes which have been carefully selected' or severely topped, the yield must needs be considerably increased. With a good mill it should easily reach 70 per cent. The j uice gathered from the treatment (carried oil in the cider-press of the village on October 29) of 215 kilograms of large and small atalks, from which the ears and the last joint had been cut oil", was 106 liters, the densi- meter marking 1.0fi2. I estimate the loss incurred in wetting up the extended sur- faces of the trough and the press at 5 liters. I have not extracted any sugar from sorghum; I have only made some determina- tions by means of the saccharometer, and verified them generally by means of evapor- ation and a treatment with alcohol. The following are the results presenting the proportion of sugar existing in the juice from plants gathered at Verrieres: Per centum. October 13, 1853 10.04 November 28, 1853 13.08 November 28, 1853, second experiment 14.06 October 13, 1854 (without inversion) 10.14 November 15,1854, crystallizable sugar, llf per cent. ; uncrystallizable sugar, 4J per cent 16.00 The amount of alcohol produced by the juice was ascertained by the direct method of fermentation. The following are the figures in the order in which they were de- termined (these figures represent the cubic centimeters of absolute alcohol per liter): * Sorgho from Verrieres: Cubic centimeters. September 28, 1854 41. 00 October 4, 1854 54. 00 Sorgho from Algiers: First fermentation, October 17, 1854 (with the Salleron apparatus) 70. 00 First fermentation, second trial (with the Salleron apparatus) 74. 00 First fermentation, second trial (by distillation of 1.20 liters) 70. 72 Second fermentation, October 18, 1854 79.52 Sorgho from Verrieres: October 20, 1854 (by distillation of one liter) 72.51 November 16, 1854 (panicles cut) 63.26 November 17,1854 (panicles preserved) 60.67 If we suppress the figures belonging to September 28, which refer to plants evidently too young, as also the four figures representing the sorgho from Algiers, we find that €.3 per cent. in volume, or 63 cubic centimeters of alcohol per liter of juice, is, in our climate, the average figure, which plainly seems quite encouraging, especially con- sidering the excellent quality of the product. Our calculations, on the basis given above, would show that the returns of one hectare of sorghum would be as follows: Stalks and leaves kilograms.. 77,270 Net stalks do 49,300 Juice, at 55 per cent. to the weight of stalks (271 hectoliters)- liters.. 27,115 Sugar, at 8 per cent. to the juice kilograms.. 2,169 Absolute alcohol, at 63per cent. to the juice liters.. 1,708 The analogous returns from beets would be as follows : Roots, weight to the hectare kilograms.. 45,000 Juice, at 80 per cent. to the weight of roots do 36,000 Sugar, at 6 per cent. to the juice do 2,160 Absolute alcohol, at 3 per cent. to the beets liters.. 1,350 The 8 per cent. sugar on which I have calculated the yield of sorgho will perhaps be considered as too low, but it should not be forgotten that it refers to the crystallizable sugar that can actually be extracted, and I do not, therefore, believe my estimate too low. If I were to make a comparison between the "sorgho" and the "sugar- cane" in a more southerly climate, I have no doubt that the figure representing the product in sugar would rUe to a far higher value; but I lack the data required for euch a comparison, as well as for a comparison between the same plant and the vine, or the Jerusalem artichoke ("topinambour"), or the grains, or even the daffodil ("asphodele"), in respect to the production of alcohol. After examining the chances of the industrial culture of sorgho, and the considera- tions that may lead to the adoption of this plant, I have only to furnish some data

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 63 obtained from our first experiments, which may afford some indications for further study, or some guide for the first attempts in manufacture. One of the points which I have endeavored to establish, without, however, obtain- ing complete success, was this, viz: What is the time, during the period of vegetation, •when the stalks begin to contain sugar, and, consequently, what is the moment when the manufacture may commence? It appeared to me that this time coincided with that of the appearance of the ears; but the proportion of sugar existing in the cane keeps on increasing up to the time when the seeds pass into the milky stage. I have noticed that the richness in sugar in a plant while blooming diminished gradually from the lower to the upper part of the stalk in the spaces between the joints, and also that the lower portion of each one of these interspaces is younger and less rich in sugar than the upper one. Such being the case, the middle of the stalk is the richest portion, for the lower joints are hard and small. I have not been able to ascertain it with exactness, but I suppose that at a later period th« spaces between the joints in the lower part of the stalk become impoverished, or, if the juice does not grow poorer, it at least diminishes in quantity. The ripeness of seeds does not seem to reduce to any considerable degree the pro- duction of sugar, at least in our climate; but as maturity is reached at the end of the season, and our plants, consequently, continue to advance in richness with the devel- opment of vegetation, the effect of maturity on these phenomena can hardly be deter- mined. This question can be solved only in those countries where the seeds of the plant mature before the warm season is over. According to M. de Beauregard's report, addressed to the "Cornice de Toulon," maturity would seem to have had no injurious influence within the limits of his experience; and he considers seed and sugar as two products which can be obtained jointly. ' On the other hand the Zulu Caffres are accustomed to suatch, by an abrupt pull, the panicles away from their plants as soon as they show themselves, in order to increase the sugary quality of the stalks. But this question has, after all, no importance in respect to France, since here ripeness will never take place too soon to prove detrimental. •A.—LETTER FROM MR. LEONARD WRAT. Mr. Leonard Wray is the veteran pioneer of sorghum culture in the United States and in France, whose contributions have already been referred to in the body of this report. His early communication in the agricultural section of the Patent Office Report, Part III, 1854, p. 219, will be read with much interest in this connection. His observations are there reported by D. Jay Browne. He now writes as follows: PERAK, via PENANG, September 7,1882. To the Commissioner of Agriculture, Washington, U.S.: DEAR SIR: I am pleased beyond measure to find that the United States Govern- ment has at last awakened to the great lalue of the "iniphee varieties," which I' introduced into your country, and has taken the most certain course to verify by scientific tests the truth of my printed statements respecting them, published in Eng- lish, and also in French, in 1854, copies of which I gave to Mr. D. J. Browne, of the Patent Office, in Washington. You will find the contents of this, my pamphlet, in a little book by H. S. Olcott, published by Moore, of Fulton street, New York, in 1857; arid if you do me the honor to read that, you will, I am sure, fairly acknowledge that every statement I therein made is strictly proven by the valuable results of the able men whom you selected to conduct your experiments. I must, however, mention that the last chapter of my pamphlet, viz, that on the manufacture of the imphee juice into sugar, is omitted in Olcott's little book. It is most gratifying to see the "thorough" manner in which your Department has gone into and decided these important questions. I first became acquainted with these plants in March, 1851 (thirty and one-half years ago), just after my arrival in Natal, South Africa; and in 1854 1 grew them in several parts of France, in England, Spain, Italy, and in various other places, so that I may claim to know their merits, and I now say that all I said and wrote about them at that time I am fully prepared to stand by and substantiate the truth of. In fact, your admirable Department has, in its recent scientific demonstrations, abundantly and authoritatively confirmed my facts, and thereby rendered an inesti- mable service to your country, and to other countries also. I hope and trust you will continue it.

64 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Looking at the beautiful plates in your reports, I cannot but express my admiration, and at the same time my astonishment, at the very remarkable constancy of the "types" maintained by the different sorts of imphee shown. For instance, I may mention Plate I, facing page F, in S. Report 33. This is there called " Imphee Liberian" and "Sumac"; but I distinctly recognize it as my " Koom-ba-na," one of the very sweetest and best I had. (I inclose you some very old seed.) Plates 2, 3, and 4 are my Neetizanii and its sports. Plate 5 is my En-ya-ma, which 1 see figures as " W. Mammoth." I inclose some of my old seeds of it. Plate7 is my Oom-see-a-ua. Plate 8 seems to me to be the "Chinese sorgho." Plate 9 is an Oom-see-u-na kind (no doubt a " sport"). Plate 10 is undoubtedly my "Vim-bis-chu-a-pa," which, to please General Hammond, I nicknamed Sorgho Ka-bai (or Sorgho Brother). Some grew to 6 pounds weight when "topped," and I had the head of one such until about nine months ago, when I unluckily threw it away (it was 20 inches long). I see you call it by the names of Honduras, Honey, Mastodon, &c. Plate 11 seems to me to be no other than my Boom-vira-na, one of my special favorites. Please see the description in my little pamphlet (in Olcott's book, 1857), and I think you will not long be in any doubt about its origin, bogus stories notwithstanding. Plates 12 and 13 are both my imphees, and I had some growing here twelve months ago, but the seed unfortunately got spoiled. The seed yi,u were kind enough to favor me with I have sown and had sown by my friends here; and mine are now 8 inches high, being only sixteen days' growth. I may mention that I soaked my seed in a strong solution of augar with a little salt, camphor, and soap-suds fortweuty hours, and I think they are growing mnch more vig- orously than those not so treated. I shall continue to watch them. Pray do not think me ungrateful when I say that I felt disappointed in not finding any "Minnesota E. Amber," nor any " Oomseeana " amongst the seed you sent me, and I trust you will forgive me if I trespass so far on your kindness as to beg that you will be so good as to send me some of those two kinds, also " White Mammoth" and "Sumac," all of which I particularly wish to have. Even 100 or 200 seeds of each of these four sorts will be ample for me to propagate from, and these might come in a let- ter direct t o me here (and not by Singapore). In such case the correct address is: "Perak, viaPiuang, straits of Malacca," nothing more. I need not say, also, how thankful I shall feel for any of your instructive reports or other information you may be kind enough to bestow upon me. I will by no means neglect to send you a goodly assortment of such seeds as I think you will be glad to have, as soon as they are ready. With many excuses for so troub- ling you, I beg to subscribe myself, dear sir, Yours, very faithfully, LEONARD WRAY. 4.—FACTS REGARDING SORGHUM, AND SOME CONCLUSIONS AS TO ITS VALVE AS A SOURCE OF SUGAR. BY PETER COLLIER, PH. D., Chemist: United Statet Department of Agricvlturt.* Having given considerable study during the past four years to the sorghum plant, I take this occasion to present to the scientific public a brief and necessarily some- what incomplete resume of work accomplished, together with such conclusions as seem warranted by the facts. Botanical definition.—The genus Sorghum (of which Sorghum vulgare is the accepted type) is included in the natural order Graminacece, to which natural order belongs also the tropical sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum); but it should be remarked that between the genus Sorghum and the genus Saccharum there are classed by botanists the three genera, Erianthus, Eriochrysis, and Ischcemopogon. Vid. Grisebach's "Flora of the West ludia Islands," pp. 5(50,561. While, therefore, the two plants are somewhat closely related, this relationship does not warrant the assertion made by a recent writer upon this subject, "that the name sorghum is a mere disguise, for the reason that it is nothing more nor less than * This paper was transmitted to the Sorghum Sugar Committee March 26, 1882, by President Rogers, agreeably to a request from the Hon. Commissioner of Agriculture, of date March 24. It is the communication submitted by Dr. Collier to the Academy, a invitation, at the session held in Philadelphia November, 1882.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 65 a subvariety of sugar-cane, which may explain why it is that the reader and the in- vestigator have so frequently been misled." To the unscientific observer a growing sorghum plant would seem to combine many of the exterior characteristics of sugar-cane. Subvarieties.—There aeem to have been originally introduced into this country two principal types, or subvarieties of sorghum, viz, the African and the Chinese. At present it is difficult to give more than an approximate estimate as to the number of subvarieties actually cultivated. During the season of 1880 there were grown on the land of the Department of Agriculture, at Washington, thirty-eight subvarieties (several of which, though of different names, seem to differ botanicafiy very little, if at all), and within the past month I have received directly from Natal the seeds of thirteen subvarieties there grown, which, so far as I am able at present to judge, do not correspond with any which I have previously examined. From the fact that these subvarieties hybridize quite readily I am led to infer that the number of distinguishable types cannot be far from seventy. As would naturally be expected, these different subvarieties vary considerably as regards external appearance, size, height, length of season required for complete development and maturing of the seeds, and consequently for the development of the maximum amount of crystallizable sugar. POINTS OF AGREEMENT FOR SUBVARIETIES. With. but one or two anomalous exceptions all the thirty-eight varieties which I hist year examined (and this years' work is confirmatory) agreed in the following points, viz: 1. Soil required.—All varieties do well on soil of average fertility; bottom lands raise the finest canes. 2. Heat and moisture effects.—Like corn, considerable rain is advantageous after the plant has well begun its growth, provided, also, the following weather be quite warm. 3. Time of reaching maximum sugar content.—All varieties reach a maximum sugar content at, or about, the time when the seed is fully matured. 4. Maximum in different varieties—This maximum content is practically the same for the different subvarieties ; it may be said in average years not to vary greatly from 16 or 17 per cent, of crystallizable (cane) sugar in the juice. During this season, which has been exceptionally dry, the percentage of juice extracted has been some- what smaller, and maximum increased by dry season ; in consequence, the percentage of sugar in the juice has been increased to a maximum of 18 or 19 per cent. 6. " Exponent."—The average purity ("exponent") of the different juices at ma- turity of the canes seldom falls below 70 per cent., and frequently exceeds 80 per cent. This " exponent," as I have termed it, is obtained by dividing the total cane-sugar in the juice by the weight of the total solids, the latter being determined by drying a given weight of the juice with sand, at 90° to 100° C. 6. "Available sugar."—The "average available sugar "in the juices of matured canes varies from 8 to 13 or 14 per cent. of the weight of the juice, the lower figure being an average for all varieties while the higher figures are for the best varieties. This available sugar may be obtained by subtracting from the total solids the sum of the glucose and the "solids not sugar." Or, with juices from mature canes, prac- tically the same results are obtained by multiplying the percentage of cane-sugar in the juice by the " exponent." The first method of determining " available sucrose " is applicable to all juices; the second gives practical results where the " exponent" exceeds 65 or 70 per cent. 7. Life history.—The life history of the different subvarieties of sorghum, so far as the composition of the juices can throw light upon the subject, is very similar for all, . except that the actual time for reaching maturity varies considerably. The following table, deduced from the results of 2,739 analyses of sorghum canes, presents, in a condensed form, a very correct idea as to the actual development of the cane itself and of .the changes in the juice: S. Mis. 51—5

66 SORQHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Table showing general averages for the stages, as determined from the results of the tame stage for all varieties of sorghum. Stages.* Average length. Diameter. TTnstripped weight. 1 1 Per cent. of juice. Specific gravity. Per cent. glucose. Per cent. sucrose. Per cent. solids. Exponent. Per cent. available •ucrose. 1 a GQ 1 7.5 0 9 1.93 1.34 59 06 1 031 4.29 1 76 1 75 22 56 0 40 58 2 8.5 1.93 1.46 59.60 1 036 4.45 2 96 1 86 31 93 95 69 3 8.8 .9 1.78 1.39 59.67 1.037 4.50 3.51 1.78 35 85 1.26 57 4 9 1 8 1.83 1 44 61 61 1 041 4 34 4 34 1 91 40 98 1 78 70 5 9.3 9 1.96 1 55 63 05 1 045 4 15 5 13 1 92 45 80 2 35 75 6 9.7 .9 2.02 1.60 62.79 1.050 3.99 6 50 2.45 50 23 3 26 62 7 9.7 .9 2.11 1.55 63.85 1.052 7.38 2.19 54.95 4.06 70 8 9.3 1.0 2.10 1.63 65.68 1.055 3.83 7.69 2.37 55.36 4.28 111 g 8.8 g 1.87 1.40 64.88 1.058 3 19 8 95 2 42 61 47 5 50 266 10 8.9 .9 1.81 1.38 64.83 1.061 2.60 9.98 2.50 66.18 6.60 217 11 9.1 1.94 1.48 65. 02 1.063 2.35 10.66 2.72 67.77 7.22 166 12 9 0 1.81 1 37 63 39 1 065 2 07 11 18 2 83 69 53 7 77 170 13 9.1 1.86 1.34 62.99 1.066 2 03 11.40 2 82 70 15 8.00 i83 14 8.9 1.82 1.32 61.72 1.067 1.88 11.76 2.98 70.84 8.33 191 15 8 9 1 81 1 32 60 45 1 067 1 81 11 69 3 15 70 21 8 21 217 16 8.7 1.73 1 22 61.20 1 070 1.64 12.40 3.32 71 43 8 86 339 17 7.7 1.69 1.25 60.17 1.078 1.56 13.72 4 07 70.90 9 73 197 . 3 42 18 8 5 9 1 44 1 15 62 09 1 069 1 85 11 92 69 34 8 27 191 19f 8.5 1.0 1.81 1.53 56.04 1.080 3.09 12.08 8.62 64.70 7.82 30 Among the points of most practical interest may be mentioned the following: 1st. The changes in height, weight, diameter, aud total and stripped -weight ar« not sufficiently important to require comment. 2d. The percentage of juice extracted from the stripped stalks gradually increases up to the eleventh stage, then slowly diminishes until the close of the season. 3d. The specific gravity of the juice, the percentage of sucrose, the percentage of solids not sugar, and th« exponent regularly increase (with but one or two excep- tions) until the close of the season; and the percentage of glucose in the juice as steadily decreases from the first. It will here be noticed that the sucrose increases in the juice much more rapidly than do the solids not sugar; and this fact, taken together with the steady decrease of glucose, is the explanation of the equally steady increase of the exponent, which represents the comparative purity of the juices. * The " stages " to which reference is here made are defined as follows: SORGHUM. Stage. Development of plant. About one week before opening of panicle. Immediately before opening of panicle. - , , just ap Panicle „ .. Panicle two-thirds out. Panicle entirely out; no stem above upper leaf. Panicle beginning to bloom on top. Flowers all out; stamens beginning to drop. Seed well set. Seed entering the milk state. Seed becoming doughy. Seed doughy, becoming dry. Seed almost dry, easily crushed. Seed dry, easily split. Seed split with difficulty. Seed split with more difficulty. Seed split with still more difhculty. Seed harder. Seed still harder. Seed still harder. Seed still harder. tThis stage (No. 19) was after the cane had ceased growing, late in the season; it was determined from caites NOB. 23 and 24 only.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 67 POINTS OP DIFFERENCE POK SUBVARIETIES. Having given some points wherein the various subvarieties of sorghum resemble each other, 1 may state that they differ more or less distinctly in the following: Botanically they differ decidedly. mach"),on a recurved stalk in "Rice" or "Egyptian corn," and with various inter- mediate modifications for other subvarieties. (6.) Sine and appearance of seeds and glumes.—The proportionate sizes of seeds and glumes, as well as the size and color of the seeds, and the color and adherence or non- adherence of the glumes, are all strikingly noticeable. (c.) Height, weight, and diameter of stalks.—The height, weight, and diameter of the stalks are very different; thus the average above named are for the Honduras varie- ties considerably greater than for the varieties termed "Early Amber." "Liberian," " Sumach," "Imphee," &c. This statement is based upon a study of Tables Nos. 1 to 38 of my last report on analyses of sorghum. (Department of Agriculture, Special Keport No. 33 (1881), pages 1-55.) (d.) Time from planting to maturity.—The varying rapidity with which the different -varieties come to maturity is one of the most striking physiological peculiarities; thus three samples of Early Amber seed from different sections of the country, and planted at the same time, required, respectively, 77, 80, and 89 days for complete development; "White Mammoth," 102 days; three samples of "Oomseeana" from different sections, 104, 115, and 127 days; Chinese, 137 days: three samples of Hon- duras, 148, 157, 164, &c. ( Vide page 96, Special Report, No. 33, Department of Agri- culture, 1681.) Excepting one sample of Honduras, all the sorghums mentioned, together with many more, were planted at the same date, in the same field, and had as nearly equal conditions of soil and treatment as could be afforded. ADAPTATION OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES TO DIFFERENT SURROUNDINGS. These facts show the necessity for discrimination in the selection of varieties, in order that such may be grown as shall prove well adapted to the climatic conditions of the region where they are to be introduced. Other things being equal, the quick- maturing varieties are best adapted to those northern latitudes which have a short summer season. The secret of the success of the Early Amber eane in the North is, in my opinion, the fact that it matures quickly, thus attaining its maximum sweet- ness long before serious danger of frost, rather than to any peculiar property of "granulating well," or to any greater content of sugar. For the same period of de- velopment this variety cannot be pronounced better than many others. On the other hand, reports from Texan and South Carolina convince me that the Honduras varieties may, with the long seasons there possible, be better, for th« reason that there they do mature, then weigh nearly or quite twice as much per stalk as does the Early Amber, the juice is of equal purity and sugar contest, and hence, with soil of equal fertility, nearly twice the average northern crop may be secured. A very valuable variety known as Link's Hybrid, originally from Tennessee, requires a little too long a season perhaps (101 days observed) to allow it to compete in the more northern States with the varieties which mature more quickly, but it is remarkably well adapted to the conditions of soil and climate in the section from which it came. (e.) Working period.—Another very important consideration is the length of time after a cane first reaches maturity that the season and the habits of the plant con- spire to preserve the jnice in condition fit for working; in other words, the longer the " working period" the better. The average length of time from planting to the death of the cane from frost seems to vary, in Washington, from 180 to about 200 days—six or seven months. As a rule, it appears that those canes which mature first ("Early Amber," "Early Golden," "Golden Syrup," &c.) continue to furnish juices of good, workable quality up to the time of their death from frost. Hence in this latitude these are the ones to be pre- ferred. I have stated very briefly some of the principal points of practical importance re- lating to the physiological development of this interesting plant. Many of these points, though seemingly simple, were ascertained only through long and patient investagation. The averages here presented are based upon an aggregate of from 2,500 to 4,000 analyses of the growing plants, and they are further strengthened and confirmed by the results of over 1,800 analyses executed this year. In other words, it is hard to conceive of any ^reat departure from truth in facts based upon such a considerable number of determinations. All smaller personal errors or errors inherent

68 SOEGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. in analytical processes are likely to be partially or entirely eliminated; at all events, these errors cannot exceed, on a juice containing 15 per cent. of cane sugar, -{-0.2 or —0.1 per cent., as has been demonstrated by a considerable number of careful exper- iments. Very few accepted facts of physical science rest upon a greater number of determinations. It appears, then, that for the whole working period of those varieties more or less well adapted for cultivation in Washington, the average composition of the juice was about as follows: Per cent- Cane sugar 13.0 Glucose 1.5 Other organic solids 2.0 Ash... 1.0 17.5 The percentage of purity ("exponent") being not far from 74 per cent., and the cane sugar in excess of all impurities being about 8.5 per cent. These being averages for a long period, and including all the canes that may be said to give any promise of usefulness in that latitude, cannot be considered as the maximum results attainable with the best varieties. In fact, quite a number of varieties furnish juices which contain, during a very considerable number of weeks, fully 3 per cent. more available sugar than above stated; the composition of these juices being about as follows: Per cent. Cane sugar - 16.0 to 15.5 Glucose 0.6 to 1.0 Other organic solids 2. 0 to 2.0 Ash 1.0 to 1.0 Or an amount of "available sugar" ranging from 11.5 to 12.4 per cent. That juices of this character will prove valuable for the production of sugar and sirup I cannot doubt. That many practical failures have resulted from the inexperience and lack of knowledge of over-sanguine experimenters is not a matter for surprise; the greater •wonder is that any decided success should have been had within such a short time by novices in this branch of industry. I am happy to be able to present for your inspection two letters, one from Mr. Porter, of Red Wing, Minn., the other from Mr. A. J. Russell, of Jaynesville, Wis. (See end of this exhibit.) During the season of 1880, Mr. Porter made 4,000 pounds of marketable sugar which he sold at 9 cents per pound; during the same season Mr. Russell produced over 14,000 pounds of sugar from one-third of his crop of molasses (the remainder of which,was equally good) ; this sugar sold in Chicago for 10, 9^, and 9 cents per pound according to quality, and the molasses brought in the same market 50 cents per gallon in car lots, and 55 cents per gallon in five-barrel lots. Both these gentlemen were embarrassed by inadequate machinery, but their decided success has encouraged them to continue as soon as better apparatus may be obtained. I claim that in the infancy of an industry requiring so much knowledge of manu- facturing methods, a few instances of conspicuous success should have more weight in the minds of scientific judges than a considerably greater number of failures. It should be remembered that time is required for the diffusion of practical knowl- edge, and that beginners are frequently but poorly prepared for the practical diffi- culties they are sure to encounter. Were a novice to be placed in charge of Bessemer- steel works, success could hardly be expected; in like manner the management of a process of manufacture little less difficult, and which deals with organic substances, can hardly be left with safety to inexperienced men. Thus far I have presented facts. In conclusion, I would say that the judgment of a practical sugar maker of fifteen years' experience (Mr. Peter Lynch, of Baltimore, Md.), is to the effect that with selec- tion of proper varieties, good soil, good cultivation, and proper handling of the juices and sirups, the sum recoverable for sugar and sirup will be such as to yield a profit greater than could be expected from corn, growing during the same season upon the game soil. I present for your examination a considerable amount of printed and manuscript evidence bearing upon the points which I have already stated. I shall be pleased to have a most careful investigation by a committee of practical chemists, members of this academy. I feel assured that the magnitude of the interests at stake warrants me in thus asking an impartial verdict from men of acknowledged fairness and ability. NOVEMBER, 1881.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 69 The letter of Mr. J. F. Porter, of Red Wing, Minn., will be found in the Appendix p. 123; the letter from Mr. A. J. Russell, of Janesville, Wis., is as follows, viz : JANESVILLE, Wis., November 4, 1881. DEAR SIR: Your favor of the 31st of October at hand. Before the centrifugal broke, we had 14,752 pounds of dry commercial sugar, about like that we sent the Department and President Hayes. We had two-thirds of our melada left over until next season. By careful computation of what remained on hand' •with the number of graining tanks emptied, and there was 44,256 pounds of dry com- mercial sugar. Most of it sold for 10 cents per pound. We sold some at 9 to 9£ cents. In 1880 the juice was poor, but we made here a sirup that sold to the jobbers in Chicago at 50 cents per gallon by the cargo. We have no machinery that we think adapted to sugar making profitably, and have confined ourselves to sirup, which we sell at 55 cents by the 5-barrel lots, &c. All my experiments on the stove for sugar this season were satisfactory iu sugar. Will put in sugar machinery next year. Respectfully, yours, A. J. RUSSELL, Formerly of the firm of Waidner $• Russell, and manager of the C. L. Sugar Works. To PETER COLLIER, Esq., Chemist, Agricultural Department, Washington, D. C. 5.—REPORT UPON STATISTICS OF SORGHUM." Hon. GEO. B. LORING : SIR: I respectfully present, in accordance with your requirement, sundry facts showing the status of sorghum production, from the census of the United States and from State enumerations. It will be seen great fluctuations in area have occurred, that the greatest extent of cultivation in the older States was during the war period, and that a decline followed, except in newer States rapidly advancing in settlement. There is scarcely any record of sugar, except in Ohio, where the product was greatest prior to 1870. In the more western States there has been a revival of interest and extension of cultivation since the introduction of the Early Amber variety, from which some sugar has been made. In 1860 and 1870 the census presented production as follows: 1870. 1860. Gallons of sirup. 2 026 212 Ottllons of tirup. 881 049 Ohio 2 023,427 779. 076 1 960 473 806 589 1 740 453 356 705 1, 730 171 796 111 1, 254, 701 706, 663 1,218 636 1 211 512 11, 954, 073 5, 537, 705 4, 096, 016 1, 2J1, 418 Product of the United States . 16,050 089 6 749, 123 The returns of sorghum in the recent census have not been tabulated except in two or three States. Only South Carolina and Kansas are complete, as follows: 1880. 1870. Acret. 7 660 Pounds sugar. 8 225 Gallont molaeses. 276 046 Gallons molasses. 183 585 25 643 18 060 1 414 404 449 409 * This document was transmitted to the committee March 26, 1882, at the request of the honorable Commissioner of Agriculture. The returns for 1882, being incomplete, are not included.

70 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. The following States, in which the interest has been and is most prominent, are thus represented by local official enumerations: OHIO. Tears. Acres. Sugar. S^rup. 1863 . " . 30 872 Pounds. 27 486 Gallons. 2, 696, 159 1883 ... . . 31,255 27, 359 2, 347, 578 1864 28 392 41 660 2 609 728 1865 37 042 58 966 4 003,754 1866 . 43 101 46 951 4, 629, 570 1867 17,804 20, 094 1, 255, 807 1868 25, 257 28, 668 2, 004, 055 1869 22 231 27 048 1, 683, 042 1870 .. 23.450 21,988 2. 187, 673 1871 . 23,072 25,505 1,817,042 1872 12 932 34 599 968, 13« 1873 9,426 36,846 692, 314 1874 . . . 12. 108 36, 410 941, 510 1875 13, 144 21, 768 928. 106 1876 15 9291 25, 074 1, 185, 235 1877 16,104} 7, 507J 1, 180, 255 1878 . . 16, 305 ft, 909 1, 273, 048 MINNESOTA. (No official return* of sugar.) . Teara. Acres. Sirup. 1868 . . Gallons. 81, 375 1869 . .. . 629 31, 101 1870. 728 56, 370 1871 1 244 73, 425 1872 859 78,085 1873 . 747 53, 226 1874 1,146 69, 599 1875 1,534 70, 479 1876 1,695 72, 489 1877 ... . 2,200 140, 153 1878 8,207 329, 660 1879 ... 5,033 446, 9415 1880 7,317 • IOWA. Teara. Acres. Sirnp. Sugar. 1865 21 452 Oallons. 1 443,605 Pounds. 8,386 Iji67 . 25,786 2, 094, 557 14. 697 1869 26 243 2 592 393 1875 15 768 1 386 908 ILLINOIS. (No official returns of sugar.) Tears. Acres. Sirup. 1879 17. 883 Gallons. 1, 309, 400 1880 . . 9,825 636, 216

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 71 KANSAS. Years. Atres. Sirup. Sugar. 1872 . . Gallons. Pound». 1873 1874 .. 14, 103 540, 338 1875 23, 026 1, 148, 030 1878 15, 714 839, 147 1877 20, 784 2, 390, 131 1, 195, 066 1878 20, 292 2, 333, 566 1, 166, 783 1879 ... . ... 23,665 1, 224, 557 1880 . . For twenty-five years past the average yield of sirup, varying from 16,000,000 gallons per annum to 5,000,000 or 6,000,000, has probably averaged about 11,000,000 gallons, valued at 65 cents to 40 cents. For sirup, fodder, and afl purposes, the aver- age value of the crop may have approximated $8,000,000 per annum. J. R. DODGE, Statistician. 6.—SORGHUM SUGAR-CA2TE. NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. SORGHUM SUGAR-CANE.—EXPERIMENTS ON ITS GROWTH AND SUGAR PRODUCT. For the last forty years there have been experiments made to manufacture sugar from maize and from sorghum, and during the late civil war sorghum was grown in large quantity for the production of sirup, especially in the Western States. More recently the United States Commissioner of Agriculture has given much attention to the growing of sorghum, and to the manufacture of sugar from it. His reports for 1879 and 1880 contain much interesting and valuable matter upon the subject. The growing of sorghum and the manufacture of sirup from it has come to be an estab- lished branch of farm industry in several of the Western States, and as more knowl- edge and skill are acquired, it is found that good granulated cane sugar can be made from it in paying quantities. A large amount of both sirup and sugar are now made every year in Kansas and adjoining States, and the proof appears to be com- plete that with a proper establishment for the manufacture, and skillful workmen, t he business can be profitably carried on here. During the last session of our legislature a bill was passed entitled "An act to en- courage the manufacture of sugar in the State of New Jersey." This act provides that a bounty of $1 per ton may be paid by the State to the farmer for each ton of material out of which crystallized cane sugar has actually been obtained; it provides also a further bounty of one cent per pound to be paid to the^manufacturer for each pound of cane sugar made from such materials. After the passage of this act, the Senate, on motion of Senator Taylor, requested the Agricultural College to experiment on the sorghum plant, in order to further its cultivation by the farmers of this State. The following bulletin is published in compliance with this request. The sorghum was grown on the college farm, and the chemical work carried out in the laboratory of the experiment station. The investigation includes the trial of dif- ferent varieties of sorghum with special reference to their time of ripening and percent- age of sugar, as well as the study of the effect of different fertilizing ingredients, applied singly and in combination, upon the yield of sugar and seed. The field selected for the experiment is thoroughly underdrained, rather heavy piece of land, cropped last year with field corn grown on sod, to which a liberal dress- ing of barnyard manure had been applied. On that portion devoted to the trial of different varieties, Mapes's sorghum manure was used this year immediately before planting, at the rate of 600 pounds per acre. The seeds were kindly furnished by Dr. Peter Collier, chemist of the United States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Collier in his valuable reports has clearly shown that the condition of the ripening seed may be taken as an index to the condition of the juice of the plant. When the seeds have become so hard that they can no longer be split with the finger- nail the stalks will contain the maximum amount of sugar and minimum of glucose,- and when this stage is reached the plant may be regarded as matured.

72 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. The importance of using great care in the choice of seed is illustrated by the fol- lowing list of varieties: Wolf Tail Failed to mature before frost. Link's Hybrid Do. Liberian Do. Early Amber Seed failed to germinate. Neeazana Failed to mature before frost. Goose Neck Matured. Sorghum Do. Early Orange Failed to mature before frost. Oomeeseana Matured. Gray Top Failed to mature before frost. African Matured. Honduras Failed to mature before frost. Chinese Do. Early Golden Matured. Of the fourteen varieties five only matured. facturer is shown below: Their relative value to the man 11 4 | g 1 a t3 a o i O C a a t*i o I 1 3 « 60 3 61 4 58 8 57 5 60 0 8 58 7 28 6 50 7 60 14 O6 104 89 76 87 169 In a table on the following page it will be noticed that the Early Amber also matured; yiekliug under favorable conditions 162 pounds of sugar per ton of stripped and topped cane.. Judging from this experiment the choice of variety for this section of the State is limited to the Early Amber and Early Golden. For the study of the effect of fertilizers sixteen adjoining plots, of one tenth acre each, were measured off, fertilized as stated in the table, and planted May 23, 1881, with Early Amber seed. The cane was doubtless injured by the unusually severe drought; it was noticeable, however, that it suffered much leas from this than corn planted on a neighboring field. It was harvested on the first of October. For samples to represent each plot, twenty average canes were cut from ten dif- ferent rows, immediately, weighed and after they had been stripped and topped again. weighed and passed singly between the rollers of a heavy cane mill. The juice from each lot of twenty cane after it had been carefully mixed was used for the analysis. The determinations of cane sugar were made by means of the polariscope, using solu- tions clarified with basic lead acetate and 50 per cent. absolute alcohol. The plan of the experiment was, to ascertain the effect of each of the fertilizing materials applied singly and in combination on the production of sugar—to compare the effect of muriate of potash with that of sulphate of potash—and to determine whether by increasing the amount of phosphoric acid used per acre an advantage would be gained. The action of the fertilizers is best studied in the table under the heading, pounds of extractable sugar per ton of cane and per acre. It was expected that phosphoric acid would materially hasten the maturity of the cane; it appears to have exercised no decided influence in this respect. It caused, however, an increase of 250 pounds or nearly 30 per cent. of sugar over that yielded by plot No. 15. Muriate of potash used alone increases the gross weight of stalks very much more than sulphate of potash; it increases too the yield of sugar per acre. It is a fact, however, of especial importance to the manufacturer that the yield per ton is 20 per cent. greater from the plot No. 12, on which the sulphate was used, than from the muriate plot No. 4. Muriates, too, if taken into the sorghum juice, cannot be removed by the process of manufacture now used, and interfere seriously with the crystalliza- tion of sugar. As has been well known for many years past, crude barn-yard manure must not be used directly on sugar-producing plants. Plot No. 11 draws attention once more to the fact. No noticeable increase in the amount of sugar was caused by it; but a point of much greater importance is the positive statement of experienced men that sugar will not crystallize from sirup of canes which have been fertilized with it. A heavy dressing on corn land loses its injurious qualities in the course of a year, and sorghum following corn in rotation is benefited by it. The expression "extraotable sugar" has been used in this table to indicate tha

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 73 a portion only of the total amount of sugar has been extracted by the mill; the bagasse or crushed cane when it is burned under the boilers or thrown on the compost heap still contains one-third of the sugar produced by the plant. If the profits of the business are so large that manufacturers can content themselves with two-thirds of the sugar, farmers should endeavor to turn this bagasse into food for sheep, by the process of ensilage. After a struggle which has now lasted more than twenty-five years, sorghum to-day does not occupy its true position among sugar-producing plants. Its advocates j ustly claim that this is due to our lack of information, not only in regard to the manufacture of sugar from it, but also in respect to its proper cultivation. 4 S g g . d iH flj * •J of as a"^ gfS 1 CQ 1 i ll j§J3 ' ll g 4H g -• 3 M O *p w 3 O c •§ - A S q S .1 | 1 £•! i! 11 1 11 1 01 ,S Pi X " if CO a i n B 'o-S s 1 E a o A ii S ll || a 0 A & i g o § £ 0 P< O &. 10 IB Cost of fertilizers per acre to oo $6 10 $7 50 $3 40 $13 60 $0 00 $9 50 $11 00 Founds of worylium per acre 11, 515 13, 305 14, 820 16, 000 14,440 11, 170 11,640 12, 390 Founds of stripped and topped cane Per cent. of juice extracted from per acre .. . .. S, 406 9,890 11,263 12, 160 10, 830 8,378 8,846 9,298 stripped and topped cane Founds of juice extracted per acre. Per cent. of sugar in juice . 69.6 5,851 9.70 67.0 6,626 9.43 66.4 68.0 8. 269 9.27 66.8 64.2 5,379 9.94 65. 1 5,759 10.51 64.3 5.975 11.65 Founds of extractable sugar per 7,479 9.00 7,234 9.68 Pounds of sugar extracted per ton acre ....... .. 568 625 673 767 700 535 605 696 of cane 135 126 120 126 129 128 137 150 Pounds of clean seed per acre 1,020 1,351 1,298 1,246 1,344 1,132 1,038 1,067 S«" V 3 § - tfg e§ 3 1 1 I I 11 1| ts'd •&•£ • ^"oM Of J .• If ..-|5 ~^~S 'B G ||| 111 II | ° a ll P S o ,S.2-2 f S •s &l • Us 1 SS o So C §.!» ||| 111 T3 o M a p< 'SS1 If 1! ni £l§ 1 * p M |o JSl pi s 0 o ° S ss s 1M A Cost of fertilizers per acre $17 10 $1 60 $40 00 $6 50 $12 60 $14 00 $20 10 $26 20 Pounds of Borfjliuni per acre 12, 590 12, 680 12, 375 11, 605 11, 650 12, 505 13, 260 14,030 Pounds of stripped and topped cane per acre . 9,946 9,510 9,405 8,820 8,854 8,504 9,812 10,943 Per cent. of juice extracted from stripped mid topped cane 67.3 64.8 64.4 68.2 G9 0 68.3 68.9 67.8 Pounds of jnice extracted per acre. Per cent of su^ar in juice 6,694 11. 43 6,162 6,051 9. 57 6,015 11. 61 6,109 •. 73 6,491 9.73 6,760 7,419 12.01 Pounds of extractable sugar per 9. 84 9.44 Pounds of sugar extracted per ton of cane .... . acre ........ . 765 606 580 698 594 632 638 891 154 128 122 158 134 133 130 161 Pounds of clean seed per acre 1,305 1,136 1,160 1,216 1, 226 1,139 1,349 1,278 * 16 per cent. phosphoric acid. For some time past authorities have felt that the hope of having a small sugar-house on each farm must be abandoned and that our attention must be turned towards the more rational plan of thoroughly-equipped manufactories in which the sorghum grown on neighboring farms can be worked quickly and economically by skilled operatives. This plan is now on trial at Rio Grande, Cape May County. Mr. Hilgert, an enter- prising and energetic business man of Philadelphia, member of the firm J. Hilgert's Sons, sugar refiners, has built and fitted up an extensive sugar-house at an expense

74 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. of at least $60,000. This house during the past fall worked the cane of about 700 acres. The product of crystallized sugar was sold to refiners at 7 and 8 cents per pound. The yield, although not as large as expected, is still regarded as satisfactory. The farmers of that section who calculated on an average yield of 10 tons of cane and 30 bushels of seed per acre have heen disappointed, the average yield per acre having been about 5 tons of cane and 20 bushels of seed, which sold readily for 65 cents per bushel. Mr. Miller, who was perhaps the largest cane-grower on the cape, raised on 120 acres 641 tons of caue and 2,500 bushels of seed. The total amount realized by him is reported to be $3,648. The cost of growing this crop is not known at pres- ent, but the reported cost for Iowa in the year 1873 is, exclusive of fertilizers, $12.50 per acre. The result of the season's experiments is decidedly encouraging, considering the unfavorable circumstances. There has been a drought of unprecedented severity and length, so that the corn crop on the college farm was not more than one-quarter its u.sual amount. And yet the results of sorghum-growing on the game farm, as given in the above table, are respectable. With a season having the average rain- fall a crop weighing from two to three times as much as that of the present one maj safely be calculated on. The expense of hoeing and cultivating sorghum in the earlier stages of its growth are much greater than for field corn, and to those only accustomed to growing the latter crop it is discouraging. The plants are very small when they first come up, and look so much like common summer grasses that they may be mistaken for them, and for several weeks the grasses and weeds grow much the fastest. The later stages of growth of the sorghum are very rapid. Those who intend to grow sorghum must then be very watchful of it in the early part of the season. It is most commonly planted in drills from 3 to 3J feet apart, with hills about 15 to 18 inches apart and. having six or seven seeds to a hill. Some, however, plant it in hills with rows 3 feet apart both ways. Each method has its advocates, but the latter costs the least for labor, and advocates for the other method claim that it does not yield nearly as much per acre. There is much to be learned in this respect by our farmers, and experiments should be made with care. The soil best adapted to it is said to be a sandy loam, though it will grow well on any ground that will produce Indian corn.- It grows well on the same field year after year, only care being taken to keep the field rid of the seeds of weeds. A manure containing large percentages of sulphate of potash, a soluble phosphate of lime, and not much ammonia is probably the best and most economical for its growth. The value of the crop is considered to be mainly in the sugar, but the seed is found to be about equal to Indian corn in feeding value, and the crop per acre is not less than that of other common cereals. There are no good feeding experiments to show what may be the value of stalks from which the juice has been extracted. The field for enterprise in this direction is a large and inviting one, and it is to be hoped that the promise of the manufacture, and the bounty offered by the State, may lead to the permanent and profitable establishment of this branch of industry in our State. GEO. H. COOK, Director. NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J., December 20, 1881. 7.—RIO GRANDE SUGAR COMPANY, NEW JERSEY. A.—Letter from the president of the Rio Grande Sugar Company to the Tariff Commission. SORGHUM SUGAK. OFFICE OF THE Rio GRANDE SCGAR COMPANY, Rio Grande, N. J., September 29, 1882. DEAR SIR : I have the honor to submit to you the following statement touching the production of sorghum, and the manufacture of sugar and sirups therefrom: It will be needless to refer you to the reports on this subject of the Department of Agriculture, as these, doubtless, have been already placed before you. Thirty years ago the raising of sorghum sugar-cane created quite an excitement in this country, owing to the promised revolution it was to effect in the sugar produc- tion of the country. The failures that ensued are well known, and the production of sugar from northern cane has only had spurts of success, and up to about the present time has resulted only in disaster. The raising of sorghum cane, now practiced among small farmers, produces only the crude molasses for which local demand may exist. During these thirty years the cane has been continually improving in quality, and yielding largely increased amounts of sugar in the juice.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 75 The last report of the Department of Agriculture namea some producers who re- turned nearly 16 per cent. of sugar. We have found it profitable to work it when as low as 8 per cent. Of first importance in the raising of sorghum cane is the selection of a proper climate. Second. A proper soil. Third. Skillful fertilisation. Fourth. Proper appliances for conducting the processes in a systematic and skillful manner. In the report I am about to give you of the incipiency and success of the Rio Grande Sugar Company these matters have been carefully looked after. With regard to the selection of the land, it was made with a view of being near the waters of the ocean and bay, as the settlement of " Rio Grande" is about 4 miles dis- tant from, and between, the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. At such points the early frost of our autumn does not reach an Injurious effect within thirty days of the time it does in the inland country but a few miles distant. The season for crowing the cane is comparatively a short one, consequently a great gain arises from the longer period of time that can be secured for the late production of cane, and when it may be given ample time to coma to a ripened condition. While upon this point it is well to note the large anva of country that is applicable to this culture, and that fulfills the requisites as I have stated them ; for example, the large area included in the peninsula of which we are now speaking, as well as of the Delaware and Maryland peninsula, lying between Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. In raising sorghum in such a limited period of time for its growth the soil is a highly important element. The character of that occupied by the Rio Grande Company has demonstrated the fact that a rich soil is not a requisite; it can be said that a comparatively poor and sandy soil may be considered the most desirable for this purpose, as the plant cannot absorb or receive any large quantities of salts (say potash salts) from such soil. Th« plant of these works has been erected in the most approved fashion, and in size and completeness will compare favorably with those of Cuba and the State of Louis- iana. The Rio Grande Sugar Company was organized in the year 1881 with a capital 01 $250,000, based upon the works being almost completed at that time by private hands, when an additional capital was taken, and the lands purchased, as it was shown that the only safe method of raising sorghum was for the company to undertake it, as the farmers immediately surrounding the locality, although able to produce it of proper quality, were not to be entirely depended on to deliver it in good condition, and from fields in the order of fitness for grinding. The drought of 1881, together with the fact just mentioned, made the raising of cane during that season of small account. In the spring of 1882 about 1,000 acres of the 2,400 owned by the company were planted and liberally manured with Peruvian guano, enriched with sulphate of am- monia. The cane planted was chiefly of the Amber variety, as this ripens in three months after planting. Sufficient demonstration now exists to prove that sorghum can be successfully and profitably raised in the manner already mentioned. » la the year 1880 the State of New Jersey passed a law granting a bounty of 1 cent a pound on sugar, and $1 a ton on cane produced for the term of five years; therefore bnt three years now remain during which it may be taken advantage of. However, without this bounty, and with the existing rates of import duty on sugar, it is alto- gether possible that within the next decade the regions spoken of will be largely occupied by planters of sorghum, as these lands require some change of crops to re- lieve them from a condition of poverty. A large portion of Virginia and North Carolina will ultimately produce this cane, and it can be said that the benefit derivable from showing the way to improving such a large area of land is one of the most important (considerations now existing in the United States. That the country should, in a short prospective period of time, he on the highway to independence in her sugar production, wiE add also to the interesting features of this matter. The Rio Grande Sugar Company was established in view of continued protection by the Government of the United States. I trust, therefore, it will not be a part of the acts of the Tariff Commission to reduce the duties on sugar, and thus possibly extinguish in its infancy so important a branch of industry. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE C. POTTS, President. Hon. JOHX L. HAYES, President Tariff Commission.

76 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. B.—Capt. R. Blakeley describing his visit to the Rio Grande Sugar Works. SAINT PAUL, September 29, 1882. DBAS SIR: On my way from your place to Washington I called at the office or Mr. G. C. Potts, at Philadelphia, and presented your letter. Mr. Potts was down at the mill, but returned in the evening and called upon me at the hotel and cordially invited me to go down and see their works, which I did, and was especially gratified with my reception by Mr. Hughs, the chemist in charge of the mill, who took great pleasure in snowing me over the mill and farm. This place is situated about 5 miles north of Cape May, upon a sandy soil, about 8 feet ab~-ve the salt water. The cane (about 900 acres) is well grown, except the part which was replanted. The seed did not all come up, and they attempted to plant more, and happened to get a good growth by that means; but it failed to mature, and has, consequently, injured the balance of the crop; but still it is the best crop that has ever been grown, so far as I know. They used about $6,000 worth of guauo upon the crop, as Mr. Hughs informed me, but this land must be fed or it will not do for cane. Mr. Hughs says they will have 9,000 tons of cane and 20,000 bushels of seed. They sold the seed last season for 65 cents per bushel, for feed, and have parties who stand ready to take the whole crop this season, but, possibly, at a reduced price, as corn is likely to be lower, and the seed will not be as high as last season, but they are promised a corresponding price for this season. Their mill is put up without regard to expense, although not in j ust as good shape as they would build it if they had it to do again. The machinery was built by Morris, of Philadelphia, and is very substantial; rollers 5 feet long and 30 inches in diameter; engine 125 horse-power, and boiler surface is equal to 600 horse-power; four defecat- ing pans of 500 gallons each; four open evaporators, •with copper pipe for the steam, and two vacuum pans to complete the evaporation, and all work very well, except the vacuum pans. These are not equal to the other parts of the mill, as they will not take care of more than the produce of 150. tons of cane in twenty-four hours, while the mill would work 300 tons of cane in same time. They also have one filter-press for the scums, by which they save 1,000 gallons of juice in twenty-four hours, which. is usually wasted. The men who are doing the work in the mill are, most of them, skillfnl men, espe- cially the men who are doing the boiling and finishing work of the manufacturing ol sugar. They are making sugar for the refineries, and get 7 cents per pound at Phila- delphia, and are not using any bone coal at the factory. The sugar is run into wagons from the strike pans, and stands about three days to crystallize, and is then run through the mixer to the centrifugals, and barreled and sent to market. Mr. Hughs says they are averaging 8,000 pounds a day of sugar. They are only taking out the first sugar now, as they have not time to reboil; but the sirup from the centrifugal is barreled to wait until after the grinding season is over. There are different kinds of cane grown in this place, but the dependence is upon the "Amber Cane." They have a very nice piece of "Early Orange" that promises well. Their crop polarizes from 9 to 15 per cent. Mr. Hughs is perfectly enthusiastic in regard to the future of this business. The company have 2,000 acres of land, and he thinks they will plant nearly the whole of it next season and will put in jnother vacuum pan, so that they can handle all the juice from 300 tons of cane per day. The cane is, when fully ripe, or mostly so, cut and seed cut off and piled in the field to dry. The cane with the leaves on is brought to the mill and ground day and night, so that in the morning the cane that was cut the day before has all been ground and worked continuously until finished. Mr. Hughs says that this crop will produce about 80 pounds 01 sugar to the ton, if no accident happens before it is all finished up. This is a very strong confirmation of all the hopes and expectations of the most sanguine friends of the sorghum-sugar industry. On my arrival at Washington I called upon Professor Collier and handed him a sample of sugar which Mr. Potts sent from their works, and informed him of what I had seen and expressed the hope that he would be able to visit the mill at Rio Grande during the first week in October, and would have asked the Commissioner to do so, but he was absent from the city. I hope that when he returns he will finally accept the invitation of the Rio Grande Company and visit their works. I hope that you may be able to go down next week and see for yourself. Respectfully, R. BLAKELEY. Prof. B. SlLLIMAN, New Haven, Conn.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 77 C.—Mr. Harry W. MoCaU, of Donaldsonville, La.: A sugar planter's views of the liio Grande Sugar Company's plantation, in a letter to the chairman. ALBEMARLE HOTEL, NEW YORK, October 2. DEAR SIR: Your letter of September 30 has just reached me here. I remember, when visiting the Rio Grande sorghum plantation, that Mr. Potts stated that you were coming there, and it is quite true that I was quite favorably impressed by what I saw. In regard to the special questions which you ask in your letter—whether it ap- pears to me that the sorghum merits "the character of a. sugar-producing plant, adapted to a wide area of land outside of existing sugar districts"; also, if strong varieties of it might be cultivated ''with success in competition with Ribbon cane"— I would say, as to the first one, that I certainly think it merits the character of a sugar-producing plant, and that it is likely it will be found adapted to wide areas outside of the existing sugar belt. Like the Blue and Ribbon cane of Louisiana, I understand that it is killed or injured by a freeze, so that most of it must be gathered Ijefore this occurs. But it has this great advantage over our southern cane, that it may be planted late—in April say—and matures sufficiently to allow of cutting early in September, and, perhaps, earlier in some varieties. This fact, together with another, •that it is propagated from seed instead of eyes, renders it, in my opinion, adapted to cultivation over a very wide extent of country. Your other question, whether I see reason to beliove it could compete successfully with the Ribbon cane of Louisiana, I must answer by saying, as yet I do not, though it may, perhaps, turn out so. As I do not think there are data enough yet to answer this question decidedly, I have not formed an opinion on it. But I see no reason why any results obtained from sorghum at the North should not be also obtained at the South. So if it could be clearly proved a profitable crop at the North, it would be well worth trying at the South. But in order to do this we must have full.figures and be sure they have been accurately kept. At the time I made my visit to the Rio Grande, they had just begun, and had not had time to get their figures together, as I hope they will do before they finish. I saw enough to make me believe that the undertaking is a success. But to judge properly we must know how much sugar they get to the ton of cane, and how many tons to the acre, and what the total cost of making and cultivation, which they could not know with any certainty at the time I was there, though they appeared to be doing so well that I thought Mr. Potts quite justified in anticipating a profit. I can say no more for the present. If any of the above remarks prove of interest to you, you are most welcome to them, as also to any other information I may be able to give you in the future. Very respectfully, yours, HARRY W. McCALL. To B. SILLIMAN, Esq., New Haven, Conn. D.—Rio Grande Sugar Company's form of returns required by the State of New Jersey to secure bounty. NEW JERSEY, a: , being duly sworn, saith that the following is a correct and just state- ment of the quantity of , grown by him in the county of , for the purpose of being manufactured into sugar in this State, and that the same has been delivered at the manufactory of the sugar refinery, at Rio Grande Station, Cape May County, New Jersey. Dollars. Cents. Beets — Sorghum — Sugar-cane — Sworn and subscribed the day of , 188-, before me. I, , clerk of the county of , do hereby rertify that the aforesaid . is a resident in good repute of the county of , in the State of New Jersey. , Clerk. Manufacturer's certificate. I hereby certify that has delivered at the manufactory of the Rio Grand Sugar Company, at Rio Grande Station, Cape May County, pounds of

78 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. , stated to have been grown by him, and that the same has been manufactured into sugar. Dated , 188-. I do hereby certify that the above account is correct. Chief of the Bureau of Statistics of Labor and Industries. 8.—CHAMPAIGN SUGAR AND GLUCOSE MANUFACTURING- COMPANY CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS. The following report of the operations of this company for the season of 1882 brings down the results only to October 28, being still some time before the completion of the rolling of cane. The results speak for themselves: CHAMPAIGN, ILL., October 28, 1882. SIR : The undersigned have the honor to present to you the following report en the manufacture of sorghum sugar for the year 1882. Our report is necessarily incomplete, as we are still in the midst of our season's work. But the gratifying results thus far obtained will, we hope, warrant reporting the data at hand. HENRY A. WEBER. MELVILLE A. SCOVELL. Prof. B. SrtLiMAN, Chairman of Sorghum Sugar Committee, National Academy of Science. As a result of the experiments carried on by the writerg in the seasons of 1880 and 1881, the Champaign Sugar and Glucose Company, of Champaign, 11l., was organized. The object of the company was to carry out on a commercial scale the production of sugar and glucose from sorghum, as was indicated by our laboratory experiments. The company was organized with a capital stock of $25,000. The total expenditure for building the works and raising the crop, however, exceeds $30,000. The main building is 40 by 60 feet and three stories high, with a "lean-to," 45 by 30 feet, cover- ing the engine and crushers. Near the main building are situated the boiler-house, with two ninety horse-power boilers, and a kiln with twelve retorts for revivifying the bone-black. For the sake of convenience the description of the apparatus will be given in con- nection with the process followed in manufacturing sugar and sirup. The cane is conveyed by means of a carrier 50 feet in length to the first mill, a "Cuba No. 4," manufactured by George L. Squire, of Buffalo, N. Y., who kindly consented to the nee of his rubber springs for our second mill, which was originally one of the rigid kind. After leaving the first mill the bagasse is moistened with a spray of hot water and is conveyed, by means of an intervening apron, to the second mill. By the use of this second mill the sugar which is left in the bagasse, after passing through a single mill, as is pointed out in the report of our experiments, is practically all recovered. The juice from the two mills is pumped together to the juice tanks, which are placed at the top of the main building and have a capacity of about 3,000 gallons. From here it is drawn to the defecators, where it is exactly neutralized with milk of lime in the cold, heated to the boiling point and thoroughly skimmed. These de- fecators are made of wood lined with galvanized iron and supplied with copper coils for heating. Four of them have a capacity of 660 gallons each, and one of over 1,300 gallons. After settling, the juice is allowed to run into the evaporators, where it is concentrated to a density of 25° Beaum6. The evaporators are two in number, 8 feet in diameter, made of copper, and supplied with copper coils. From the evapora- tors the liquor rung into settling tanks, and next through bone-coal niters. The filters are four in number, 2 feet in diameter, and 12 feet high. The liquor is next drawn up into the vacuum pan, where it is concentrated into melada. The crystallization of the sugar takes place in the vacuum pan, and could at once be run into the mixer and centrifugals. Owing to the fact that only one centrifugal has thus far been sup- plied, the strikes from the pan are usually run into crystallizing wagons, and placed in a warm room until the sugar can be " swung out." There are fifty of these wagons having a capacity of 120 gallons each. The quality of the sugar produced is unobjectionable in regard to taste and color. It grades as extra yellow C, and sells readily at the factory at 8| cents per pound in 'ots of five barrels. The molasses is of a dark color, but still rich in cane sugar. It

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 79 is stored up in barrels and will be kept until the cane is all harvested, when it either be refined or worked over for a second yield of sugar. The company raised 190 acres of cane, 8 acres of which is " Kansas Orange," about 40 acres "Early Orange," and the rest "Early Amber." Private parties planted about 100 acres more, all of which was Early Amber, with the exception of one field of Early Orange containing 12^ acres. The company began working up their Amber cane on September 21. An analysis of the juice was made, with the following result : Specific gravity ................ 14. H° Brix. Cane sugar ................ 8. 20 per cent. Grape sugar ................ 3. 63 per cent. The best Amber cane of the company was grown on sod ground, ,the field contain- ing 50 acres. The composition of the juice of this field on October 21 was as follows : Specific gravity ................ ... 1.060 Cane sugar ................ 10.17 per cent. Grape sugar ................ 2.48 per cent. Owing to the lateness of the season one continuous run was made, and the cane raised by private parties was worked up with the company's cane, so that it will be impossible to give the yield per ton and acre before the close of the season's work. One field of Early Orange, grown by Mr. J. G. Clark, has been harvested by itself and the products kept by itself. Of this field and variety of cane exact data can be given. The composition of juice October 24 was as follows : Specific gravity ................ 1.070=16.3° brix. Cane sugar ..................... . ......................... ... 10. 82 per cent. Grape sugar ................ - ............ 3.54 per cent. Number of acres in field ................ 12.5 Total amount of cane stripped and topped .................... 156 tons. Yield per acre ................ ................ 12.5 tons. Amount of juice ........................ . ..................... 20,939 gallons. Weight of juice ................ „ ............................ 185,947 pounds. Per cent. of juice ................ 59.6 Weight of melada ................ 25,920 pounds. Weight of sugar ................ 9,900 pounds. Weight of molasses ................ 16,020 pounds. Gallons of molasses ................ 1,456 Yield of sugar per acre ............................ . ........... 790 pounds. Yield of molasses per acre ................ 116.5 gallons. In this statement the amount of water added in moistening the bagasse before passing through the second mill has been deducted from the total amount of juice obtained. The melada obtained from the Amber cane is fully as rich in. sngar as that obtained from the Orange. The yield of sugar and molasses per acre will be lower for some of the fields of Amber, but for others it will be fully as high and in a few cases perhaps even higher. It is not more than fair to add that for this section of the country the season has been very unpropitious for the proper development of sorghum cane. This will be seen at a glance by comparing the analyses given herewith (hose made in this locality last year and the year before, as given in onr report. The necessary hot summer temperature for the production of a high percentage of sugar was entirely wanting. But, on the whole, the sorghum-sugar industry is to be congratulated for this cold, wet season, as the flattering results, which we are nevertheless obtaining here, will forever silence the claim that sugar can be made from sorghum only under the most favorable circumstances. 9—EXPERIMENTS IN AMBER CANE, ETC., AT THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM MADISON, WIS., 1881. REPORT. To his Excellency J. M. RUSK, Governor: In conformity to chapter 211 of the general laws of 1881, I herewith present a re- port of the experiments in Amber cane and ensilage of fodders, conducted upon the university experimental farm the past season. Most fortunately, Mr. Magnus Swenson was secured as chemist in these experi-

80 SOEGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. ments, and too much credit cannot be given him for his untiring zeal in the difficult task to which he was assigned. Such an experiment as securing sugar from Amber cane in anything like a practical way is a most difficult undertaking. Every step in the process is along an unknown road, and the many failures in past years show that scores of persons who thought they were certain of success only attained defeat. Fortunately Mr. Swenson understands machinery as well as chemistry, and was en- abled to design and superintend the construction of the machinery used. By this means a great saving was effected in the cost of machinery needed. Had it been otherwise, the funds would not have been sufficient for the work. I present Mr. Swenson's report as handed to me, believing that in it those interested in Amber cane will find information that cannot but prove of great value to them. The fact that good marketable sugar can be obtained from Amber-cane at the rate of 1,000 pounds to the acre, by methods even more practicable when used on a large scale than in the present case, is a cause for gratification, I think. It is proposed to distribute samples of sirup and sugar obtained in the experiments, in such a way that they can be seen at all the agricultural gatherings held this win- ter throughout the State. Having experimented but a single season, it ia needless to say that much remains to be done yet, and many problems are still awaiting solution. In addition to the experiments, I have tried to learn the condition of the industry throughout the State and have taken step* to familiarize our farmers with what we are trying to do. In April last a twelve-page circular relative to Amber cane was prepared and 3,000 copies distributed. This fall 1,500 copies of a circular letter, making inquiries regarding the cane crop, were prepared and sent to all whom I thought could aid us. In answer to these cir- culars I have replies from 180 manufacturers of Amber-cane sirup, who report having made about 350,000 gallons of sirup this year. A list of these manufacturers, to- gether with amount of sirup made by each, is herewith given. Other valuable in- formation from these reports is given in its proper place. In regard to the second experiment, the ensilage of fodders, permit me to say that a silo was built and filled last summer, and experiments are now in progress to de- termine the value of the ensilage. So far the indications are very favorable, but it is too soon to make any definite statements. As complete a report as possible is herewith presented. It'is planned that Mr. Swenson investigate the subject, from the chemical side, this winter, and upon this point much remains yet to be known. As required by the act above named, I have made a detailed statement of the moneys expended up to the present. It will be seen that we have not yet expended the sum granted. Most respectfully submitted. W. A. HENRY, Professor of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin. EXPERIMENTAL FARM, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, Madison, Wis., December 31, 1881. EXPERIMENTS WITH SORGHUM CANES. BY MAGMUB SWRHBOJJ. The chief object of the experiments conducted during the past season (1881) has been to demonstrate the practicability of making sugar from cane grown in this State. For this reason the work has been carried on in a thoroughly practical manner. My results are not based on theory; they do not show what might be obtained, but what has actually been done. The amount of sugar obtained is not deduced from the amount present in the cane or sirup, but represents what has actually been crystallized and separated as sugar. MACHINERY. The apparatus used consisted of one horizontal mill, made by the Madison Manu- facturing Company; one ten horse-power steam boiler; one defecator of galvanized sheet iron, 3 feet high, 2.5 feet in diameter, and heated by a steam coil made of 1-inch gas pipe; two galvanized iron evaporating pans, the larger 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, 1 foot deep; the smaller 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, 8 inches deep, both heated by steam coils; one globular vacuum pan 30 inches in diameter; one wet air-pump for ex- hausting the vacuum pan; one centrifugal machine for separating the sug<ir from the sirup, 1? feet in diameter and 4 inches deep; one small steam pump for feeding the boiler and running the vacuum pan and centrifugal machine.

SOEGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 8t CANE-SUGAR AND GLUCOSE. Before passing on to the actual experiments, a few pages will be devoted to the general properties of cane-sugar, and the substances occurring with it in the cane juice. The average cane contains about 85 per cent. of juice and 15 per cent of dry bagasse. The juice from the average cane obtained on the farm consisted of 9.5 per cent. cane-sugar, 3.2 per cent. glucose, 2.3 per cent. organic acid and vegetable matter, and 85 per cent. water. Cane-sugar is a compound substance composed of 12 parts carbon, 22 parts hydrogen, 11 parts oxygen ; or, since 1 part oxygen and 2 parts hydro- gen form water, we may consider cane-sugar to be made up of 12 parts carbon and 11 parts water. Glucose, or grape sugar, as it is also called, is composed of 12 parts carbon, 24 parts of hydrogen, 12 parts of oxygen, or 12 parts carbon and 12 parts water. The only difference between the two is 1 part of water. If a solution of cane-sugar in water is heated with a small quantity of almost any acid, it takes up one more part of water, and thus becomes changed to glucose. Almost the same thing takes place when a solution of cane-sugar is acted upon by a ferment, such as yeast, or, even by simply heating for some time, large quantities of the crystallizable cane-sugar are changed. The one important thing in the boiling down of cane juice is to guard against this change. As seen before, the destruction of cane-sugar may be induced in three different ways: 1st. By the presence of an acid. 2d. By the presence of a ferment. 3d. By high and prolonged heat. We will discuss them in order. PRESENCE OK AN ACID. All cane juice contains a considerable proportion of free organic acids. If, there- fore, the juice be boiled down without first neutralizing these acids, a large part of the cane-sugar will be changed into glucose. The amount of cane-sugar destroyed may be seen from the following experiment: Six hundred pounds juice, containing 9.96 per cent. cane-sugar and 3.45 per cent. glucose, was taken directly from the mill and boiled down to sirup. The sirup was found to contain 22.4 per cent. cane-sugar and 56.3 per cent. glucose. If no inversion had taken place, the sirup should ha.ve contained 58.3 per cent. cane-sugar; so we see that 61.6 per cent. of all the cane- sugar originally in the juice had been changed into glucose. Glucose has only one- third the sweetening power of cane-sugar, and its presence prevents, to a large ex- tent, the crystallization of cane-sugar. The light-colored, putty-like deposit in Amber sirup, which is often mistaken for cane-sugar, is glucose. USE OF LIME. If lime is added to the juice it will combine with and neutralize the acid, and this union of the lime and acid forms a new substance, which becomes, to a large extent, insoluble, and is removed with the scum, what remains in the solution having no effect whatever on the cane-sugar. But here we meet with another difficulty. If more lime than is necessary to neutralize the acid has been added, although the excess has no effect whatever on the cane-sugar, it will at once begin to decompose the glucose, changing it into a series of very dark and bitter products, which will impart a dark color, and a bitter, burnt taste to the sirup. Fortunately we are in the possession of a very simple test which tells when lime enough has been added. If a piece of blue litmus paper is dipped into water containing a small quantity of acid, it at once turns red; and if a piece of red litmus paper is dipped into water made slightly alkaline by the addition of a little lime water, it at once turns blue. If, now, to a portion of the acidified water we add gradually some lime water, we will soon arrive at a point when the solution will have no effect on the color of either red or blue litmus; in other words, it is neither alkaline nor acid, but neutral. This will be treated of again under the head of defecation. FERMENTATION. The next thing which tends to destroy the cane sugar is fermentation. This process begins almost immediately after the juice leaves the mill, and when the weather is warm large quantities of sugar are lost in this way: Fermentation is at once arrested by heat- ing the juice to near the boiling point. Cane juice should therefore never be allowed to remain standing any length of time, but should be defecated as soon as possible after com- ing from the mill. HIGH TEMPERATURE. High and prolonged heat is very destructive to crystallizable cane sugar. At first the temperature will not vary much from that of boiling water, or 212° F., but as it becomes more and more concentrated the boiling point gradually rises, until, when the sirup is S. Mis. 51 6

82 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. thick enough for sugar making, the boiling point is from 232° to 234°. The destruction of sugar takes place long before this point is reached. To get the best results the sirup should not be boiled in an open pan after it reaches a density of 20° B., but should then be transferred to the vacuum pan. During the first part of the boiling in this pan the temperature should not exceed 170° F., and when the sirup becomes denser a more complete vacuum should be maintained so as to boil it about 140° F.; in fact, the lower the temperature the better. The varieties of cane raised on the farm during the past season were confined to the Early Amber, Early Orange, and Honduras. Of these the Early Amber is unquestionably the best for sugar making, and our experiments were confined largely to this variety. The total amount of juice in this cane is about 85 per cent. of the total weight of the stalks, and the juice contained 9.20 per cent. cane sugar and 3.4 per cent. glucose. This content of sugar represents the average of not less than 200 pounds of stalks stripped and topped, the greater part of which were lodged. Moreover, the land on which this cane was grown was quite low, and the soil, a cold, clay loam, not well adapted for cane growing. Tak- ing these facts in connection with the bad season, it must be looked upon as below the average yield. DEVELOPMENT. The development of the. Early Amber cane raised on this farm may to some extent be seen from the following analyses, which have been made by me during the summer and fall: August 10 : Cane sugar 3.0O Glucose 4.50 August 20: Cane sugar 8.20 Glucose 5.10 September 6: Cane sugar 9.22 Glucose 4.20 September 14: Cane sugar 9.96 Glucose 3.45 September 17: Cane sugar 9.86 Glucose ._ 3.32 September 20: Cane sugar 10.02 Glucose 3.23 September 22 : Cane sugar 11.05 Glucose 2.6O September 29 :* Cane sugar — 8.59 Glucose 3.50 September 29 :* Cane sugar 8.60 Glucose 3.50 September 29 :* Cane sugar 8.61 Glucose 3.44 October 3: Cane sugar 12.67 Glucose . 2.43 *This cane was lodged by storm. From these we see that the cane sugar gradually and rapidly increased, while the glu- cose slowly decreased, from the time of flowering to the maturity of the seed. During the latter part of September, most of the cane was lodged by a very violent wind and rain storm. The juice from the stalks that were lodged was charged with a red coloring matter, the inside of the entire stalk being in many cases of a bright red color. Several of the stalks contained but a small portion of red coloring matter, but instead had a peculiar yellow and watery appearance, and quite a disagreeable taste. The juices from these contained on an average only 8 per cent. sugar, and 4.8 per cent. glucose.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 83 EFFECT OF LEAVING CANE CUT IN THE FIELD. A number of stalks still in good condition, the juice of which contained 9.50 cane sugar and 3.25 glucose, were cut and left in the field ten days, during almost constant rain. At the end of the ten days the juice contained 5.98 cane sugar and 6.15 glucose. Some Early Orange cane was also cut September 20, when the juice contained 10.50 cane sugar and 4.95 glucose, and was left in the field till November 2, when the j uice contained 13.80 glucose, while not a trace of cane sugar was present. These experiments show conclu- sively that if cane is cut or injured and left exposed to rain, the destruction of cane sugar goes on very rapidly, being in time entirely changed into glucose. The rapidity of the change depends, of course, in great degree on the weather. EFFECT OF LEAVING CANE CUT, UNDER SHELTER. In order to ascertain the eTect of leaving cane under cover, two tons of Early Amber cane were cut, the juice containing 10.02 per cent. of canesugar and 3.23 per cent. of glu- cose. One-half was topped and stripped and both lots were placed on the floor of the barn. The change taking place may be seen from the following table: Cane sugar. : Glucose. SEPTEMBER 20. The cane freshly cut... After two weeks: (Stripped) (Unstripped).... After four weeks: (Stripped) (Unstripped).... After 6 weeks: (Stripped)... After 13 weeks: (Stripped) OCTOBER 4. OCTOBER 19. NOVEMBER 2. DECEMBER 20. 10.02 8.X 8.17 7.41 7.64 i 8.20 8.46 3.23 11.1! I 6.00 8.41 3.74 3.74 6.80 To judge by the table the cane changes very slowly, but in reality the loas of sugar is quite rapid. If no loss of sugar took place, the juice would of course become richer in sugar, on account of the evaporation of part of the water. In reality this is not the case. The cane sugar becomes gradually changed to glucose, which in turn is destroyed by fer- mentation. In this way the juice may become even richer in sugar, but the quantity of juice is greatly diminished. The juice becomes also very acid. The effect produced by shocking the cane in the field was tried, with very unsatisfactory results, the cane sugar being destroyed very rapidly. EFFECT OF LEAVING CANE STRIPPED IN THE FIELD. One part of a patch of Minnesota Early Amber cane was stripped of leaves and left standing in the field from September 15 to September 22. It was then cut. and the juice, together with some that had not been stripped, was analyzed, with the following result: Cane sugar. [ Glucose. Cane stripped for one week . Same cane not stripped tl.05 l2. U8 :<.25 2.78 The diminution of sugar is undoubtedly due to the fact that the latent leaf buds found under each leaf begin to develop into new leaves. These new leaves are formed partly at the expense of the sugar in the cane.

84 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. DEFECATION. The juice after it leaves the mill has a more or less green color, due to the presence of large quantities of chlorophyl and other vegetable substances, which must be removed. This process is known as defecation. The defecator, or the vessel in which this opera- tion is conducted, may be of wood. Copper is perhaps the best material, but is much more expensive. The vessel should be furnished with a steam coil, with sufficient ca- pacity to heat the juice to the boiling point in a short time. As soon as the juice is expressed it should be removed to the defecator, where it should be heated at once to about 175° F., or just about hot enough to enable a man to hold his hand in the juice without being scalded. Milk of lime, freed from all coarse particles by straining, should then be added until a slip of red litmus paper becomes changed to a faint purple when dipped into the juice. The lime should be added in small portions, the juice being vig- orously stirred with a paddle after each addition. When the right quantity has been added, the juice must be heated as quickly as possible. A thick green scum will soon come to the surface. When the boiling point is reached—which is shown by the swell- ing and breaking up of the scum—the heat should be stopped and the juice left quiet for about five minutes. The scum will then be quite hard, and may be easily removed from the surface of the clear liquid. Much will depend on a good defecation. If the defecation has been properly conducted, the liquid will be clear, free from particles, and of a pale yellow color. If the scum is of a light color and thin, while the liquid below is opaque and has a greenish color, it shows that too little lime has been added; while if thejuice is very dark, too much lime has been used. Much nicety of judgment is re- quired to make a good defecation, which can only be obtained by experience. USE OF SULPHUROUS ACID. The clear juice from the defecator is now tolerably pure, most of the impurities having been eliminated. It contains, however, considerable lime, which if allowed to remain will give us a dark sirup, and if present in sufficient quantities will impart a more or less bitter taste to the sirup. To avoid this we must neutralize the lime, just as before we neutralized the acid. For this purpose sulphurous acid is much used. This acid may be added to the juice in the defecator after removing the scum, or it may be added to the juice in the evaporating pan. A sufficient quantity should be added to give to the juice a distinct acid reaction, or until a slip of blue litmus paper, dipped into thejuice, is reddened. To accomplish the same result, many preparations have been sold to the farmers and other sirup manufacturers by agents and peddlers. I would here advise every one to leave all such preparations alone. Most of them are either harmful or good for nothing, while others are but modifications of the methods which I have described and for which the buyer pays an exorbitant price. As long as I remain at the univer- sity inquiries as to any method will be answered. Before closing this report we will describe methods by which sulphurous acid may be made at sirup works. BOILING TO SIRUP. - The juice should be boiled down as rapidly as possible, the scum which comes to the surface being skimmed oft". If conducted entirely in an open train it should be concen- trated till it boils at about 234° F., which corresponds to about 45° B. If a vacuum pan is used the sirup should be transferred to it when it has a density of about 20° B. It should then be concentrated to about 44° B., at as low a temperature and as quickly as possible. If the sirup is made too thick, the crystals of sugar will be small and diffi- cult to separate; while if too thin the crystallization will take place very slowly. After the sirup has been boiled down to the proper density it should be placed in a room where the temperature may be maintained at about 90° F. to crystallize. The crystal- lization usually begins in a few hours, and in five or six days the sugar may be .sepa- rated. The sirup may be boiled down a second time, and a second crop of crystals equal to about one-half the quantity of the first may be obtained in a couple of weeks. A good yield of sugar may be obtained if the following rules are strictly adhered to: 1. Do not cut the cane until the seed begins to harden. 2. Do not allow the cane to stand stripped in the field. 3. Work up the cane as soon as possible after being cut. 4. Defecate the juice as soon as possible after leaving the mill. 5. For defecation use milk of lime, freed from coarse particles by straining; add it gradually to thejuice with vigorous stirring until a piece of red litmus paper is turned to a pale purple. 6. Heat thejuice quickly to the boiling point, as shown by the swelling and breaking of the scum.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 85 7. Remove the scum after allowing the juice to remain quiet for five minutes. 8. Draw off the clear juice through an aperture near the bottom of the defecator into the evaporating pan. 9. Add sulphurous acid to the clear juice until a piece of blue litmus paper is red- dened.* 10. Evaporate down until it reaches a density of 45° B., or, if boiled in an open pan, to a boiling temperature of 234° F. 11. Place in a warm room to crystallize, and in about a week it will be ready to sep- arate. EESULTS. Below will be found a table containing the summary of the results obtained from two plots. Plot A was planted with seed obtained from Mr. Seth Kinney, of Morristown, Minnesota. Plot B was planted with seed from Mr. Charles Eustis, of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Plot A was very much exposed and a great deal of the cane was lodged, while Plot B was more sheltered and the cane was in better condition: Field of Plot A. Field of one acre at the same rate aa Plot A. Field of Plot B. Field of one acre at the same rate A as Plot B. 4 669 30 348 4 710 23 550 3 875 25 187 3 909 19 545 2 680 17 420 2 732 13 660 1,196 7,767 1,177 5,885 Percent. of cane sugar in juice 9.24 10.53 3.53 2.68 358 2 327 415 2 075 248 1,612 290 1,450 110 715 125 625 332 2, 158 408 2,040 142 923 1994 997t 190 1,235 2084 1,042) 274 32 A glance at the table will show at once the wastefulness of the present mode of ex- tracting the juice. Out of 85 per cent. in the cane, only 60 per cent. was obtained, or nearly 30 per cent. of the sugar in the cane was left in the bagasse. This loss is un- doubtedly smaller than that sustained in the majority of cases, as 60 per cent. of juice is larger than the average per cent. obtained by the small mills usually employed. The absurd theory, that if too much juice is expressed it will cause the whole to "sour," make a poor sirup, &c., is entirely false. THE DIFFUSION PEOCESS. The diffusion process for extracting the sugar from both beets and cane is now em- ployed in nearly all of the principal factories. The cane is cut into thin slices by rapidly revolving cutting machines, the sugar being extracted from these by the use of water. If the pieces of cane are placed in a vessel and a quantity of water equal to the quantity of juice in them be added, part of the sugar will at once pass through the cell walls into the surrounding water, while part of the water will enter the cells. This will continue until the liquids inside and outside of the cell walls are of the same density. If this water be drained off it will contain half the sugar. If, now, this same cane be treated with equal and successive portions of water, each portion, when drained off, will contain one-half of the sugar contained in the cane at the time when it was added. In other words," the cane will retain after each draining one-half, one-fourth, one-eighth, one- sixteenth, one-thirty-second, etc., of the sugar originally in the cane. In practice this process is carried on in such a way that the water is used over again on successive por- tions of cane until it becomes nearly as rich in sugar as the juice, only about 20 per cent. of water being added. An apparatus working on this principle has been invented in Europe, in which slices of cane or beets are made to pass upward through a cylinder, by *Thia step may be omitted if no excess of lime has been added during defecation. It will have no effect on the quantity of sugar obtained, but will make a lighter colored molasses.

86 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. the aid of a mechanical feeder, while water passes in at the top of the cylinder, and in passing down becomes more and more charged with sugar, until it issues from below, carrying with it almost the whole of the sugar from the cane. In this way it is claimed 94 per cent. of all the sugar in the cane is obtained, or 24 per cent. more than that obtained by an average good mill. This difference would consti- ute an immense profit in a large establishment. The juice is, moreover, perfectly clear, containing but small quantities of chlorophyl and other vegetable matter, which occur so abundantly in juice expressed by the mill. A better sirup and a larger yield of sugar is the result. CANE FOE SIRUP MAKING. For the making of sirup exclusively some experiments were made with the Early Amber, Early Orange, and Honduras. Three plots were,planted, one with each variety, in close proximity to each other. They received the same amount of cultivation, and the comparative results are, we believe, as fair as they can possibly be made. The plots were each one-fifth of an acre; and for convenience sake, the results in the following table are calculated to one acre: Early Camber. Early orange. Hondu- ras. Weight of stripped stalks . 23,520 31,000 42,33O 13 660 17 966 24 433 58.80 57.95 57.70 8 0 8.5 7. 0 10.63 10.50 7.0O 2 68 4 95 4 2O 180 239 265 There was no marked difference in the quality of these different kinds of sirup, and it would certainly repay the cane growers to try the Honduras as a sirup-producing cane. One great obstacle, however, is that the seed would have to be imported from more southern localities every season, as the seed hardly reaches beyond the milk stage before frost may be expected. METHODS FOR MAKING SIRUP. Several different methods for making sirup were used. The lightest colored sirup will be produced when the juice is nearly boiled down and skimmed without defecation. The acids which in that case remain free in the sirup change large quantities of the cane sugar to glucose and impart the " sorghum taste " to the sirup. In order to make a sirup free from this taste the juice must be defecated. The defecation should be con- ducted in the same manner as that described under sugar making. If too much lime is added a dark sirup will be the result. If the lime is added very carefully, so as to make the juice very nearly neutral, an excellent sirup will be produced. The following rule for defecating juice for sirup works well: Fill the defecator three-fourths full with fresh juice; heat to about 160° F., and add milk of lime perfectly freed from coarse particles, until the juice becomes slightly alkaline. Fill the defecator with fresh juice, mix well and heat to boiling, skim and boil down to a sirup. The defecation may also be carried out as described under sugar making, a quantity of sulphurous acid being added to the defecated juice until it becomes slightly acid. If properly conducted this process will always make a good sirup. It is probably to be preferred to any other, as it is very easily performed. Not much care is requisite, as any small excess of sulphurous acid which has been added will escape with the steam during the boiling down of the juice. Sulphate of aluminum may be used instead of sulphurous acid with equally good re- sults, but more care is necessary, since any excess that is added will remain in the sirup. The flavor of the sirup will depend to a very great extent on the quantity of lime used for defecation, and the quantity to be added must be ascertained by practice. If the maker finds that the sirup still retains some of the " sorghum taste " it is a proof that too little lime has bsen used, and a stronger defecation should be made. If, on the other hand, the sirup is very dark, too much lime has been added. CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION. According to the late Commissioner of Agriculture a total of 2,000,000,000 pounds of sugiir was consumed in the United States during the year 1879. " Of this amount

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 87 1,743,560,000, or more than 80 per cent., besides 38,395,575 gallons of molasses, were imported. The whole valued at $114,516,745." He says further: " To bring the vast amount of sugar imported into this country within more easy comprehension, we have only to imagine five vessels of nearly 500 tons each and loaded with sugar, arriving at our ports each day in the year." The question, therefore, can sugar be profitably man- ufactured from northern sugar cane, is one of immense importance to this country. That there is much prejudice to be overcome is evident. There are men to whom the bare idea seems ridiculous. In the face of these difficulties, however, we venture to state that if skillfully conducted, the manufacture of sugar from this cane will certainly pay. Assuming the sugar to be worth 8 cents per pound, and the molasses 30 cents per gallon, we have the value of the produce per acre as follows: Yield at the rate of plot A: 923 pounds of sugar at 8 cents . $73 84 103 gallons of sirup at 30 cents i. 30 90 Total 104 74 Yield at the rate of plot B: 9971 pounds of sugar at 8 cents $79 80 87 gallons of sirup at 30 cents 26 10 Total 105 90 The seed has a composition about the same as corn, and will undoubtedly constitute a good food for farm animals. The utilization of the by-products will constitute an- other source of income. The first scums, being very rich in nitrogen and mineral salts, will make an excellent fertilizer, and from the last scums, being rich in sugar, a good vinegar may be manufactured. Taking also into consideration that my experiments were conducted on a small and consequently a wasteful scale, my results are undoubt- edly too low. If the capital is sufficient to produce both refined sugar and sirup, the value of the products will be increased by at least one-third. COST OF PEODUCTIOSf. The cost of production is of course the main consideration, and although I cannot as yet give any definite figures, I am confident that after paying all costs a good profit may be realized. The bast plan for conducting this industry will be to have large cen- tral factories. During the working season these factories can work up a large quantity of cane grown in their vicinity, and during the remainder of the year the crude produce from sm iller establishments may be worked up and refined. SUCEATE OF LIME PROCESS. The sucrate of lime process now in full operation in Europe seems to be eminently fitted for carrying out this plan. A very brief outline of the process will perhaps not be out of place here. Sucrate of lime is a solid, containing when dry about 70 per cent. of sugar, and having the appearance of sand. It is insoluble in cold water, but soluble in hot water, and also in solutions of sugar, not too concentrated. It is entirely unfer- mentable, and will not become mouldy or undergo decomposition, if kept for an indefi- nite length of time. It is therefore an excellent material forshipping and storing. Su- crate of lime may be manufactured on the farm with a comparatively small outlay. The juice is defecated as usual, and boiled down from 30° to 32° B. The sirup is then cooled and transferred to the sucration vessel. This vessel is usually made of galvanized sheet iron. In the center is a vertical shaft, carrying paddles. A certain quantity of pure and finely pulverized lime is then added, which becomes thoroughly mixed with the sirup by the motion of the paddles. The lime and sugar quickly combine, forming the sucrate of lime, which, when washed with cold water and dried, is ready for shipment to the refinery, where the sugar is separated from the lime and refined. This is, very briefly told, the process which we believe can be successfully applied to the manufact- ure of sugar from the sorghum cane. We trust that by another year, if these experi- ments are allowed to continue, some practical results in connection with this and the diffusion process may be brought out. It would have been very desirable to have made some experiments with these processes during the past season, but our time was entirely taken up by the work which has been done. Moreover, the limited amount of means at hand would not warrant the construction of the special machinery necessary for con- ducting these processes.

OO SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. PRODUCTION OF SULPHUROUS ACID. Considerable quantities of sulphurous acid are needed in making sirup, and much ex- pense may be saved by making it at the factory. When sulphur is burnt in the air, each part of sulphur unites with two parts of oxygen from the atmosphere, forming a gas called sulphur dioxide. This gas is readily soluble in water. When water has a temperature of 50° F., it will absorb 50 volumes, or one gallon of water will absorb 50 gallons of the gas. As the temperature of the water rises, it be- comes less capable of absorbing the gas, so that at 70° F. it will absorb only 34 volumes. The solution of this gas in water constitutes sulphurous acid. Hence to prepare it, all that is necessary is to cause the fumes of burning sulphur to come into contact -with water. The easiest way for persons using steam-power to make this acid is to draw the fumes of burning sulphur from the furnace by a common gas pump and force them through a pipe reaching to the bottom of a barrel filled with water. The bubbles of gas escaping through the lower end of the pipe will be absorbed by the water in ascending. It is best to bend the pipe so that its lower end may lie along the bottom of the barrel. The open end should be closed, and the part lying on the bottom should be pierced with small holes so as to make a large number of small bubbles, instead of a few large ones, the gas being absorbed in this manner more rapidly. In this way a barrel of sulphur- ous acid may be made at a cost of from 75 cents to 80 cents. Any further information may be obtained on this subject by writing. Below will be found the analysis of several bundles of cane, which I received from different parts of the State. Many bundles arrived without any labels, having lost them during transportation. Such samples were not analyzed, as it was impossible to tell whence they had been sent. If parties who have sent cane are not represented hi the following table, it is because I have received no information in regard to the cane sent, or else the cane has been without labels, making it impossible for me to tell where it belonged.

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90 SORGHUM SUGAE INDUSTRY. It is hardly possible to draw any definite conclusions from the above analyses, as many samples were not received for several weeks after being cut. It will be seen, however, that nearly all those samples which were analyzed within but a few days after being cat contain a large proportion of cane sugar, while those which were analyzed after a longer period of time show a high content of glucose and a low proportion of cane sugar. This corroborates my statement in the first part of this report, and shows the necessity of working up the cane directly from the field in order to get the best results. It will also be seen that all the samples conspicuous for their high content of cane sugar are raised on a light soil, usually sandy loam, while those raised on heavy clay land contain large proportions of glucose. It therefore appears that in order to obtain a maximum content of. cane sugar the cane should be grown on a light soil. For making sirup alone, the cane raised on clayey land will do about as well, as the high content of glucose will not materially affect the quality of the sirup. VARIETIES OF CANE GROWN FOR .EXPERIMENTS. By Prof. W. A. HENHY. Amber cane was grown from seed obtained from Charles Eustis, Fort Atkinson, Wis., and Seth Kinney, Morristown, Minn. From Mr. Kinney were also several packages of seed of Early Amber grown under different conditions. From J. A. Hedges, Saint Louis, Mo., Kansas Orange, Hedges' Early Orange, Early Orange and Honduras. Also Early Orange from Illinois Industrial University, Champaign, 1ll., through Prof. M. A. Scoville. All these varieties and sub-varieties showed peculiarities worthy of attention, but it is useless to report from one season only. The experiments this year all centered about the question of how much sugar and sirup could be obtained from the cane, and in this Mr. Swenson's attention was so ab- sorbed that the relative merits of each of the varieties could not be investigated. A thick or thin stand of cane evidently makes a great difference in the quality of the juice, and a fair test of varieties can only be made when each has been planted in vari- ous ways as to width of rows, distance apart of hills and number of stalks in the hill. There is no doubt but that varieties vary in value, and it is important that the pecul- iarities of each be known, yet it is a more difficult task to find this out than with most farm crops. If the experiments are continued next seasan, this will be one of the prob- lems to work upon. AMOUNT OF SIRUP PRODUCED PER ACHE. As might be expected, the reports show a wide variation in the amount of sirup which is obtained from an acre of ground. Not only does the difference follow from variations in quantity and quality of cane produced, but also from varying densities to which the irirup is reduced. Some manufacturers make a much thicker sirup than others. The reported yields, therefore, show only in an imperfect way what can be obtained; still they are of value, I think, to those looking up the subject. S. Hanson, of Whitewater, one of the oldest and most experienced growers in the State, reports 18 gallons from 10 rods of ground and 200 gallons per acre from larger pieces. Joseph H. Osborn, Oshkosh, reports the highest yield, 226 gallons, with an average of 150. N. D. Comstock, Arcadia, Trempealeau County, estimates the average at 125 gallons. Maxon and Almony, Milton Junction, Rock County, estimate the average at 150 gal- lons. J. H. Rhodes, Sextonville, Richland County, raised on 1 acre 170 gallons. O. S. Powell, of River Falls, Pierce County, estimates the average crop at 100 gallons. H. T. Webster, Keene, Portage County, obtained 40 gallons from 28 rods of ground. J. D. Sherwood, Dartford, Green Lake County, reports one third of an acre yielding 12,588 pounds of stalks, from which 79.14 gallons of sirup were made. A. J. Decker, Fond du Lac, considers 125 gallons the average. Mr. S. Nason, of Nasonville, Wood County, where cane was grown this season for the first time, reports 800 gallons from 4 acres. Evan Erickson, Stevenstown, La Crosse County, obtained 1,050 gallons from 5 acres. The average yield of sirup on good ground in a favorable season may be set down at about 160 gallons. With such culture as is usually given to it the yield will be about 100. It may be set down as a fact that wherever it has been planted in the State it has succeeded, no matter how poor the soil was. It promises to be one of the very best crops for our sandy lands, for though the yield per acre will not be large, the sirup will be of fine quality. Land on the experimental farm which produced 50 bushels of corn per acre this year gave 200 gallons of thick sirup.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 1)1 TONS OF CANE PRODUCED PER ACRE. This season several of the large manufacturers have purchased cane by the ton, the price paid usually being $2.50 per ton for stripped and topped cane delivered at the mill. This makes it important to ascertain the number of tons produced per acre. I take the following yields from the same source as before: N. D. Comstock, Arcadia, Trempealeau County, grew fifteen tons, yield 171 gallons, •on one acre. George Grant, Janesville, reports one instance of 11 tons, grown on an acre, produc- ing 14 gallons of sirup per ton, each gallon weighing 111 pounds. A. C. Kent, Janes- ville, puts the average product for the year at 10 tons per acre. The average may be safely stated at from 10 to 12 tons per acre, according to the soil and season, I think. Should the industry grow in importance, purchasing cane by weight from the grower will become a very common practice, and if we may judge from the difficulties arising between beet growers and sugar manufacturers in France, it is easy to see that no small amount of trouble will occur with us. To purchase cane simply by weight, without regard to its character, will be alike ruinous to manufacturer and grower. In some way the quality of the juice must be considered. For sirup making, a densimeter, as the Baum6 scale, will do fairly well in helping determine the true value of cane. In the standard ton of cane the stalks should be straight, with leaves and top removed, all small canes and suckers being left out. The juice should have a certain density, as shown by the Baum<j scale. The price for such cane could be agreed upon by growers and manufacturers before planting time. At the same time the price of cane which falls below this standard or rises above it can also be arranged. Those who are contemplating this business on a large scale cannot turn their attention to this part of the industry any too soon, for our farmers are too independent of any one crop to attempt raising Amber cane for sirup boilers who are so careless that they will not pay for what they get according to its true value. Great care must be exercised to make the business a profitable one for careful growers. By purchasing according to a standard, the grower who plants upon sandy land, for instance, and produces a very high grade cane, may find the small number of tons from an acre returning a good profit, while a stated price per ton, without regard to quality, would drive him from the busi- ness. It may be interesting to note in this connection that in France the price is $4 for a ton (2,200 pounds) of*beets, the juice of which has a density of 5.5° (1.055) and that for variation above or below this standard special contracts are usually made, though in general where the system, has baen adopted 88 cents is added to this price for each addi- tional degree above the standard, and subtracted for each degree below. CANE SEED FOE FEED. For several reasons the value of cane seed for feed has received litkle attention. Ita importance has not yet impressed itself upon cane growers. As will be seen from Mr. Swensm's report, from one-fifth of an acre of ground, 6} bushels of seed, weighing 53 pounds per bushel, were obtained, or at the rate of 32 bushels per acre. The average yield of oats in the vicinity of Madison this season was about 35 bushels. J. M. Edwards, Oak Hill, Jefferson County, reports 230 bushels of seed, weighing 58 pounds per bushel, from 9 acres. I do not think the feeding value of this seed can fall below that of oats, and possibly it is nearly equal to corn. Experiments will be tried upon the farm this winter to learn its value by practical tests. There is no difficulty in saving the seed, as the heads can lie upon the ground a long time unless there is an excessive amount of rain. The heads can be drawn and spread on the barn floor, or, what would be better, arranged on racks in a shed like broom corn. Some bind the heads in bundles and stand them on end in the field like bundles of wheat, to dry. According to one test the weight of the green leaves as stripped from the cane is nearly one-fourth as much as the weight of the stripped cane. From this I estimate that an acre producing, for instance, 12 tons of stripped cane will yield 3 tons of green leaves, which will afford soma where between half a ton and a ton of dried leaves per acre. All who have fed these dried leave? speak of them as equal to hay in value; they are not difficult to dry or care for, but owing to the season of the year and the great press of work at that tim? they are apt to be neglected." The unusual rainy fall mide it im- passible to save the leaves from our cane for experimental feeding, as had been intended.

92 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. THE LESSONS OF THE SEASON. As a summary of the reports sent in by 180 manufacturers, I would state that the season, upon the whole, cannot be called a favorable one. Probably owing to the intense cold that came on in November, 1880, the vitality of cane seed was so injured that when plan ted last spring it failed in many instances to grow. This cut down the acreage very considerably in many localities. The fall frosts were long delayed, and in this regard the season was peculiarly favorable. The almost daily rains during the whole fall made stripping very disagreeable and the roads almost impassable, so that the cane could not be drawn far, and much of it spoiled in the fields. Again heavy autumn winds laid the cane flat and tangled it, making the expense of stripping arid cutting fully double what it should have been. Mr. Swenson's analyses show that the cane sugar is mostly changed to glucose when the cane is blown down, though the loss is not so manifest when sirup alone is made. Had sugar been the object with our manufacturers this season it would have been a very unfavorable one. This year has seen the introduction of steam into quite a number of factories, by which means sirup can be made much cheaper than by direct heat. With such facilities defe- cation is easily practiced, and sirup of superior quality made. I consider the success attained by these steam boiliag works as the most marked event of the season. Previous to this year no one had but a few hundred dollars invested in the business. There seemed to be no chance for capital to take hold of it as long as direct heat was used, but with the introduction of steam apparatus capital can be invested with profit to the owner and advancement to the business. With so many large manufacturers in the field Amber sirup must go into the market in considerable quantities, and this, with the high quality of the goods, will soon command public attention. It is the introduction of these large factories that we must expect and encourage, if this is to become one of the great industries of the State. One of the plainest lessons of the season is the importance of growing cane close to where it is worked up. A wagon load of the stripped stalks at the crusher is not worth over $5. It at once becomes evident that such weighty material cannot be drawn long distances with any profit, and that the sirup works must be located near the fields where the cane is grown. Cane to be profitable should not be grown over two miles from the works, unless the roads are excellent, when possibly three may be set as the limit. Those who are locating mills should aim to settle at points where the cane fields dan be about them on all sides. Fuel need not be considered, for the bagasse is sufficient when properly managed to supply all the heat needed. The transportation of the sirup requires that the works be near a railroad station. Another fact of the utmost importance has been made plain this season, that is, defecation of the juice by some method is essential. The prejudice against the sirup be- cause of its acid or '' sorghum taste'' keeps the market price down below what it should be, and then buyers will only take it at a low price or not at all. If they must pay sirup prices, they prefer New Orleans. Even the sirup shipped is not sold to the consumer direct, but is first mixed with glu- cose to remove the strong taste, or rather to favor the glucose. The only way to overcome this prejudice is to make a sirup with the sorghum taste left out. The experiments on the farm and by others show this to be possible, and that the methods are, upon the whole, very simple. I am aware that quite a prejudice exists among boilers against any clarification of the juice. Some even argue that people refuse to purchase Amber cane sirup, not because of its sorghum taste, but because it is a home product. They forget that maple sirup, a home product, brings three times the price 01 the New Orleans. Our boilers here exerted every effort toward making alight, colored sirup, and because lime darkens it they are afraid to use lime. If every boiler would use lime cautiously next season, letting color be considered after flavor, there would be more real advance- ment in the industry than ten years of present methods of attempted improvement will bring. At present less than 10 per cent. of the boilers use lime or practice defeca- tion of any kind. CAN THE FARMER MAKE HIS OWN SUGAR? This is a question naturally asked by many who have not studied the problem to any extent. Most certainly not, if profit is to be considered. A farmer might have a mill and make his own patent process flour, but it would not pay him. His business is rather to grow the wheat, while skilled men attend to the milling. While first class Amber sirup can be made by proper means with a small investment

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 93 and a fair amount of skill, sugar making must be left to skilled men under the direction of a chemist or expert. Such experts must be trained to work with northern cane, and not brought from southern localities where the conditions are very different. Such per- sons though experts at home would only be students, for a time at least, at the north. In order to manufacture sugar there must be qnite a large investment of capital in machinery; to manage this there must be skilled men, and over all must be a man who by chemical tests reads the varying conditions of the juice as it runs from the crusher from day to day, and whose work is law with all other employes. Until there are such experts capital should be most cautious. Fine sugar works with costly machinery will not alone bring sugar, as the many past failures show. It would be far better for all concerned to wait ten years before another step is taken in this promising industry than to have it blighted in the start by failures. With capital carefully invested in proper machinery, the works located in the midst of cane fields, and run by good workmen a"nd a skilled chemist, there is no doubt but money can be made as rapidly as in any manu- facturing business. When success comes, the farmer will sell his cane at the sugar works as he does his wheat at the mill, but he will not be a sugar boiler and farmer combined. EXPERIMENT WITH FERTILIZERS. In order to ascertain the value of fertilizers in the production of sirup, an experiment was planned a year ago, in which the co-operation of our Wisconsin farmers was solicited. Over forty farmers agreed to carry out a simple experiment as I directed. The following are the directions which were sent to each in April Jast: DIRECTIONS FOR THE EXPERIMENT. Select in the field where cane is to be planted three plots of ground, each containing not less than ten square rods and lying side by side. The ground should be as uniform as possible in its composition and fertility. Do not select soil where one end of the plot is sand and the other loam or clay. No matter which it is, but have it all one character. Have the plots, if possible, long and narrow, say one rod by ten, or two by twenty, etc. The plots should lie side by side and should not be separated from one another or the rest of the field. One plot, No. 1, plow in well rotted stable manure at the rate of six- teen large loads per acre—one load for every ten rods. Plot No. 2, which is to be the middle plot, has no manure of any kind upon it. When the cane on plot No. 3 is three or four inches high apply plaster to the hills or rows to the amount of 160 pounds per acre, or 10 pounds for every ten rods. The cane is to be plante,d and cultivated in the same manner as the rest of the field. If possible, weigh the cane of each plot separately when ready for the mill. Boil the juice to a sirup weighing 11J pounds per gallon, and determine accurately the yield of each plot. Save a sample of simp from each plot for comparison. Eeport to the department upon the following points: 1. Amount of ground in each plot. 2. Character of soil—clay, loam, sand, etc. 3. Is soil naturally rich or poor ? 4. Number of years the field has been in cultivation. 5. Crops grown on field previous year. 6. Whether or not the field was manured the previous year. 7. Method of planting cane—in drills or hills. 8. Time of planting. 9. Time of ripening. 10. When manufactured. 11. Yield of sirup from each plot. 12. Character of sirup from each plot as to color, clearness, and flavor. But one of all who agreed to undertake the experiment carried it through successfully. Mr. S. B. Chatfield, of Adams, Walworth County, makes the following report: ADAMS, Jamuiry 2, 1882. DEAR SIR: I have been so very busy that I have neglected to send samples until to- day. I express them as you requested. I will answer those questions to the best of my ability: , No. 1. One rod wide, 10 rods long. No. 2. Black sandy loam. No. 3. Naturally rich. No. 4. Under cultivation 33 years. No. 5. Sugar-cane.

94 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. No. 6. Not manured the previous year. No. 7. In drills. No. 8. Planted 19th of May. No. 9. Ripe from 12th to 15th of September. No. 10. Manufactured September 28. No. 11. No. 1, 17 gallons; No. 2, 10 gallons; No. 3, 14 gallons. No. 12. The three samples must speak for themselves. Mr. W. A. HENRY. The samples were indeed interesting. That from unmanured soil was light-colored, and sugar crystals in considerable numbers and of fair size formed in it. The sirup from the manured plot was the darkest. Other qualities, marked in their way, I am very sorry I cannot report on, as Mr. Chatfleld's samples were put on exhibition at the State cane-growers' convention, and two of the bottles were carried off by some visitor. It is unfortunate that more had not been as persistent as Mr. Chatfield, for untold good would flow from united work in this way. If there are any of our farmers who are willing to try such an experiment again, I shall be pleased to have their names and will forward directions in due time. The importance of united work will appear plain to all who have grown cane to any extent. LIST OF SIRUP MANUFACTURERS IN WISCONSIN. The following is a list of all manufacturers whose names I have been able to obtain, together with address and amount of sirup made by each during the fall of 1881. For convenience of reference, they are arranged alphabetically by counties: Name. George Cocbran Edwin Blood John B. Sweet C. C. Carr L. K. Goodall Charles W. Peters Cvrus Root L" S. Wright I. B. Hayden.. Samuel A. Clark W. J. Lankford C. E. Rounds A. H. Anderson J. H. Greening.. Henry Linley.. W. M. Sprague B. F. Williamson E. L. Clason C. J. Davis Charles Link Joseph Philips W. H. Clyde W. H. Doane H. J. Myers F. M. Steves W. W. Waterbury George W. Jones J. W. Bailey Post-office. County. Gilimmton P.uflalo . Stoekbridge Calumet Chilton Calumet Poynette Columbia Lodi Columbia Columbus Columbia Otsego Cahirnbii Fall Kivcr Columbia. Freeman Crawford . Ferryville Crawford Eau Claire.. Prairie du Chien Crawford Mount Sterling Crawford I Black Earth ' Dane j Mazomanie Dane.. Mtizomunie Dune.. Lake View . Dane ! Madison Dane Benver Dam Dodge Beaver Dam Dodge Danville Dodge Bandolf Dodge Bock Falls Dunn Fall City Dunn Elk Mound Dunn Louisville Dunn Augusta Eau Claire Fairchild Bipon Fonddu Lac i Fond du Lac Fond du Lac.. Oakfielil Fond du Lac ... Brandon ' Fond du Lac ... Montfort I Grant Brodtville ! Grant A. J. Decker C. J. Gordon George Jenkinson M. M. Alexander.. C. D. Barnes Francis A. Markert : Lancaster ' Gran Lewis Glass : Wyalusing Gran C. S. Euddock. i Berlin Gree G. W. Sheldon Markesan ..., Wree J. D. Sherwood Dartford Gree Aug. Zienier Berlin . Gree Peter Crook ' Dodgeville ! Iowa ... J. P. Beard I Elroy ! Juneau Lake.. Lake- Lake.. Lake.. l,35tt 7,700 90O 1,700 32O 863 1,000 2,000 1,OOO 1,000 800 1,000 1,200 2,002: 1,200 30O 1.35O 2,200 853 1,800 1,400 2,000 800 1,87» 4,100 2,600 80O 3,000 10,OOO 5,800 2,50O 550 1,53» 125 105 1,50O 8,700 4,877 1,830 90O 650 F. W. Board I Elroy j Juneau E. G. Dodge Mauston ! Juneau Riley Moulton New.Ljebon i Juneau 80O 2,400 I, SIM

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 95 »' . 2s is Name. Post-office. County. »-S D. Travis H A L White . . Milford Jefferson 900 P W & C. S. Cartwright F. E. Chartier Jefferson . 5 000 E Colwell J. M. Edwards Oak Hill Jefferson . 4 200 John Moore Rome Jefferson 4,200 R. S. Pearsall L B. Green Waterloo Jefferson 2,000 Jefferson 1 600 Frank C. Lehman ................ Williams <fc Colwell Watertown Jefferson 2,800 Jefferson 8 000 Williams & Dow W. H. Peardon Jefferson 2 000 William Jaudre : Smith Hoyt Palmvra . Milford Jefferson 1,000 Jefferson 2 300 Geo B Allen Milford Jefferson 100 H. C. Davis B C. Henry Pine Hill L. W. Thaver Kenosha ' 400 James F. Pttrie Kvftn Erickson La Crosse. ... j 1 800 La Crosse ' 600 N. D. Loomis T. O Masher West Salem La Crosse 3,500 Hollister Phillips Barre Mills . H H SI ye La Crosse l'l65 Frank Pfaff Burr Oak. Riley T. Scott Yellowstone La Fayette 1 465 La Favette . . 550 G.A.Scott Westfield Marquette 1 876 T Wells Oil City Casper Eberdt Tomah Monroe 1 800 W.G. West Sparta M Shidle Osceola Mills Polk 3 209 W H Tilton Osceola Mills Polk 1 084 J. McLean L.E.Buck Saint Croix Falls Polk '919 Portage 1 000 W. M. Burroughs Portage 2 500 Silas D.Clark Portage ... ... 2 130 Nicholas Piper Almond Portage 2 576 Albert Tavlor Portage 2 630 Reuben Thompson H.T.Webster Amherst Portage 2,353 Portage .. 1 500 Alex G Coffin Pepin 1 969 A.H.Cott Pepin j 1*700 D W. Phelps Pepin • 900 S.L.Plummer Hiram B. Stone Arkansaw Duraud, Pepin 3.400 Pepin 1 950 T. J.Atwater Pierce 2 000 O S.Powell River Falls Pierce 10 500 L.L.Richardson CliftonMills Ellsworth Pierce 2,000 Pierce 2 100 Charles N. Soule Racine 400 Thos. McFarland Waterford . Racine 1 200 .Nims & Voorhees Burlington Racine 1,600 Rich land 1 600 John J.Dillon R.W.Peters Basswood Richland 1,000 Richland 1 942 J H Rhodes Richland . 260 N.G.Sorram Thos S Palmer Basswood Richland 500 Richland 400 Rock 2 390 Conrad & Dibble Rock . 2 000 Rock 2' 100 A C Kent . Rock 9*000 M M Tu liar W J Mclntyre Rock . .. 2 500 Sauk 1*500 L.T Allbe Sauk . , 1 550 White Mound Bank 1 000 C. H. Dome Sauk l'l40 G.F.Faller. Baraboo Sauk 1,100-

96 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Name. Post-office. County. Gallons sirup made in 1881. T.n Vflllft Sauk 2,300 3,200 7OO 1,556 1,100 1,410 1,460 3.000 3,500 1,400 5,000 3,200 2,OOO 2,050 450 i,765 2,800 3,600 1,200 2.300 900 225 1,780 600 1,500 1,743 800. 2,000 3,500 1,15O 1,000 516 1,600 1,000 777 500 800 1,000 75O 1,606 1,150 2,000 100 1,100 250 400 2.300 550 2,000 900 2,300 2,000 1,800 1,000 3,000 400 1,500 J T Huntingdon i TV.lton . Sauk W.Jefry W H Koukel Baraboo Sauk Sauk . .. . J W Shourds Sauk C R. Thayer Sauk R F Cole Sauk J. B Filbian Saint Croix Foster & Nye F. W Hitchings New Richmond Saint Croix J M Nash Saint Croix E. G. Partridge Saint Croix N D Com stock Whitehall A F Heusel A. H Rogers D S Watson Whitehall ' Trempealeau H H Morgan L F Day Retreat W Frazier E B Hyde Retreat . Vernon M. K. Jefferies Red Mound Hartford Vernon Washington S H Helmer S S Nason Wood Henry Hull i Smifcm A G Lull Oshkosh Whitemarsh & Edwards Oshkosh Oshkosh Wild Rose Oasis Winnebago .-. Wiuishara W M Davies Charles O Dill D. A. O. McGowan Wm. Scobie H. C. Van Airsdale Hamilton's Mills Spring Lake Saxville W M Ware Wilfred Lane Wild Rose M D Morrison Eagle Waukesha Waukesha Edward P Hinkley Waukesha . .. S B Chat fie 1 d T M Cook Little Prairie Wai worth Walworth J Patchin Whitewater Walworth Pliny Potter Little Prairie Walworth. T M Shoudy Walworth Ambrose Warner , Whitewater Walworth Richard Chambers Weyauwega Waupaca W. E. Clark R. J.Folks Bear Creek E G Furlong Rural T. S. Neyward Sumner Packard Crystal Lake Lind Waupaca J. Rode Ogdensburg Waupaca Total 340,610

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 97 The following names have heen received since tabulating the above: Names. Post-office. County. Gallons sirup made in 1881. 330 900 D. ,McDonald 800 Cy TUB G Patton. 1 300 Gustav Ylss Otto Creek 1 400 John R Roth Platteville 1 000 Grant. . .. 718 1 1OO J.K.Arnold 800 R. Grant L P. Crandall Necedah Juneau 618} 3 470 2 700 1 000 James Sykes John C. O'Blenesfl Steveustown La Crosae 1,100 1 100 Richland 900 1,500 Richland Center. Richland 800 Ole O Lamb 2 300 Ettrick 2 000 R. F. Gale Keedsbnrg Sank Sauk 1,460 2 800 Jacob Mann Spring Green Saufc Smuk, 500 500 William Stevenson DeSoto 2 939 George C Clark 1 400 W W Minor Retreat 2 100 Retreat 1 80O S M Monaker Liberty Pole 2 000 Warren C. Bates Retreat 750 A H Bates Retreat 1 400 Lester N. Porter 1,572 CORRESPONDENCE. From among a large number of letters upon the subject, I select the following, which will, I am certain, be read with interest: [From A. J. Decker, Esq , Fond du Lac, Wis.] FOND DU LAC, Wis., December 17, 1881. DEAR SIR : Another season has passed, and another harvest has been gathered with its lessons of success or failure. That should teach us in future years how to attain suc- cess and avert the chances of failure. Though the past season has been the poorest in many years for growing Amber cane, and its manufacture into sirup and sugar, yet I think we have advanced very materially. The late cold, wet spring greatly retarded planting,and fully one-third of the amouut planted came up so poorly that it was plowed up and other crops planted. This. was the ease mostly with farmers who had little or no experience in raising cane, and mistook it for pigeon grass, or thought it looked too small to ever pay for the taking care of it, while farmers understanding it better cultivated it carefully and were paid with good crops. The fall has been very bad for the manufacture of sirup. The grinding season commenced about September 15, and by the 25th it commenced raining and rained al- most every day for six weeks, until the country was flooded and roads impassable, some farmers feeding their cane to their cattle, a few of them storing it in their barns, hoping for better weather to haul it to the mill; and after I had finished the cane at the mill and had been shut down nearly a month, I started up to accommodate those farmers and to determine the amount and quality of sirup that could be made from cane kept so long after being cut, which was seven weeks. The result was a fine, light sirup, and about three-fourths of a full crop. Out of this lot was one-half acre from which I made 95| gallons of sirup, for which the owner was offered 60 cents per gallon at the mill, which speaks well for its quality. From the unfavorable season we have learned many valuable lessons which a favora- ble season would not have shown, and solving such difficult problems is taking a firm S. Mis. 51 7

98 . SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. step in advance towards the time when this industry, with the aid of your Department, is to be an established source of business and wealth to the people of the State of Wis- consin. One great drawback has been the lack of proper knowledge in the manipulation of the juice to obtain the best results, and people starting factories have been so anxious to get such information that they have been the easy prey of traveling sharks, claiming to be experts in the business, referring to some successful factory to which their name may be attached in some capacity, claiming by their skill and superior articles to have accom- plished such results, and offering to sell a mill and outfit, for which they ask a fancy price, and will then give full instructions in their secret processes for 1 cent per gallon on each gallon of sirup made by them during the season. The work of your depart- ment will put a stop to this swindling business, and I hope the legislature will appro- priate such amounts as may be requisite to fully develop the cane resources and place Wisconsin in a position to raise her own sugar and sirup, for which she has paid over $8,000,000 per annum. My factory has an easy capacity of 400 gallons sirup in twenty- four hours. I use steam for defecating and evaporating, and the Plantation Mill made by the Madison Manufacturing Company, and no other State can furnish a better one. I would be glad to have you visit my factory in grinding season if possible. Hoping for your complete success in developing the sugar resources of Wisconsin. I am yours, truly, A. J. DECKER. Prof. W. A. HENRY, Agricultural Department, University of Wisconsin. [From J. T. Huntington, esq., Delton, Wis.] DEAR SIR : In reply to your request for something from me on the cane business, I submit the following: The last two seasons have undoubtedly been unfavorable for the best results from Amber cane—the season of 1881 particularly as to yield in this vicinity. Notwithstand- ing that the season was very wet the yield of juice was generally small, but mostly of fine quality, my experience being that the juice of this year worked satisfactorily—much easier than that of last. The sirup from my works this year was, for a custom-mill where cane of all sorts is handled, very uniform in quality and color. We have in this vicinity all kinds of soil, and so far as I am able as yet to judge the very best results are obtained from cane grown on soil somewhat sandy, and if possible I would wish it to be on a clover sod. The finest flavored sirup and quickest to granulate of any made at my place are those from cane grown on a clover sod. Growers of cane, as a general thing, I think, do not do as they should to obtain the best results. Cane is too apt to be left to be the last thing planted and cultivated, and I have often had men tell me that they had only cultivated it once, and some not at all. Such cane cannot be satisfactory. In my opinion, cane should be planted just as early as the climate will admit, cover- ing just as light as possible, and cultivating as soon as the rows can be seen; and con- tinue the cultivation until it is waist high, and then keeping the weeds out in August with a hoe. It should be cut when a majority of the seed is ripe enough to grow, and if it cannot be worked at once, should be so placed that it can have plenty of air, and be covered from the rays of the sun or storms; so placed, it will keep well for some time. I have worked so n ie that had been cut four weeks, and it was not at all soured—had, perhaps, lost a small portion of the juice. A matter of importance to manufacturers is a better market or better prices. The name generally applied is sufficient alone to make many refuse to purchase,. At a time when ordinary New Orleans molasses is worth fifty to fifty-five cents in Chicago, at wholesale, forty cents is considered sufficient to pay for " sorghum," when the fact is that the "sorghum " (when good as it ought to be) is the best goods to be had in the molasses line; and it is also a fact that large quantities of it (some not very good) are purchased in Chicago at very low prices, put into large tanks, and a little very rank New Orleans molasses added to give a New Orleans flavor, and then it is rebarreled and sold in the country as genuine New Orleans molasses. Probably those who will not buy "sorghum " direct of the maker often get it this way. There ought to be a manu- facturers' association to work in their interests. Yours truly, J. T. HUNTINGTON, Delton, Wis. Prof. W. A. HENRY.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 99 [A letter from Mr. William P. Phillips, of Lake Mills, shows that all do not look upon this question in the same light. Mr. Phillips writes as follows:] LAKE MILLS, Wis., December 12, 1881. DEAR SIR: Your circular of November 10, ultimo, relative to the Amber cane in- dustry of Wisconsin, received. I am not in any manner interested in that branch of in- dustry and know of no thrifty or practical farmer in this vicinity who is. Its produc- tion here is generally confined to a few of the smaller farms—usually those occupied by the poorer and most thriftless class of foreign-born immigrants—who are willing to use an inferior sirup of their own production, under the delusion that their time and labor in producing it is worth nothing. Only a few square rods are raised on each farm; and I apprehend if the labor in its production and manufacture was counted at its value in other established practical lines of agricultural business it would be found to cost many times the market value of much better sirup. In the present stage of development of the crystallizing process I am unable to appreciate the extraordinary efforts of the na- tional and State departments of agriculture to foster its growth, or to obtain statistics in regard to it. It occurs to me that there are several things connected with the agricult- ural interests of this country in which the national and State departments—with their aided facilities—might do great service to the country. We have established, partially developed, practical, and profitable industries that need the aid and benefit of the practical experiments of the departments and the protection of the Government. Take as an instance the leading agricultural industry of ourState—the dairy industry. Base, unwholesome, disgusting adulterations of dairy products are allowed to be manu- factured and sold; our reputation and markets lost, or at least damaged at home and abroad. Millions are thereby lost to the farmers that a few unscrupulous persons, worse than counterfeiters, may defraud consumers out of a few thousands. Yet there has been no effectual law devised or passed, no effort worthy of the name been made to prevent or check the evil. The farmers, an unorganized class, are not capable of helping them- selves. The State department of agriculture, as the only organized representative and guardian of the agricultural interests of the State, should repeatedly urge and secure the legislation required in this matter. The law on this subject passed last winter (chapter 40) accomplished nothing, as it was evidently intended it should accomplish nothing. Again, the science of agriculture is yet comparatively undeveloped. True, it has made great advances in this country during the last half century, mainly by the knowledge gained by the experiments of private individuals. Like all sciences, money generally precedes experimental demonstration. To the private citizen experimental demonstra- tion is often expensive or impracticable for the lack of facilities. The State department of agriculture should have some system of direct communication with the practical agri- culturists of the State, by which inquiries might be solicited and answered, and the necessary experiments made at the expense of the State. An agricultural newspaper connected with the department might answer the purpose and be at least partially self- sustaining. For instance, at the present time our stock and dairy interests require an immediate answer to the question of the economy and practicability of the preservation and use of ensilage as food for stock. We want no floating rumors picked here and there, but an authoritative answer based on the demonstration of reliable experiment. Thus indefinitely questions daily present themselves to the practical farmer, and if you will inaugurate a system by which they may be satisfactorily answered by the de- partment of agriculture you will greatly benefit the agricultural industries of the State. I am, very respectfully, WM. P. PHILLIPS. rof. W. A. HENEY, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. [From A. J. Russell, President Wisconsin State Cane Growers' Association.] JANESVILLE, Wis., December 19, 1881. DEAR SIR: In reply to your favor of the 8th, I would say that we have not purchased cane by the ton heretofore, as there was no reliable data to enable the manufacturer to determine the value of the different qualities of cane that was produced on different soils, .and delivered at the mill in various conditions. An imperfect knowledge and no well-developed system of determining the true value of the canes as delivered promiscuously from a large variety of soils has resulted in very serious losses to several large establishments who had adopted the method of purchasing cane delivered at the mill at a stipulated, and generally a uniform price per ton, or by the acre, irrespective of the purity of the juice contained in such canes. There seems to be but one practical business method for a manufacturer to adopt for liis own protection, and a greater satisfaction to the growers, and that is to purchase the

100 SOKGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. cane by the ton. The manufacturer then has control of all the sirup and sugar, and is no,t brought into competition in the local or general market with his own patrons who grow the cane, many of whom have more than sufficient to supply their own and neigh- bors' wants, and desire to dispose of the balance they have on hand as soon as possible; and not being (as a general rule) familiar with the ruling prices of same class of goods in the wholesale and retail market, are imposed upon by dealers who are perfectly aware of the fact that the grower has not a sufficient amount to ship to jobbing points, and rather than hold it will sell it at a price to the local dealer generally below the actual market value, and that makes the price for manufacturers to the local trade as long as the grower's sirup holds out. We have determined in the future to purchase our cane by the ton, delivered at the mill, and when so delivered will test the juice in the presence of the grower, and pur- chase it from him, same as grain and other farm products are purchased, according to quality. The actual value of the cane will be determined by the quality of the juice, and will be worth to the manufacturer from $1.50 to $4.50 per ton, and even $5 per ton for extra cane, and according to the state of the sirup and sugar market and the differ- ent degrees of purity of the juice, and the amount of sucrose contained in the raw juice at the time of delivery of the cane at the mill. Our custom has been to charge the growers 25 cents per gallon, or one-half of the sirup. Our works consist of a storage-room 20 by 40 feet, one story, shingle roof building, attached to our defecating, evaporating, and finishing building, which is 20 by 20, two stories high, and a shed attached for cane-mill, boiler, and engine. Our machinery consists of boiler, engine, mill, juice-tank, juice-pump, defecators, evaporators, finishing-pan, cooler, and storage tanks. The juice runs directly from the mill to the juice-tank, and is pumped up to the top floor into the defecator, and after the defecation is made it is discharged directly into the evaporator and rapidly reduced to a thin semi-sirup, and is then discharged into the finishing-pan and concentrated rapidly, if for sirup, to a commercial density and drawn off into the cooler, and almost immediately discharged into storage tanks sufficiently large to hold, each one of them, a little over a car-load. When enough has been made for a car-load the barrels, three of them at a time, are rolled under faucets and filled. In that way it does not take us long to fill enough barrels for a car-load. We then ship generally to a wholesale market. Thus we have a continuous fall from the defecator to the barrels, without any rehandling of the sirups; • and by cooling the sirup at once, after discharging into the cooler, it prevents the sirup from darkening by being sirup-scorched in running a succession of batches of hot sirup into a tank at a high temperature of heat so long that it darkens the sirup and lessens its value as a commercial article. Our machinery is constructed and arranged to save labor and more perfectly clarify the juice and hasten the evaporation in the most rapid manner. Our defecators are so arranged and constructed that we do not have to skim the juice in them, and a simple attachment we have permits drawing the juice into the evaporator as clear as water. The knowledge of the fact gained by our own practical experience that the success of making a bright, glossy sugar and a light-colored, clear, transparent sirup, "without" the use of the expensive '' char-filters,'' depended upon a perfect defecation, and a rapid concentra- tion of the j uice to the required density enabled us to build a sty le of evaporator that has produced the desired result, by enabling us to concentrate the juice rapidly, and at the same time liberate certain impurities that can be eliminated in no other manner known to us but by the application of heat; andwhen those impurities are separated and thrown to the surface they flow rapidly to the automatic skimmer and filter, where they are re- tained and forced over into the scum-trough in a comparatively dry condition, and the strained and filtered juice passing through the filter rapidly is returned immediately to the evaporator, again clear and transparent. In this manner we keep up a constant cur- rent, flowing on top to the automatic skimmer and filter, and another reverse current of the filtered juice returning by way of the bottom of the pan, to again come in contact with the heat and thrown to the top, separating the remaining impurities and keeping up a constant circulation of the juice and producing the most rapid evaporation that can be made, and the strainer and filter catching and retaining all the impurities of the mi- nutest character that have been separated from the juice, and preventing them from again mingling with the boiling juice and giving it a bad flavor and darker and cloudy appear- ance. All experts in the use of steam concede that in order to produce the most rapid evaporation there must be a constant circulation, and we are very much gratified with the manner in which our pans have operated, as they have enabled us to produce an article of sirup that has sold in the wholesale markets in competition with the best products of the country, made by either the open pan train or vacuum-pan and char-filters combined. It saves labor, and above all things we prize it on account of its perfect work skimming

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 10l the juice, and not endangering a depreciation in the value of the sirup by being imper- fectly skimmed by tired and careless help; for without perfect skimming off of the im- purities after they have once been separated, to keep them from being rebolled into the sirup again, there is danger that more or less of the batches or strikes will be run into the storage tank in a cloudy condition, and consequently of bad flavor, and help to de- stroy or depreciate what good sirup there is in the tank; and if it is intended for sugar it will be what is called a gray sugar, having a dull, dirty appearance. It was a case of this kind that occurred to us when we first commenced that suggested this plan of evap- oration to me for our own safety. and protection. Our finishing pan is similar to our evaporator, but smaller in dimensions. Our cooler works admirably, and is actually necessary in large works to cool the sirup immediately after finishing for commercial use or for sugar-making. Our whole outfit, including land, buildings, and machinery, cost about $6,000, and has a capacity of making from eight to twelve hundred gallons of sirup per day. The amount of sirup made per day depends mostly upon the strength of the juice we are making. In regard to my ideas of the future of this industry, I would say I have had no occa- sion to change my opinion expressed three years ago. I then made up my mind that if the industry was conducted on strictly business principles there was money in it for the fanner and the manufacturer of sirup alone, even if they should fail to produce sugar; and my past experience has confirmed that belief. And your own valuable experiments made at the university farm this past season, with the able assistance of the department chemist, Mr. Swenson, will dispel the doubts that existed in the minds of many, who could not possibly be persuaded to believe that sugar could be produced here at home, grown on our own farms. The many central works and refineries devoted exclusively to the sorgo industry, that have been put in operation in many of the States, at a cost of from $5,000 to $60,000 each, is evidence of the fact that the most timid and skeptical factor in the development of this new industry—capital—has become convinced that it is a safe investment; after the most careful and searching scrutiny have united with science and skill and are partly carrying out the idea of central works, that I have been laboring to establish in this State, and the fine results you have obtained in your experiments will hasten the time .of its realization. 'j here seems to me to be no other practical way of meeting the requirements of this rapidly growing business than by establishing central works—a central works located at some point accessible by rail from several directions, to facilitate receiving raw sirups from a large amount of territory, and full}' equipped with all the latest improved me- chanical appliances that have been tested and proven to be well adapted to the manipu- lation of the sorgo juice, to manufacture a first-class commercial sirup, and a soft white and yellow sugar. The central works should have a capacity of grinding from three hun- dred -to five hundred acres of cane annually, to insure having a sufficient amount ot business early in the season, so as to keep the works in operation as much as possible during the year. The central works could have nearly or quite all of their crop worked up before they would be able to obtain semi-sirup from the auxiliary works, for making sugar and refined sirups from. The central works should be under the management of some one who has a practical knowledge, and is qualified to instruct operators of the auxiliary works how to make the semi-sirup and leave it in proper condition for the cen- tral works. Suitable buildings and machinery to work up 500 acres of cune, and rewoik the Eemi- syrap made by the auxiliary works, from 3,500 acres, into sugars and sirnp., taking eight months in the year, would cost $25,000, all fitted up ready for business. It is not practicable to haul the cane more than three miles to mill, and to obtain a sufficient amount of raw sirups for a central works of such a character requires many auxiliary works, large and small, operated by steam or optn fire train (ste^m being the cheapest and best, and destroys less sucrose, is preferable) to make the semi-sirup, which an intelligent and careful operator can do successfully by working under instructions from a competent manager of a central works. To fit up a steam train so all the machinery will be properly proportioned, to insure the least expense in manufacturing, and produce an acceptable article requires the aid of some one who has sufficient practical knowledge to determine, when informed of the number of acres designed to be worked, the size of mill required, the amount of steam- generating power required, beyond the motive power, to evaporate the amount of juice expressed by the mill in less than an hour, and the number of square feet of heating sur- face it takes, with a given quantity of steam under a certain pressure, to evaporate the juice of a minimum strength down to semi-sirup, in the required time to produce the best results. The lack of knowledge on these very essential points has baen the means of causing

102 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. some losses and discouragements to the owners of the works, and the growers of the cane also. In conclusion, I beg leave to say in behalf of many farmers who have raised the cane, and many more who desire to do so, that I have conversed with on this subject in many different parts of our State, that they hope our representatives at Madison will realize what great interest it will be to the farmers and to the wealth of the State for them to make a special appropriation sufficient to enable you and your very able assistant, Mr. Swenson, the department chemist, to continue the valuable experiments you have com- menced and that have produced such splendid results as to justify the belief that this new and valuable crop will be extensively raised by the farmers of this State in the near future. They feel they have a right to ask for an appropriation for their agricultural depart- ment to make intelligent and systematic experiments (which the farmers are unable to do) to determine for them the best soils, fertilizers, &c., to use in developing for them a crop that gives such good promise of being of so great a value to them and the whole State. They also fee1 that they are behind the times in this matter, as other States have realized the importance of this crop to such an extent that they not only pay a premium on every pound of sugar that is made from the native cane raised in the State, and ex- empt from taxation for five years all the machinery employed in sugar making, but to encourage the farmers in growing cane they pay them a premium for every ton of cane they produce. Hoping that you may be permitted to continue your experiments in this sugar ndnstry with a sufficient amount of money at your disposal to enable you to extend your field of usefulness in this and any other direction that will be of benefit to our farming com- munity, I remain, Respectfully, yours, A. J. RUSSELL. Prof. "W. A. HENRY. [From J. D. Sherwood, Green Lake County.] DARTFORD. GREEN LAKK COUNTY, Wis., December 18, 1881. DEAR SIR: In reply to your favor of 8th ultimo, would say that I rolled 347J tons, averaging 7° B., allowing on the basis of 50 per pent. of juice expressed 10} gallons to the ton, which basis has given about 100 gallons to the acre on clay and sandy loam soil. The highest yield was Sfffa tons, testing 8° B., from one-third of an acre, raised by William McConnell, of this town, being at the rate of 238 gallons per acre, and the low- est yield nigh about 30 gallons to the acre, juice 3° B. Commenced September 9 on the above yield, the seed of which was ripe, but most of the after-working was dough to ripe. Most of the cane was planted after other work, and then it has paid better than anything else; but not as well as last year, owing to the peculiar season. The cost of working our crop of eight acres was ten days' work fitting ground; eight days' work planting and cultivating; five days' work thinning out; forty-five days' work stripping and cutting, and then only one-half of it stripped, as it was badly lodged; twenty-four days' work and team drawing one and a half miles; making ninety-two days' work tor 70f tons, testing 7° B., which was worked at 20 cents per gallon, and also at the halves costing to manufacturers, including the 20 per cent. wear on outfit costing about $4,000, 14 cents per gallon, which is more than it will next, owing to being inexperi- enced in everything. But still the consumers are well pleased, saying that they cannot replace it from the grocery. Families are using live gallons where they only used one before, with a very great difference in their sugar bill to their credit; and why not? It is cane sugar instead of the insipid glucose backed with a little sorghum that is dealt out by most of the stores as "sugar-house." There is no doubt at all in the fact that very soon we shall manufacture most of sugar and sirup and my very greatest fear is that it will be overdone, as those who raise it increase their acreage. I find that the best sales are made where it is known. It brings from 45 to 60 cents per gallon. My outfit is a 3J Niles and complete steam train, with 12 horse-power engine and 45 horse-power boiler, from Blymer & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Burn bagasse and coal, which makes the costs about 5 cents per gallon. Trusting that the above hastily condensed items are encouraging to you in your prac- tical endeavors to place on a good foundation one of the best industries of the Northwest, and hoping that success will continue to crown your labors, I remain, Very truly, yours, J. D. SHERWOOD. Professor HENRY, Madison, Wis. [The following extract from a letter from Joseph H. Osborn, esq., Oshkosh, Wis., contains some valuable suggestions:] I am satisfied that the sooner cane is worked up after it is cut, the better will be the

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 103 character of the sirup made from it. I have no faith in the curing process which has been recommended frequently. Again, the cane should be kept clean. Carelessuess in this respect cannot be remedied in small works like mine. The dirt will be carried through into the sirup and is very damaging in its effect. Large establishments might provide for taking it out, but in this case prevention is better than cure. I am very glad that the farmer and rural manufacturer is likely to have the aid of scientific gentlemen in developing this '' new industry.'' There are a great many things in connection with the manufacture of sirup the proper knowledge of which must come from a scientific source. Among these is the correct method of using the saccharometer. Scarcely a writer in the Rural World, upon the subject of Amber cane culture and manufacture, but refers to the test of the juice by the 'saccharometer. He may tell how he planted the seed and when; how he cared for the crop, and Juno he harvested it; but when he says the juice tested 7° B. or 12° B., he does not state what were the conditions of the test. Did he test the j nice as it ran from the . machine? If so, did he also test it by the thermometer1! If it was not 60° by the ther- mometer, did he take means to make it so ? If yea, how did he proceed ? Again, if he tested the juice by the saccbarometer as it came directly from the mill, and also by the thermometer, even il the latter indicated 60°, did he allow the juice to stand an hour and test it again; and, if so, was the result the same ? I think not; my ex- perience is that there will be several degrees difference. If Professor Collier stated that juice tested a certain degree, I should of course know that the conditions of test were cor- rect; but from my own experience I doubt very much if all the writers for the Rural World, who state results by the saccharometer, can be relied upon as having secured the correct conditions necessary for the test. It seems to me that correct information upon the correct use of the saccharometer should be given in a popular way for the benefit of those engaged in this Amber cane business. Again, in regard to the use of lime. Are we to accept it for a settled fact that if the eold juice is tested with lime that it can be allowed to stand without injury for a length of time. (If so, how long ?) If I remember correctly, this statement was made by Professor [?], of Illinois, through the Rural World. Again, granted that lime is used with the cold juice, and heat subsequently applied to aid defecation, should the evaporation be proceeded with at once, or could the warm jniee be allowed to stand any length of time; and if so, would it aid the clarification, or should or could some additional method of clarification be used before commencing the evaporation? Again, in years gone by, when the making of sugar from corn-stalks was talked about, the removal of the young ears of corn was said to be essential to develop the greatest amount of sugar in the stalk. Question: Would science consider that the removal of the young seed tuft from the cane would add to the strength of the cane juice? Your circular called for facts. I have given mostly suggestions, or at at least I hope you will consider and treat them as such. Truly yours, JOSEPH H. ORTON. [To those in doubt as to whether it pays to grow cane, I would refer the following let- ter sent me by one of our careful fanners. It is the most complete statement I have yet seen, and deserves careful attention:] KENOSHA, Wis., February 26, 1881. DEAE SIR: I herewith give you the result of growing one acre of amber sugar-cane in 1880. The plot of ground is composed of black muck, verging into a sand loam, two- thirds of the plot being the former and one-third the latter. There were about four rods of very low ground on which the cane grew very rank and lodged. There was no waste ground. In 1879 it was heavily manured and a very heavy growth of drilled fodder corn raised and plowed that fall. The ground was dragged and marked in rows one way, 3J feet apart. extending north and south, on May 20, and on May 21 it was planted by hand, dropping the seed in the marks made by the marker and covering with the foot. Two pounds of seed were used. One-half of it was planted from 12 to 18 inches apart and the other from 12 to 25 inches. I think it would average seven or eight seed to a hill. It was then rolled and cultivated twice with a two-horse cultivator. One man spent one day on the piece with the hoe, cutting out grass between the hills. This would not have been necessary had the seed come up evenly. One-third of the piece was dry, and the seed not being covered any deeper, did not come up for two weeks, hence could not cul- tivate it evenly. It was stripped by hand at intervals from September 14 to September 27, cut and bound September 28, drawn to mill on the 29th and 30th, cnrefully weighed and piled. Total weight, 13$$$

IQ4 SOEGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. The first half, or that planted the thickest, weighed about 8 tons, and the other half 5^J$$ tons. The cane was made up October 7 and yielded 170 gallons of sirup, weigh- ing 11£ pounds to the gallon. The juice tested 7} by the saccharometer and was boiled down to 40. There was one load of leaves saved for fodder and three double boxes of seed which was fed to the pigs. I estimate the value of the crop as follows: Dr. To interest on land $2 00 To half day's work plowing 1 50 To dragging and marking 50 To 2 pounds seed 70 To planting 1 00 To hoeing 1 00 Tocultivating 1 00 To stripping 6 00 To cutting and binding 3 00 To topping and hauling 10 30 To hauling fodderand feed 1 00 To four barrels at 75 cents 300 To making 170 gallons at 20 cents 34 00 65 00 i By balance 30 00 1 Or. By fodder $10 00 By 170 gallons sirup at 50 cents 85 00 95 00 M. O. MYRICK. Proi. W. A. HKNRY, Madison, Wisconsin. [The following letter from H. W. Small & Co., Chicago, will certainly be read with interest. It should be remembered that from the peculiar line of business of this com- pany—that of supplying the wholesale trade with sirups and molasses—it is in a position unequaled by any other company in the west to judge upon the true merits of thecase:] CHICAGO, December 28J 1881. DEAR SIR: We have your favor of 24th, with samples of sugar and sirup before us. You have obtained a remarkable yield from your experimental one-fifth acre. One thou- sand pounds of good brown sugar and 80 gallons of sirup per acre would be a very profit- able crop for any ot our farmers, and we read with very much interest your statement that the analysis of the cane showed nearly twice the quantity of sugar that you ob- tained; or, in other words, that the processes for extracting the sugar from Amber cane is so imperfectly understood at present, even by our most scientific men, that nearly one- half the yield is lost. Well, this only confirms our opinion the more strongly that the profitable raising of Amber cane in the north for the manufacture of sugar and sirup or molasses is no longer an experiment, but an assured fact; and, although but just in its infancy, enough has been already done to show that skill in its manufacture is the one great requirement. Now, we not only would not advise every fa..rfler to rush in blindly and plant a few quarter acres of Amber cane, but we would advise that they do no such thing until you who are giving so much time and attention to this business learn how, and '' write a book'' of instructions, so that every farmer may know how without the possibility of a failure. Then "exit" New Orleans, "enter" Amber. We have received samples of Amber molasses this season that compare favorably with "New Orleans," while other lots have been very poor; and the difference, so far as we can leirn, was not so much in the soil, or climate, or seed, as in the "modus operand!" of manufacture. The sugar is there; the molasses is there. How to secure it, after it is grown and ready for the mill, is the one great question for you scientific men. We sincerely hope that the State will continue to foster this industry until it is thoroughly understood, so that every farmer can grow his own sugar and molasses at one quarter the present price of New Orleans, and, what may be even better than that, know that they have an ab- solutely pure article Th.3 better grades of amber are slowly overcoming the old prejudice against sorghum, and wa believe the time not far distant when a choice Amber molasses will be more sought after than a somewhat doubtful mixture of New Orleans glucose and sirup. Wishing you every success, we are Yours truly, H. W. SMALT. & CO. Prof. W. A. HENRY, Madison. * * *****

SORGHUM SUGAK INDUSTRY. 105 10.— REPORT ON THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR, SIRUP, AND GLUCOSJL FROM SORGHUM. [Baaed upon experiments made In 1880 and 1881, at the Illinois Industrial University.] By HKNEY H. WKBBE, Ph. D., Profetsor of Chemistry, and MELVILLE A. SCOVEJ.L, M. S., Professor of Agricultural Chemistry. SlR: The undersigned have the honor to submit herewith their complete report of ex- periments in the manufacture of sugar from sorghum, made at the Illinois Industrial University during the seasons of 1880 and 1881. Very respectfully, H. A. WEBER, Professor CJ^mistry. M. A. SCOVELL, Professor Agriciittural Chemistry. S. H. PEABODY, LL.D., Regent Illinois Industrial University. INTRODUCTION. The object of the investigations made upon sorghum cane at the Illinois Industrial University was to settle, if possible, the much disputed question whether sugar could be made from this plant on a manufacturing scale and with commercial success. From the many conflicting reports relating to this matter no definite conclusions could be drawn, and it was found necessary, in order to prosecute our work in an intelligent manner, to treat the whole subject as an entirely new field of investigation. It has been claimed by many that the proper sphere of the sorghum industry is the production of sirup, and a great deaLof good work has been accomplished in improving the quality and yield of this article. But what may have been true for sorghum a few years ago does not hold good to-day. The sorghum industry is at the present time confronted by another, namely, the glucose industry, which, although still in itsinfancy, has already shown its superiority in the production of sirup both in regard to quality and quantity. This statement is made with due consideration of the many attacks which the glucose industry has of late received. Glucose as an article of food is equal to if not superior to cane sugar, and its arti- ficial production from corn or other amylaceous substances is a perfectly legitimate busi- ness. It is true that in the decolorization of the glucose injurious substances may be employed, and if the products sent to market are not perfectly free from them great in- jury may be done to the consumers. The same thing may be said for the refining of cane sugar. But in either case the employment of injurious substances is not a necessity, and should be condemned by every one who is interested in public welfare. Glucose, when made as it should be, is perfectly harmless, and no valid objection can be made to it in a sanitary point of view, when employed for any legitimate purpose to which it is adapted. The sorghum industry must regard the manufacture of glucose as a fair com- petitor, and the latter will never lose in importance by any unjustifiable attacks or criti- cisms. From these considerations it seems evident that the production of sirupalone can no longer maintain the cultivation of sorghum on a scale which would suffice to give it the name of an industry. To accomplish this sorghum growers should turn all their attention and energy to the production of crystallizable sugar, which glucose, on account of its inherent properties, can never replace, and which will always find a ready market free from all competition. These circumstances led to the investigations about to be described, and the results obtained have exceeded our most sanguine expectations. Our experiments, both scien- tific and practical, have shown beyond a doubt not only that the manufacture of sugar from sorghum in our own State is practicable, but also that it will be highly remunera- tive when undertaken on a large scale. Up to the present time sorghum seed has never found a proper utilization. Although in its general composition it resembles other grain, as corn, the amount of tannin con- tained in it, as our analysis given farther on shows, will no doubt prevent its liberal use as food for animals. Knowing that immense quantities of seed will necessarily be pro- duced as soon as the sorghum sugar industry is introduced, we have given this matter careful study, and have found that the seed is eminently adapted for the production of glucose. We have prepared the glucose directly from the ground seed, without the tedi- onsand expensive processof firstseparatingthestarch. Thegreat ad vantage of this industry to the sorghum industry will appear from the fact that as the seed is practically ripe

106 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. when the cane is cut it can be stored up until the sugar season is over, and can afterward be manufactured into glucose with the same machinery now used in making sugar from the cane, thus giving employment for the balance of the year to the works, which other- wise would have to lie idle for eight or ten months annually. Our work occupied two distinct fields of experiments: First, scientific investigations, in which the nature of sorghum cane was studied; second, practical experiments in mak- ing sugar. PERIODICAL EXAMINATION OF THE CANES FOR SUGAR. The objects of these analyses were: 1. To note the development and changes of the sugars in the plant during its growth. 2. To notice the changes which the cane undergoes after reaching this maximum stage in the quality and quantity of its saccharine matter: First, while standing in the field untouched; second, standing stripped two weeks; third, cut and lying under shelter. 3. To ascertain the portion of the stock richest in sugar. 4. To study the effect of different varieties of soils on the development of sugar in the cane. 5. To determine the effect of freshly manured soils on the development of sugar in sor- ghum. 6. To compare the different varieties of sorghum as sugar-producing plants. These examinations were conducted in the following manner: On the dates specified, ten average stalks were selected from the given field, stripped, topped just below the uppermost leaf, and cut off one joint above ground. The stripped and topped cane was srushed in a thoroughly cleansed Victor mill. The juice was col- lected in a bottle, and after being cooled down to 20° c., the sp. gr. was noted, then 10 c. c. were put into a graduated cylinder for the estimation of grape sugar, and 10 c. c. were put in a beaker for determining the amount of cane sugar. For the estimation of grape sugar the 10 c. c. measured off for this purpose were di- luted so as to measure exactly 100 c.c. and the grape sugar then determined by Fehling's solution. The portion reserved for cane sugar was diluted, 12 drops of dilute sulphuric acid added, and the whole heated over a water bath for one hour. The mixture was then allowed to cool, sodium hydroxide added to alkaline reaction, diluted to 500 c.c., and the total amount of sugar determined with Fehling's solution. The difference be- tween the grape and total sugar was estimated as cane sugar by multiplying by 0.95. The results of the analyses are given in the tables which follow: Table showing the development and chance of sugars in sorghum. Specific grav- ity of juice. Grape sugar. 1 Average of cane sugar. Stage of development. 6 Date. Variety. BB V \ & l Aug. 14, 1880... 1.055 5.70 4.90 I A TA 2 3 Aug. 10,1881... Aug. 25 1880... Amber.. 1.058 1.062 8.39 6.10 3.38 7.12 .4.14 4 f, Aug. 10. 1881... Aug. 14, 1880... Amber .. 1.066 1.065 5.43 3.34 8.42 10.75 .7.77 6 Sept. 6,1880.... Aug. 10. 1881 ... Aug. 12, 1881 ... Sept. 1,1881... Sept. 2,1881... Aug 25 1880 Orange.. Amber.. do Orange, Orange.. 1.068 1.068 1.070 1.048 1.048 1 068 5.00 4.25 3.75 6.11 6.58 2 47 9.13 9.84 12.75 3.71 5.19 12 48 8.5G 9 10 11 12 13 Sept. 16, 1880... Aug. 10, 1881 .... Aug 12 1881 .... Orange- Amber.. 1.065 1.074 1 074 4.11 3.65 2.65 9.76 10.10 1.337 14 15 1R Aug. 16, 1881 .... Aug 16 1881 .... do . do 1.070 1 072 3.92 3.00 1.189 1.366 17 18 Aug. 19.1881.... Aug 19 1881 .... do .. do .. . 1.067 1 074 3.46 3.10 12.49 13.18 •11.95 19 Aug. 19,1881.... Aug. 19, 1881 ... Aug. 19, 1881.... Sept. 1,1881.... Sept. 1,1881.... Sept. 1,1881.... Sept. 1,1881.... Sept 6 1880... do do do Liberian Amber.... do Chinese.. 1.070 1.070 1.070 1.060 1.063 1.056 1.052 1 064 2.97 2.98 3.26 3.67 2.61 2.18 4.13 2.13 13.64 12.80 12.52 10.24 13. 47 11.14 8.60 11.42 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Sept 16 1880 do 1 065 2 79 11 02 'S Oct 2 1880.... do 1.069 2.47 10.06 29 30 81 Oct. 6,1880.... Sept. 9.1881.... Sept. 1,1881.... Sept 2 1881 . .. Orange. I.I. U Amber. .. do . 1.078 1.070 1.070 1 070 4.02 2.93 2.71 2.61 11.41 12.48 10.77 10.57 11.18 m 33 Sept. 5,1881... 1.067 3.16 11.76

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 107 The analyses made in 1880, numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12, 26, 27, 28, and 29, were from cane grown upon the University farm. The following data in regard to the planting and cultivation of the cane were furnished by G. E. Morrow, professor of agriculture: v Two varieties, Orange and Early Amber; seed obtained from Hedges, Saint Louis; planted by hand, May 14, 1880. The Orange was planted in a plot of nearly one acre (.955) in 2-1 rows four feet apart, in hills about four feet in a row. The Early Amber was planted in a plot of one and one-half acres (1.48) in 40 rows three and one-half feet apart, and with hills about same distance apart. Each plot was on good prairie soil which had been in corn two years, following a liberal application of barn-yard manure. The plots received ordinary field culture—a two-horse corn cultivator—except hand hoeing and thinning to four or five stalks when ten to twelve inches high. The suckers were not removed. The Orange averaged about seven feet in height, and over an inch in diameter at base. The Early Amber averaged over nine feet in height, and rather less than three-quarters of an each in diameter at base. The canes were cut about six inches from the ground. Of the Orange, from two to three feet of the top was taken off; of the Early Amber, rather mare than three feet. An analysis was made ot the soil on which these two varieties of cane grew, and also of its subsoil and of a virgin prairie soil adjoining. The following table gives the result of these analyses. No. 1 was prairie soil, No. 2 the soil on which the cane grew, No. 3 its subsoil: Soil. No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. 1 9414 2 4880 3 7551 0 0798 0 0617 0 0975 1 8367 1 4517 1 2650 1 4775 0 5700 1 7150 0 1798 0 2200 0.1683 0. 2103 0. 1152 0 3835 0 5845 1 2515 0.5244 0 6757 0. 7140 Potash 0 0733 0 0785 0 0505 Soda 0. 0177 0 0211 0.0970 0 1403 0 1519 0 2137 Soluble matter found 6.8327 •t 1150 7.5134 6 0700 8 9549 9.2745 Silicic acid 72 1765 68 7127 68 0224 12 7143 12 0520 9 3156 0 5729 0 7721 0 6444 0 4893 0 4831 0.4836 Potash 3 0041 3 0331 2 4561 Soda 0 5120 0 6344 0 5664 0 0093 0 0847 0 1933 0 1553 0.2628 Insoluble matter found .92.7867 91.9974 90.7062 99.6194 99.5108 99.9807 Analyses Nos. 2, 4, 7, and 13 were made from cane grown upon the farm of Mr. J. W. Cushman, two miles south of Urbana. The field on which this cane was planted had grown seven consecutive crops of sorghum, without manure. It was high prairie land sloping towards the south. Seed planted April 25. The cane of Nos. 8 and 14 was grown about one and one-half miles northeast of Urbana, on timber land. The field had been used as a barn-yard previous to its being planted with cane, and was therefore richly manured. The seed came from Minnesota through Mr. Le Due, ex-Commissioner of Agriculture. The seed was planted the first week in May. Cultivated as usual for corn. Results Nos. 15 and 16 were obtained from cane grown three miles south of Champaign, on virgin prairie. Eight rows were planted along the roadside, hounded on the outer side by the road itself and the inner by a tall, dense hedge-fence. Mr. Holmes, the owner of the cane, said the seed came from Mississippi and was planted the last week in April; land gradually rising from a slough near by. Two varieties of heads were present in this cane; the panicles of one (analysis No. 15) were clustered and erect; those of the other (No. 16) were spreading with pedicels drooping. No. 21. University farm; volunteer cane, from cane grown on the field last year. The cane from which analyses Nos. 17, 18, 19, and 20 were made was grown upon timber land about three miles northeast of Urbana. The seed probably came from Min- nesota.

108 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. No. 17. Cane grown by Mr. E. Bishop; field ten years in cultivation, manured three or four years ago; seed planted about the middle of May; rows 3$ feet apart in hills 3 feet apart; an average of eight stalks on a hill; cane small; Nos. 18 and 19, cane grown by Christ. Slmman. No. 18 was on high land, twelve years in cultivation and had never been manured; an average of five stalks in a hill; growth of cane me- dium. No. 19 was on low land, four years in cultivation; average of eight stalks in a hill; cane large and thrifty. No. 20. Cane grown by Samuel Wilson, on land four years in cultivation; hills 3 by 3J feet apart; an average of eight stalks in a hill; field on the top of a small hill. Analyses Nos. 9, 10, 22, 31, and 32 were made in Macoupin County, Illinois, Nos. 9, 22, and 31 from cane raised about two miles north of Virden, by Mr. Charles Rauch, and Nos. 10 and 32 one mile west of Girard, by Mr. D. C. Ashbaugh. The prairie soil in this county is very black, deep, and " mucky " No. 9, cane grown on timber land; seed planted May 12, 1881; hills 3 by 3, an average of five stalks in a hill. No. 22, volunteer cane; prairie land. No. 31, prairie land; seed planted first part of May. No. 32, prairie land; seed planted latter part of May. The results of experiment No. 53 were obtained from cane grown by Christ. Lust, about a mile west of Monticello, Piatt County. The field was timber land—a poor, clayey soil; seed planted first week in May. Analyses Nos. 23, 24, and 25 were made of the juice of sorghum grown upon the so- called Mississippi sand-lands near Oquawka, Illinois. No. 23 was from cane grown by Dr. Park, one mile east of Oquawka. Nos. 24 and 2o were made from cane grown by Tom Ricketts, two miles northeast of same place. Development of sugar.—-Analyses Nos. 5, 11, 26, 27, and 28 were made from the same field on the date specified, and show conclusively that the cane sugar reached its maxi- mum quantity when the seed was in the " hardening dough," and that it afterward gradually diminished. The same fact appears on comparing the average under each division in the table. Effect of stripping and allowing to stand.—On October 2, 1880, an analysis was made of the juice of canie which had been stripped on the 18th of September—the cane not other- wise disturbed—with the following result: Specific gravity of juice 1. 074 Grape sugar per cent.. 1. 82 Cane sugar per cent-- 13.11 This subject needs further investigation. Change of sugar after cutting the cam.—On October 23, 1830, an analysis was made of the juice of the Orange cane which had been cut, stripped, and topped October 2 and placed under shelter until examined. Juice whitish. Specific gravity 1.091 Grape sugar per cent-- 14. 66 Cane sugar per cent- - 3. 55 A sample of cane, cut August 25, 1880, without being stripped and topped, was pre- served in a warm room where it had become dry long before it was examined. On April 3, 1881, it was analyzed and showed 12 per cent. of grape sugar and no trace of cane sugar. Comparison of the upper and lower half of the cane.—The two following analyses were jnade to show what part of the cane is richest in sugar: Amber—October 2, 1880.—Juice obtained from the upper half of the stalks after topping as usual. Specific gravity i 1.069 Grape sugar per cent- _ 2. 94 Cane suj,ar per cent-- 9. 67 Amber—October 2, 1830.—Juice obtained from the lower half of stalks. Specific gavity 1.070 Grape sugar - per cent-- 1.94 Cane sugar per cent-- 11.64 Effects of soils.—The following analyses were made to study the effect of different va- rieties of soil upon the production of sugar in sorghum. But as other circumstances, as locality from which seed was obtained, time of planting, and manner of cultivation may affect the amount of sugar, many more investigations would have to be made before definite conclusions could be reached. The table, however, shows that sorghum can be grown successfully on all varieties of soil specified.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. l09 Tablft showing the effects of different soils on the development of sugar in sorghum: i **4 Is o |H Variety of soil. 1 Years in cul- tivation. Fertilization. -a 21 d rape sug i i Average. 1*8 £,- I 1 OS M"* o 6 Prairie i 27 Manured 3 yeara ago.. Amber..! 1.068 2.47 12.48 2 3 7 27 Unknown.. No manure Amber 1.074 1.070 1.07 3.65 3.26 2.71 10.10 12. 52 10.77 Grape, 2. 94. Cane, 11. 28. 4 Manured 4 years ago.. No manure Amber- Amber.. 5 Very old.... do ! Amber.. 1.07 2.61 10. 51 Virgin prairie.. 6 | No manure i Amber.. 1.07 3.92 11.89 Grape, 3.46. 7 do A m hp r 1 072 3 00 13. 65 Cane, 12. 77. Timber land.... 8 Unknown .. Bftrn-yard manure Amber.. 1.074 ! 2.65 13. 37 9 10 Manured 4 years ago..! Amber- 1.067 ! 3.46 12.49 10 12 No manure Amber.. 1.074 i 3.10 13.18 Grape. 3.07. 11 4 do Amber 1.076 2.97 13.64 [Cane, 12.87. 12 4 do A mber . 1.07 2.98 12 80 ! 13 Many do Amber.. 1.066 i 3.16 11.76 Missis' pi sand 14 ' Amber 1.063 | 2.61 13.47 \Grape, 2.39. 15 . , Amber- 1.056 | 2.18 i 11.14 j Cane, 12.3. Effect of manure.—To ascertain the effect of manure a field was selected which had been used as a barn-yard for several years. A part of the cane was planted directly on the rotten manure pile. An analysis was made of a sample taken from this part of the field, as well as of a part away from the manure pile. The seed in each case was in the '' hardening dough.'' The following is the result of the analysis: Manured—Sp. gr. 1.063. Grape sugar 2.65. Cane sugar 10.89. Unmanured—Sp. gr. 1.074. Grape sugar 2.65. Cane sugar 13.37. Variety of cane.—From the table it appears that the Amber is best adapted for the production of cane sugar. The Orange and Liberian can also be employed advantageously in the latter part of the season, as they mature later. Their yield is greater per acre, and this fact no doubt would compensate for the less proportion of cana sugar to grape sugar contained in them. Analysis No. 25 of the Chinese cane seems to indicate that it would be unfit for the production of crystallizable sugar. PEOXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SORGHUM CANE. An average portion of the Orange cut at the same time, October 6, as that used in ex- periment 29, was reserved, with tops and leaves still remaining for the analysis. The leaves and two feet of tops were removed, and cross-sections taken between each joint of the remainder of the stalks. The proximate principles were then determined according to the following scheme: The sections, as soon as cut, were weighed and then dried in a water oven, allowed to cool in the air, weighed, finally pulverized, and put in a stoppered bottle. Of the dried substance, ten grams were required for sugar, fiber, starch, gum, and vegetable acids; one gram for hygroscopic water and ash; one gram for total albuminoids; five grams for oil. The gram of dried cane reserved for water and ash was heated in an oven at 110° C. until its weight was constant. It was then ignited- and the ash weighed. The ten grams for the estimation of sugar, &c., were macerated with water in a mortar, the water decanted, and this process con tinued several times. the decanted liquids being filtered by Bunsen's method, and fin ally the residue was thrown on the filter and washed until the filtrate measured one liter. One hundred c. c. of this solution was evaporated nearly to dryness on a water bnth, then the desiccation completed by passing a current of dry air upon the residue by means of an aspirator, the temperature of the substance ranging in the mean time between 90° and 100° C. The residue was then weighed, incinerated, and weight of ash noted. Albuminoids.—Four hundred c. c. of the aqueous extract were evaporated to a sirup on the water-bath, calcined gypsum added, the whole th en dried and the residue ignited with soda lime. Five hundred c. c. of the aqueous extract were ra pidly evaporated nearly to dryness, and the residue exhausted with alcohol of 87 per cent. by repeated boilings with fresh portions of the solvent as long as it was colored. The liquids were filtered, the residue thrown upon the filter and waahe d with hot alcohol, and the washings added to the fil- trate. Water was added to the filtrate, the alcohol expelled by heat, and then the solu- tion diluted to 200 c. c.

1 1 0 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Grape sugar.—One hundred c. c. of this solution were reserved for the estimation of grape sugar. The remainder was acidulated with dilute sulphuric acid, and boiled to convert the cane into grape sugar. Cane sugar.—The cane sugar was then estimated with Fehling's solution, as usual. Gum and vegetable acids.—The residue insoluble in alcohol was dried at 100 C., weighed, and then incinerated. This ash and the soluble albuminoids were subtracted from the total amount of residue, and the remainder estimated as gum and vegetable acids. The residue left after extracting the ten grams of cane with water was washed with alcohol acidulated with sulphuric acid to dissolve the albuminoids, transferred to a beaker, and diluted to 200 c. c. Five c. c. of normal sulphuric acid were added, and the whole boiled for an hour on the water-bath, then filtered through Bunsen's filter. The filter was also cut into shreds and boiled with water containing 1 per cent. of sulphuric acid to dissolve any starch remaining on it. After filtering, the two filtrates were ad- ded, and the starch estimated from an alliquot portion by conversion into glucose. The method was as follows: The starch solution was diluted to 500 c. c. Three sep- arate portions of 50 c. c. each were transferred to prescription bottles, 10 c. c. normal acid added. The bottles were then stoppered with rubber stoppers firmly tied, and placed in a salt-bath and boiled respectively for three. four, and six hours. The contents of the bottles were then neutralized, diluted, and starch calculated from the amount of grape sugar present. The solution boiled six hours had 0.02 per cent. more starch than that boiled four hours. Three hours' boiling did not convert all of the starch into grape sugar. The residue from which the starch was taken was boiled with sodium hydroxide, thrown upon a weighed filter and repeatedly washed with the same solution, then washed with hot water, and finally with alcohol and then with ether. The washed residue was dried at 110° C. and weighed, then incinerated, the weight of ash subtracted from the former weight, and the)difference estimated as fiber. The gram reserved for the albumi- noids was ignited with soda-lime, and albuminoids determined as usual. The oil was extracted by ether from 5 grams of the dried cane. The total water was estimated by adding the per cent. of loss of the air-dried cane and the hygroscopic water. RESULTS. Composition of stalks of Orange cane in 100 parts: Water 76.58 Grape sugar 3.00 Cane sugar 9.77 Starch 4.12 Fiber 4.54 Oil --- -- 0.07 Gams and vegetable acids 0.24 Soluble albuminoids 0.23 Insoluble 0.16 Soluble ash_- ... 0.68 Insoluble ash 0.06 99.45 ASH. The ash from the remaining dried cane was analyzed by the following method: The cane was incinerated at a low heat, pulverized, dried, and put in a stoppered bottle. Chlorine.—Two grams of the ash were exhausted with water, silver-nitrate added to the extract and the whole acidified with nitric acid. The precipitate of chloride of silver was collected upon a filter, dried, ignited, weighed, and the chlorine calculated in the usual manner. The filtrate was treated with excess of hydrochloric acid, silver chloride removed, and the solution preserved. Silica.—The ash insoluble in water was treated with hydrochloric acid, brought to dry- ness, moistened with hydrochloric acid, water added, and the residue thrown on a weighed filter. The filter and its contents were heated at 160° C. until of constant weight, then ignited, and the silica weighed. The loss found between the two weights was called char- coal. The solution from which the chlorine had been precipitated and the filtrate from the silica were mixed, and the whole diluted to 200 c. c. and well shaken. Fifty c. c. of this solution were reserved for the estimation of sulphuric acid and alkalies, 50 c. c. for phosphoric acid, manganese, lime, and magnesia. Iron.—The remaining 100 c. c. were treated with sulphuric acid, and heated upon a water bath until the chlorine was expelled; then transferred to a flask, water and sul-

' SORGHUM SUGAE INDUSTRY. Ill phuric acid added, and the iron reduced with hydrogen, generated by zinc suspended in the liquid by means of a platinum wire. To facilitate the operation, a strip of plati- num was introduced into the flask and allowed to come in contact with the zinc. After the reduction the iron was estimated by a standard solution of potassium permanganate. Phosphoric acid.—A solution of ferric chloride was added to the portion reserved for phos- phoric acid,~ &c., in sufficient quantity for the iron to combine with all the phosphoric acid present. Sodium carbonate was added until the last drop caused a precipitate, which did not redissolve upon agitation. The mixture was then heated, a hot solution of so- dium acetate added, and the whole brought to the boiling temperature, filtered, and washed with hot water. The residue was dissolved in nitric acid and concentrated to about 10 c.c.; a nitric acid solution of molybdate of ammonia was added in excess, and the mixture allowed to stand in a warm place for twenty-four hours. The precipitate was collected on a filter, the beaker rinsed, and the contents of the filter washed with a mixture of the molyb- date solution and water. The precipitate was dissolved in the smallest quantity of am- monia. Any of the phospho-molybdate precipitate remaining in the beaker was dis- solved in a mixture containing three parts of water and 1 of ammonia and thrown upon the filter; finally, the filter was washed with the ammoniacal water. The filtrate boiled, and the phosphoric acid precipitated with a mixture of ammonium-chloride, magnesium sulphate and ammonia, made according to Presenius's formula. After allowing the mixt- ure to stand twelve hours, the precipitate was collected on a filter, washed with ammonia water, and the volume of the nitrate and washings noted. The precipitate was ignited in a platinum crucible, a little nitric acid added, and again ignited to oxidize the charred matter present, cooled, and weighed. As ammonia-mag- nesia-phosphate is soluble in about 54,000 parts of ammoniacal water, .003 of a gram was add to this weight, as the filtrate measured a little over 150 c.c. The phosphoric acid was then calculated from this weight of pyrophosphate of magnesium. Manganese.—The solution from which the iron and phosphoric were precipitated was treated with a few drops of bromine, and boiled to precipitate the manganese. The precipitate was collected upon a filter and thoroughly washed, then strongly ignited, and weighed. Lime.—The above filtrate was concentrated, and while hot a little ammonia added, and then an excess of ammonium oxalate, to precipitate the lime. The mixture was allowed to stand twelve hours. The precipitate was then collected upon a filter, washed, dried, and ignited in a platinum crucible. After the filter was reduced to ash, carbonic acid wals passed over the ignited lime to reconvert any oxide formed into carbonate. From the weight of calcium-carbonate thus obtained the per cent. of lime was calculated. Magnesia.—The filtrate from the lime was concentrated, ammonia added in excess, and then a solution of phosphate of soda to precipitate the magnesia present. This pre- cipitate and its filtrate were treated the same as the corresponding one, the estimation of phosphoric acid. The magnesia was calculated from the amount of pyrophosphate of magnesia found. Sulphuric acid.—The 50 c.c. of the solution reserved for this purpose were boiled, and the sulphuric acid precipitated, with a slight exces of barium-chloride. The precipitate was collected upon a filter, washed, ignited, and weighed. Potassa.—The above solution was treated, after concentration on a water-bath, with ammonia and ammonium-carbonate as long as any precipitate was formed, digested on a water-bath, filtered, and the contents of the filter carefully washed. The filtrate and washings were evaporated to drynees on a water-bath, and the residue ignited to expel ammoniacal salts. This residue was then treated with five and one-half times its weight of pure oxalic acid in the form of a concentrated solution, then evaporated to dryness, and again ignited to dull redness. The ignited residue was treated with a small quan- tity of boiling water, thrown upon a filter, washed with hot water, hydrochloric acid added to the filtrate, the mixture evaporated to dryness, and gently ignited, and the weight of the alkaline chlorides ascertained. The separation of the alkalies was effected with platinic chloride, as follows: The residue of alkalies was dissolved in a little water, and enough platinic chloride added to combine with the alkalies estimated as potassium salt. This mixture was . evaporated nearly to dryness over a water-bath, care being taken not to boil the water. A mixture of six volumes of alcohol and one of ether was poured over the residue, and the whole allowed to stand several hours in a covered vessel, with occasional stirring. The insoluble potassio-platinic chloride was transferred to an equipoised filter, washed with alcohol and ether mixed, and finally dried at 100° C., and weighed. Soda.—From the weight of the double potassium chloride the amount of the potas- sium chloride was ascertained. The weight was subtracted from the weight of the com- bined alkali chlorides, and the remainder called sodium chloride, and calculated as soda.

112 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Carbonic acid.—One gram of the ash was transferred to a Rose carbonic acid apparatus, and the carbonic acid estimated by loss. The following were the results obtained : COMPOSITION OF ASH. Silica - 27.91 Iron oxide 0.14 Phosphoric acid 5.37 Manganese oxide 0.89 Lime - 6.82 Magnesia 4. 64 Sulphuric acid 6.23 Potass! 46.48 Soda 0 . 98 Sodium chloride 0. 42 99.88 ANALYSIS OF SORGHUM SEED. A sufficient quantity of the seed was ground as fine as possible in an iron mortar, and was preserved in a glass-stoppered bottle. The following portions of the ground seed were taken : 10 grams, for the estimation of sugar, dextrine, starch, and fiber. 1 gram, for the estimation of water and ash. 1 gram, for the estimation of albuminoids. 1 gram, for the estimation of oil. 1 gram, for the estimation of tannin. Sugar, &c.-—The ten grams reserved for sugar, &c., were rubbed up thoroughly with water in a mortar, then transferred to a filter and washed well with water. Solution — A. Residue = B. The solution, A, was coneentrated to about 10 c.c. in a porcelain dish on a water-bath, then transferred into a strong prescription bottle and washed with about 10 c.c. of water, and the washings added. Five c.c. of normal sulphuric acid were added, the bottle closed with a rubber stopper securely tied. The bottle and its contents were then transferred to a salt bath and boiled for six hours. After cooling, the contents of the bottle were transferred to a graduated cylinder, neutralized and diluted to 100 c.c., the coloring mat- ter precipitated with acetate of lead, and, after thoroughly mixing, the whole was al- lowed to stand until the precipitate had settled to the bottom. A portion of the clear liquid was then transferred to a burette and dropped into 10 c. c. of Fehling's solution, di- luted four times, and at the boiling temperature, until the whole of the copper had been precipitated as cuprous oxide. This point was determined by filtering a small quantity from time to time, acidifying the filtrate with acetic acid, and testing for copper with ferro-cyanide of potassium. The number of c.c. of the sugar solution it took was noted, and the sugar and dextrine determined by the following proportion: 1. The number of c.c. it took to precipitate copper solution : total number of c.c. : : .05 (grains of grape sugar required to precipitate 10 c.c. of Fehling's solution) : x. X multiplied by 0.95 will give the grams of sugar in 10 grams of seed. The residue, B, was washed on the filter with alcohol acidulated with sulphuric acid and finally with water, to dissolve the gluten. Then the residue was washed oft" the filter into a beaker diluted to about 400 c.c., 5 c.c. of sulphuric acid added, and the whole boiled on a water-bath until the liquid had no milky appearance. It was then filtered through an equipoised filter and washed. Solution = C. Residue = D. Solution C was diluted to 500 c.c. Fifty c.c. of this solution were transferred to a prescription bottle and then treated as above for sugar and dextrine. From the grape sugar obtained the amount of starch was calculated. Residue D was boiled with hot sodium hydroxide, again thrown upon the filter and washed with the same solvent: afterwards with hot water, then with alcohol, and finally with ether. The washed residue was dried at 119° C., weighed, ignited, and the amount of ash deducted. The remainder was estimated as fiber. yj?* Water.—For the estimation of water the ground seed was weighed in a glass-stop- pered test-tube. Afterweighing, the glass stopper was replaced by a rubber one, through which passed two glass tubes, bent at right angles. One of these tubes was connected with an aspirator; the other with a calcium chloride tube and a sulphuric acid drying

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 113 bottle. The test-tube and its contents were then placed in an opening of a drying oven, •whose temperature was between 100° and 110° C. During the operation a current of air, parsing through the sulphuric acid and calcium chloride tube, thus drying it, was drawn into the tube and the moisture sucked out by means of the aspirator. When the weight Toecame constant the loss was estimated as water. Ash.—The contents of the tube were transferred to a platinum crucible, incinerated, and ash weighed. Albuminoids.—One gram of the ground seed was ignited with soda lime. The sub- stance was intimately mixed with a portion of soda-lime sufficient to fill a 14-inch com- bustion tube two-thirds full. About two inches of the tube were filled with soda-lime, then the mixture of soda-lime and substance added, the mortar rinsed with soda-lime, and finally the rinsings and enough soda-lime added to nearly fill the tube. A plug of asbestus was put in, and the tube gently tapped to insure an air passage throughout its length. Will's bulbs were charged with a deci-normal solution of oxalic acid. The tube, being placed in the combustion furnace, was connected with the bulbs. The fore part of the tube, containing the soda-lime only, was heated to redness, then heat applied, one jet at a time, along the entire length of the tube, care being taken that the combustion was completed in that portion of the tube where heat was applied before other jets were turned on, and also that the combustion was not too rapid. After the combustion was ended the contents of the bulbs were transferred to a beaker, tincture of litmus added, and the excess of acid titrated with a deci-normal solution of potassa. The amount of ammonia found to be present was calculated as nitrogen. The nitrogen was multiplied by 6.25 and the result called albuminoids. Oil.—The one gram of ground seed reserved for the estimation of oil was placed in a short test-tube, the bottom of which was drawn out in the shape of a cone, with a small opening at the apex. A small filter placed in the cone kept any of the substance from passing through the opening. The tube was suspended in a small flask, and this stop- pered with a cork through which a long glass tube passed. The whole was placed in a water-bath, ether (J oz.) put in the outer tube, and heat applied to the water-bath until the temperature of the water boiled the ether. This operation was continued for half an hour, the percolate transferred to small weighed beaker, ether evaporated, and the beaker and its contents dried at 100° C., and then weighed. Tannin.—One gram of the pulverized seed was digested with hot water for several hours, and the tannin estimated by a standard solution of gelatine.* COMPOSITION OF SORGHUM SEED—ORANGB. Sugar 0.56 Starch 63.09 Fiber 6.35 Water 12.51 Ash 0.64 Albuminoids 7. 35 Oil 3.08 Tannin . 5.48 Total : 99.00 EXPERIMENTS IN SUGAR MAKING.—1880. The grinding of cane and the evaporation of the juice began on the 18th of September. It was the intention to begin working up the Early Amber as soon as possible after it had reached its maximum per cent. of cane sugar, and thus have it finished by the time the Orange was ready to harvest, leaving a small portion for subsequent experiments. Ow- ing to the delay in the arrival of machinery the work was not begun until the above date. The Early Amber had been ripe for over two weeks and was lying prostrate from the effects of a storm. The Orange was ripe. The object of these investigations was to see whether any method of manufacture of the juice into sirup could be depended upon to insure the subsequent crystallization of the sugar. These investigations were undertaken with a view to the simplicity of machinery used and to the economical manufacture of the sirup, so that they could be of practical use to the farmer should any of the experiments prove successful. The apparatus used for crushing and pressing the cane was a two-horse Victor mill, "This remarkable result showing 5.42 per cent. of tannin requires confirmation.—Committee. S. Mis. 51 8

114 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. •with three upright rollers. The juice was evaporated in Cook's evaporator, with furnace attached, and of the size recommended for use with a two-horse crusher. The remaining apparatus consisted of barrels, tubs, pails, &c. An attempt was made to heat the juice for skimming and clarification after it had heen treated hy chemicals, in the pan of a steam boiler of the form used by farmers to cook food for cattle. This boiler was found unfit for the purpose, as the temperature of the juice could not be raised in it above 108° C. A small pan was made, similar in construc- tion to a Cook's evaporator, but furnished with a double bottom. The steam space in the bottom was about two inches high, and was connected with one of the boilers in the chemical laboratory. The object was to test the feasibility of evaporating the juice by steam under pressure with shallow pans. In the experiments which follow the juice was either evaporated directly after it came from the mill, i. e., without the use of reagents, or after it had been submitted to clari- fying processes. In the first the juice is designated in the experiments as nut clarified, in the second as clarified, defecated, or neutralized. THE EXPERIMENTS. 1. Early Amber.—September 18. Cane, very ripe and down; juice, not clarified—evap- orated to a sirup which upon cooling weighed 11 pounds to the gallon. It was of a light color and had a distinct sorghum taste. Stalks, stripped and topped, yielded 48 per cent. of juice, having a specific gravity of 1.066. The sugar, not crystallized. 2. Early Amber.—September 20. Juice defecated. As the juice was brought from the mill milk of lime was added, little at a time, until a piece of red litmus paper would change to purple when dipped into the juice. Then a solution of tannic acid, and finally gelatine was added. The juice was then boiled and well skimmed and concen- trated to sirup. The sirup was scorched and had a taste of extract of licorice. A small portion of the sirup evaporated to almost candy was readily crystallized. 3. Early Amber.—September 21. Juice not clarified. The evaporation was continued until the sirup upon cooling weighed 11 pounds. The sugar did not crystallize. 4. Early Amber.—September 22. Juice made alkaline with lime, and then neutral- ized with sulphate of alumina. Concentrated to a sirup that weighed when cooled be- tween 11 and 11J pounds. Sugar crystallized. Before expressing the juice for this experiment the rollers were moved closer together and the cane crushed so much that the bagasse as it came out fell in pieces. Fifty-one per cent. of juice was obtained with a specific gravity of 1.068. One row of cane (0.037 acres) was taken for this experiment, producing 23 gallons juice, from which was made 3.17 gallons sirup, weighing 11J pounds per gallon. Calculating from this data, an acre of the Early Amber would yield 624.2 gallons of juice, or 86.1 gallons of sirup. 5. Orange.—September 23. Juice neutralized with milk of lime; afterwards tannin and gelatine added; evaporated to a sirup of 12 pounds to the gallon; sirup dark. The sugar commenced crystallizing in a few days. Three weeks afterwards the sugar was separated from the sirup by a centrifugal separator. Sugar brown. In this experiment 360 pounds of topped and stripped stalks were used, producing 155 pounds of juice (43 per cent.); 28 pounds sirup (7.78 per cent. of the stalks and 18.04 per cent. of the juice); 13J pounds sugar (3.8 per cent. of stalks, 8.87 per cent. of juice, 49.1 per cent. sirup). One row (.0398 acres) yie.lded 30 pounds juice. Calculating the yield of an acre from these data we have 754 gallons juice, 120.6 gallons, or 1,447.2 pounds sirup, and 710.67 pounds sugar. 6. Orange.—September 24. Juice neutralized with lime, and a few drops of tannin added to every 10 gallons juice; then one-eighth ounce gelatine, and afterwards a little sulphate of alumina. Juice evaporated to a sirup of 11 pounds to the gallon; color very light. Sugar began crystallizing after standing two days. 7. Orange.—September 27. Juice neutralized with lime, and concentrated to a sirup of 11 to 12 pounds per gallon. Sugar readily crystallized. 8. Orange.—September 27. Juice neutralized with milk of lime; sulphurous acid was added to combine with any lime remaining uncombined in the juice. The sugar began crystallizing as the sirup was cold. 9. Orange.—October 1. Juice defecated with lime and sulphate of alumina. Sugar began crystallizing after three days. In this experiment stripped and topped stalks were used, yielding 54.2 per cent. of juice; specific gravity, 1.076. 10. Orange.—October 1. Juice evaporated without defecation. The sirup, after stand- ing about five weeks, had but few crystals of sugar. In a subsequent analysis of this sirup (see analysis of sirup No. 4) there was found to be 38.9 per cent. of cane sugar ami 26.91 per cent. of grape sugar.

SGRGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 115 11. Orange.—Juice not defecated; evaporated to a sirup of 12 pounds to the gallon. The sugar has not crystallized. 12. Ainher.—Juice defecated with lime and sulphate of alumina. The juice was quite acid as it came from the mill. Sirup black. Sugar crystallized. Finding that some of the sirup whose juice had not been defecated did not crystallize, it was thought that perhaps a further concentration would cause the sugar to crystallize. For this purpose the sirup produced in experiment No. 3 was selected. In the early part of November it was further concentrated in the steam evaporator, but this had no effect upon the crystallization of the sugar. Finding that the concentration of the sirup did not cause the sugar to crystallize, an analysis of several of the sirups was undertaken in order to investigate this subject more thoroughly. The following sirups were selected to be analyzed: No. 1. Early Amber.—Sirup taken from that made in experiment No. 3. No. 2. Sirup of No. 1 subjected to further concentration. No. 3. Orange.—Sirup of experiment No. 9, with the crystallized sugar taken out by the centrifugal separator. No. 4. Orange.—Obtained from the sirup of experiment No. 10. The following were the results obtained: COMPOSITION OF SOEGHUM SIEUPS. Number. Cane sugar. Grape sugar. Gum. Water. Ash. Total. No 1 47.22 14.70 6.80 29.4 1 97 100 1 No. 2 45.62 20.00 10.51 20.39 3.78 100 3 No 3 35 63 26 82 6.75 28.67 1 40 99 27 No. 4 38.9 26.91 7.80 24.04 1.75 96 40 The cause of the large per cent. of ash shown by No. 2 was undoubtedly the lime added to neutralize the sirup before the second concentration. From the proximate analysis of the cane it appears that one acre of sorghum produces 2,559 pounds of cane sugar. Of this amount we obtained 710 pounds in the form of good brown sugar, and 265 pounds were left in the 737 pounds of molasses drained from the sugar. Hence 62 per cent. of the total amount of sugar was lost or changed during the process of manufacture. This shows that the method of manufacture in general use is very imperfect. BXPERIMENTS IN SUGAR MAKING IN 1881. Last year a large number of experiments were made in order to determine the means by which the cane sugar could be made to crystallize. This object was much more readily attained than we at first expected, and consequently we selected from those experiments the one which was most simple and most likely to be practiceable when operating on a large scale. In perfecting this our attention was given to the production of sugar and sirup which should be free from the objectionable sorghum taste and odor. In this we succeeded perfectly. Sorghum juice in its normal condi- tion is acid. The conversion of cane sugar into grape sugar by boiling a solution of the same with a strong acid, as sulphuric or hydrochloric, has long been known to chemists. All other acids, even the weak organic acids contained in sorghumjuice, act in a similar manner. Hence it will readily appear why in the ordinary manner of mak- ing sorghum sirup so little of the cane sugar originally contained in the juice can be made to crystallize. A great deal of the cane sugar is converted into grape sugar during the processes of defecation and evaporation, and what remains unchanged is prevented from granulating by the undue proportion of grape sugar produced. To avoid this loss of cane sugar we neutralize the juice when cold with calcium carbonate or milk of lime, or both. This part of the process requires skill and care, as the subsequent defecation of the juice depends upon it. After thus neutralizing the juice it is heated to boiling and thoroughly defecated. It is then passed through bone-black filters and finally evaporated to crystallization. The sugar and molasses obtained by this process are unobjectionable in regard to color and taste. Experiment 1, August 22, 1881.—The cane selected for this experiment was grown on land which had previously been used as a barn-yard, the same as in analyses Nos. 8 and 14. The seed was nearly ripe and the cane very thrifty. Weight of cane crushed 1, 560.00 pounds. "Weight of juice obtained 687.50 pounds. Per cent. of juice 43.40 The juice was carefully neutralized with milk of lime, and brought to the boiling point in the defecating pan. A very heavy green scum rose, and this being removed the

116 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. juice was seen to be full of a green, light floccnlent precipitate, which did not subse- quently rise to the top in any considerable quantity. The juice was now drawn off into tubs, where it was allowed to repose twelve hours. At the end of this time only about one-half of the juice could be drawn off clear, the precipitate being still suspended in the remainder. Itwas found impossible to filter this portion, and it was therefore thrown away. The clear juice, after being passed through bone-black, was evaporated in a cop- per finishing-pan to the crystallizing point. The melada had a very unpleasant saltish taste. owing to the presence of salts of ammonia. The sugar crystallized very readily, and although it looked well it still retained somewhat of this saltish taste after being separated from the molasses. Unquestionably this excessive amount of albuminoids— the green scum and suspended precipitate—was taken up by the plant from the nitroge- nous elements of the manure, and the saltish taste was due to ammonium salts which came from the same source. Manure therefore not only has a deleterious effect upon the development of sugar in cane, but it also prevents the thorough defecation of the juice which is necessary to the manufacture of sugar. Experiment 2, August 25.—Cane same as that of which analyses Nos. 15 and 16 were made. Size of field, three-sixteenths of an acre. , CALCULATIONS FOE ONE ACRE. Pound Stripped cane with tops 18, 535. 3 Stripped cane without tops 15, 765. 9 Weight of juice obtained 6, 545. 6 Per cent. of juice of stripped and topped cane 41. 52 Weight of melada from juice 1,298. 7 Weight of melada from bagasse 253. 9 Total weight of melada . 1,552.6 Weight of sugar from juice 504. 0 Weight of sugar from bagasse 104. 7 Total weight of sugar 608. 7 Weight of molasses from juice 794. 7 Weight of molasses from bagasse 149. 2 Total weight of molasses 943. 9 Calculations for one ton of topped and stripped cane: Weight of juice 830. 4 Weight of sugar 77. 2 Weight of molasses 119. 7 To obtain the sugar from the bagasse it was packed in large barrels as it left the mill and was exhausted with water. The percolate thus obtained was treated like juice. Experiment No. 3, September 17.—-Early Amber; obtained from universty farm; volun- teer growth among the corn; seed ripe; cane mostly blown down. Pounds. Weight of stripped and topped cane 1, 440 Weight of juice ,:. 637 Per cent. of juice 44. 2 Weight of melada obtained 145. 8 Experiment No. 4.—Early Amber, grown upon university farm: Weight of stripped and topped cane 1, 661. 0 Weight of juice obtained 603. 5 Per cent. of juice 36.33 Weight of melada from juice 95. 5 Weight of melada from bagasse 13. 5 Sugar from juice 41. 5 Sugar from bagasse 6. 0 Molasses from juice 54. 0 Molasses from bagasse 7. 5 In the last two experiments the cane was poorly developed and full of suckers, and consequently poorly adapted for the production of sugar. GLTTCOSE FROM SORGHUM SEED. Our experiments have shown that as good glucose can be made from the seed of sor- ghum as from any other starchy substance. The yield of glucose or grape sugar is three-

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 117 fourths or more of the weight of seed employed. The tannin does not interfere, as it is converted into glucose by the same means which are used to convert the starch, namely, boiling with dilute acids. EECEIPTS AND EXPENSES OF ONE ACRE OF SORGHUM. On the basis of the results actually obtained as described in the foregoing pages, we have calculated the receipts, and from the best data at hand the expenses, for one acre of sorghum. Balance sheet. RECEIPTS FROM SUGAE AND MOLASSES. 600 Ibs. sugar at 7 cents $42 00 85 gallons molasses 34 00 $76 00 EXPENSES. Cultivating one acre $10 00 Stripping and cutting 2 50 Hauling 6 00 Four days labor 6 00 Fuel I... 1 00 Barrels 4 00 Freight and drayage 8 00 Net profit on sugar and molasses $38 5ft EECEIPTS FEOM GLUCOSE. 1,250 Ibs. glucose at 2 cents. $25 00 EXPENSES. Gathering seed |2 00 Fuel 1 50 Labor 1 00 Barrels 4 00 $9 50 Net profit on glucose 15 50 Total net profit on one acre of sorghum 54 00 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. 1. Seed should be planted as early as possible. 2. The proper time to begin cutting the cane for making sugar is when the seed is in the hardening dough. 3. The cane should be worked up as soon as possible after cutting. Cane which is cut in the afternoon or evening may safely be worked up the following morning. 4. The manufacture of sugar can be conducted properly only with improved apparatus and on a scale which would justify the erection of steam sugar-works, with vacuum- pans, steam defecators and evaporators, and the employment of a competent chemist to superintend the business. The same is true for the manufacture of glucose from the seed. Our experiments were made with the ordinary apparatus used in manufacturing sorghum sirup, and any person who desired to work on a small scale could use the methods with good results, provided he had acquired the necessary skill in neutralizing and defecating the juice and in the treatment of bone-black filters. The manufacture of glucose on a small scale is entirely out of the question. Five hundred to a thousand acres of sorghum would be sufficient to justify the erection of steam sugar-works, and this amount could easily be raised in almost any community within a radius of one or two miles from the works.

118 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 11.— LETTER FROM H. A. WEBER TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. ILLINOIS INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT, Champaign, Itt., March 18, 1882. SiE: Your circular asking for communications in regard to the "sorghum industry" is at hand. Have sent you by to-day's mail a report of experiments in this line made by my col- league and myself, and hope that you may find something in it which will be of interest to you. In regard to the analytical as well as practical investigations it may be proper for me to state that they were our own personal work, and that we at least are satisfied of the correctness of the results as given. A stock company has been formed here for the purpose of erecting steam sugar-works to test this matter on a commercial scale the coming season. Yours, respectfully, H. A. WEBER. B. SILLIMAN, New Haven, Conn. 12.—LETTERS FROM A. J. RUSSELL, JANESVILLE, WIS. [A. J. Russell, President of Wisconsin Amber Cane Growers'and Manufacturers' Association, and Chairman of Committee for the Purchase of Seed and Sugar Machinery. A. J. Russell, J. Boub. Office of Excelsior Amber Cane, Sirup, and Sugar Works, A. J. Russell & Co., Proprietors.] JANESVILLE, Wis., December 28, 1881. DEAR SIR: Your valued favor of the 26th at hand, and in reply to the several ques- tions contained therein I would state that the yield of stripped stalks of cane per acre depends upon the quality of the seed, soil, and fertilizers used, method of planting, thoroughness of cultivation, and the season for growing the cane. We have received at our works here and at other works I have been interested in from 7 to 20 tons per acre the '' same season.'' The yield of sirup per ton varies from 9 to 20 gallons according to the strength of the iuice and the ability of the mill used in crushing the cane, so as to obtain the largest percentage of juice, and the economy of the mechanical appliances used in reducing the juice to proof or sugar density. The yield of sugar, per ton, depends upon the amount of sucrose contained in the juice; the machinery used in reducing the juice to the required density, with the least destruction of the sugar, and the ability of the operator to handle the appliances used so as to separate and remove all the impurities that obstruct granulation, and varies from 7 to 9J pounds per gallon of sirup. Owing to the farmers having an imperfect knowledge of the proper care of cane, and a well-developed system of planting and fertilizing to obtain the best results, the aver- age has only been 10 tons of cane per acre, and 14 gallons of sirup per ton, and 7J pounds of sugar per gallon. The sugar cost, to produce the cane and deliver at the mill, and manufacture and barrel it, ready for market, including cost of barrels, 2| cents per pound. From the-ex- perience of some of our most practical farmers in growing the cane, we are confident they can produce 20 tons per acre, in most of the seasons, and our experience in manu- facturing determined the fact to our satisfaction that we can, in good corn-growing seasons, produce from cane grown on proper soil, where the required fertilizers have been used [produce], 17 gallons of sirup of sugar density per ton, and 9 J pounds of sugar per gallon, with the right kind of machinery, by taking out the first and second and possibly the third crop of crystals. The drainage syrup left will be a good com- mercial article, and if the farmers will save their seed, which they can do as cheaply as they can oats, they can obtain from 25 to 35 bushels of threshed seed per acre; and those who have fed it to their stock pronounce it of more value than oats as feed. If the man- ufacturer purchases the cane from the farmers by the ton, the cost of the sugar will be correspondingly greater, but not to exceed 3^ cents per pound. Respectfully yours, A. J. RUSSELL, To Hon. GEO. B. LOKING, Commissioner of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 119 JANESVILLE, Wis., 3, 22, 1882. DEAR SlR: In reply to your favor of the 13th would say, that I have obtained, with good machinery, 280 gallons of sirup per acre and 7 J pounds of sugar per gallon. Sugar sold for 9 and 10 cents per pound; sirup in job lots to wholesalers at 50 cents per gal- lon. The sugar was a very light yellow, polarized 96.6. The sirup was a very light straw color, transparent, and free from all sorgo or foreign flavor, and was placed in front rank, with New Orleans molasses (choice). The above is from my own practical experience without any patented "process." The yield of seed is from 25 to 40 bushels per acre, and is used for all classes of stock, and sells at 50 cents per bushel. Data as to cost of raising the cane and delivered at the mill, 3 miles, which is as far as it is practical to haul, also cost of steam, or fire trains, that has produced the sugar and sirup that obtained the premiums at the convention; cost of manufacturing on either steam or fire train; cost of Central Sugar Works fitted up completely for making sugar and sirup and working to sugar; semi-sirup made by small sirup outfits, will be willingly made out on application, if the information is de- sired ; also, cost of manufacturing sugar, &c., based only from my own practical ex- perience. Respectfully yours, A. J. RUSSELL, Janesville, Wis. B. SlLLIMAN, Esq., NeiD Haven, Conn. 13.—CRYSTAL LAKE REFINERY. CHICAGO, April 10, 1882. DEAR SIR: Seeing the invitation in the RuralWorld to those interested in the sorghum sugar-cane, and thinking perhaps my experience may be of interest to you, I herewith give you a detailed account of my doings of the past three years. In the fir»t place let me state to you I am a practical sugar-refiner; spent some eight years in the West Indies making sugar from cane. So you will perceive I came here well armed in the knowledge of the business of sugar-making. In August, 1879, I saw sorghum for the first time, and although the works were put up by inexperienced per- sons, besides being so near the time for grinding the cane, we had not much chance to make the necessary alterations, so had to get along as well as we could; and as the cane was new to me, and I had little or no faith in its sugar-producing qualities, I resolved to treat it with as much delicacy as a .mother would her sick child. I used only lime for defecating, and made good defecations, equal to the juice from southern cane. I had not polarized the juice, but the defecated juice, while running from the defecators, looked and smelled so natural that I was convinced there was sugar in it; then, reducing it to about 38° B., was obliged to keep it in tanks nearly one month before our vacuum-pan was ready, when I reduced it to sugar. I polarized this sirup, which showed 53 per cent., and am satisfied a good deal of the sugar it contained when fresh had become inverted, as the sirup was slightly acid when we boiled it down to sugar. Notwithstanding it was boiled at a temperature of 180° Fahr. in the vacuum-pan, in consequence of a short supply of water for condensation, I could readily grain it in the pan. Tluit fact alone should decide the question whether sorghum will successfully pro- duce sugar. After the sugar had remained in the crystallizing tanks 48 hours it was so hard that a man weighing 180 pounds had great difficulty in pushing a spade through it. General Le Due, Malcolm McDowell, and others can testify to that fact, as they were eye-witnesses. In consequence of the vacuum-pan boiling the sugar so hot, and not being familiar with the juice, and wishing to get as large a yield of sugar as possible, I boiled it rather stiff, which made the grain finer than I wished it; but to the experienced that did not detract one iota from its strength. I continued to run till I had made over 50,000 pounds of sugar. In appearance it was good C sugar. It was tested in Boston and New York, and showed 96J per cent. of sugar. The above was accomplished in the fall of 1879. We generally designate sugar machinery on a plantation as machinery, but I fail to find a suitable name for the "plant" I had. In 1880 we had made alterations, in order to do some pretty good work, planted about 300 acres of cane, and a month before it matured it was struck by a hurricane and dam- aged to such an extent that we received only the product of 30 acres. That mixed with dead cane, rendering the juice so bad, that the sirup only polarizedabout 42 per cent. \

120 \ SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. boiled some for sugar, but finding it very gummy, abandoned the idea, and made only sirup. Thus ends the chapter for 1880. In 1881 the spring was so backward our cane hardly matured, and the sirup from it polarized about the same as the previous year (42J per cent.). Having such bad luck the past two years at Crystal Lake, 1ll., where the above experiments were tried at the works of F. A. Waidner & Co., we have con- cluded to abandon any further work at the above place. I should here state that Crys- tal Lake is the most elevated section in the State of Illinois, which makes raising a crop there rather uncertain; although the old residents of the place say they never experi- enced two such years with sorghum as 1880 and 1881; indeed that is the general verdict throughout the country. Crystal Lake is situated about 44 miles north of Chicago. I am interested in a large works at Hoopeston, 11l., which is attached to a corn canning establishment erected for the purpose of utilizing the cornstalks. That we found was no go, as the stalks had but little juice; could not produce enough sirup to pay expenses. I consider the cornstalks had a thorough test. We found only about a foot or a foot and a half of the stalk to contain juice; the rest was a dry pith. At the time, the corn was in the roasting ear. The cornstalks were tested in 1880. In 1881 we cultivated 500 acres of sorgo, and the drought was so severe we only got about 2J tons to the acre, in- stead of from 10 to 20. Cane was very thin, and in some instances not over 2 or 3 feet ' long; sirup only polarizing 40; did not attempt to make sugar. This year we are putting under cultivation at Hoopeston l,000acres. Wesold all of our product last year, by the car-load, in this city at 50 cents per gallon. Notwithstanding I have been here three seasons, I have not had a single day's fair trial of sorgo juice. With the plant of machinery we have at Hoopeston now to work up juice such as I had in 1879, I am sure the results I could produce would astonish the country. I am satisfied of one thing, that the cultivation of the cane is not thoroughly under- stood. One great drawback here has been the want of proper machinery and a knowl- edge how to treat the juice. They imagine all that is necessary is to boil out the water and let nature do the rest. I have been a very careful student for the last three years; and consider myself now familiar with the juice, and just want one fair chance. They were thirteen years in Louisiana before they could successfully make sugar from the Ribbon cane. We did it here in six weeks. If there are any questions I can answer for you I shall be delighted to do so. Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter and oblige JOHN B. THOMS. B. SILLIMAN, Esq., New Haven, Conn. CRYSTAL LAKE REFINERY, Nos. 231 AND 233 SOUTH WATER STREET, Chicago, April 10, 1882. DEAR SIR: I had just finished the inclosed eft,usion when your letter of the 7th came to hand, so will send it as it is written, adding the further information you require. The juice in 1879 weighed about 82° Baume; did not polari;e the juice. From a gal- lon of sirup, weighing 11 pounds, we got a yield of about 4} pounds of C sugar from the gallon, and about 46 per cent. of a gallon of sirup weighing llj pounds (to the gallon). As the cane crusher was a very miserable affair, we could uot squeeze the caue enough, and as no account was kept of the yield of juice, cannot give the percentage. In other words, the works were so miserably arranged it was almost impossible to do anything with system. After I was in a position to keep an account of the yield of sirup per ton I have received as high as 23 gallons and as low as 15 gallons of sirup, weighing Hi pounds to the gallon, from a ton of cane. The difference in the yield was occasioned by the different densities of the juice. The sirup that produced the 4} pounds of sugar to the gallon polarized 53. I have never worked any other cane but the Early Amber. An acre of land has produced, to my knowledge, as high as 21 tons of stripped cane; presume a fair average yield would be 12 tons to the acre. The way we work at Hoopes- ton is as follows: We lease the land at $4 per acre, and pay a farmer $8 per acre for cultivating and delivering cane to mill unstripped. That seems to satisfy the farmer, and gives us cane at a low figure. We also will pay $2 perton for cane delivered atmill. I do not strip the cane, but think it would improve it to do so; I think an average crop of cane will pay a farmer better than raising corn. I would not like to state at what stage a maximum of sucrose may be found, but would advance the idea, just as it is growing ripe. The cane, in some districts, deteri- orates very rapidly after being cut. I have kept cane for nearly a month, during cold •weather, in Kansas, -which did not deteriorate any more than cane cut three days at

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 121 Crystal Lake. Cane should be worked up as soon after being cut as possible. The juice- spoils more rapidly if the cane is allowed to stand in the ground with the seed top cut off. The juice defecates about the same as Southern cane juice, but in clarifying it pro>- duces more scum, .and, as compared with Southern juice, it contains more foreign mat- ter. I have used sulphurous acid, which is good in this way: It enables us to use more lime in the defecation, but could produce a better yield of sugar without it, as I have given it a thorough test. Sirup made with sulphurous acid turns sour much quicker than without. I prefer the sulphur fumes; when I use the sulphur fumes I use lime enough only to neutralize the acid in the juice before receiving the sulphur fumes. We cannot make a thorough defecation with lime, and reduce it to sirup density, without making very dark sirup, unless we use sulphurous acid or sulphur fumes. With the use of lime I eliminate the sorghum tang and make the sirup a perfectly neutral sweet. You will please understand that there is a difference between a clarified sirup and a defecated sirup«r-the latter is made by using a defecating agent, while the former is simply accomplished by boiling and skimming. Of course the clarified sirup, such as the farmers make, would not yield as much sugar as the juice properly handled, with the use of lime. I have not yet met a single person here in the West who has the elighest idea how to treat the sorgo juice for sugar. I find the j nice more delicate than the Southern cane juice to handle. The way I work is as follows: As the juice comes from the mill it is passed through sulphur fumes, run into tanks, of which there are four, holding about 600 gallons each. After having settled, the juice is run into the clanfier, where it is limed, defecated, and clarified. This clarifier holds the contents of a tank, so that when it is charged it empties the tank. After the juice has been clari- fied it is run into the evaporator, where the cleansing is finished, boiled down to about 20 B., run into settling tanks, thence to the vacuum-pan, where it is reduced to sugar or sirup; from thence, if boiled for sugar, is run into crystallizing tanks, then purged of its sirup in the centrifugals. To work 100 tons of cane per twenty-four hours, the expense will be as follows (I should here remark that the cost to produce sugar will be no greater than simply to make sirup, for should you get 4 pounds of sugar from a gallon of sirup, you have but 50 per cent. of sirup left, and the difference in the cost of the sirup packages and the sugar barrels will more than pay for the extra labor; I -will add coal to the expense, the use of which, in some instances, is superfluous, for the bagasse, or refuse cane, is ample for fuel; for after the bagasse is spread in the sun, one or two days' drying makes it an excellent fuel): 100 tons cane, at $1.50per ton $150 00 12 men, feeding mill, at $1.50 per day 18 00 2 men, engineer and assistant, at $4.50 per day 9 00 4 men, firemen, at $1.50 per day . 6 00 4 men, hauling bagasse, at $2.50 per day 10 00 2 men, clarifiers, at $1.50 per day 3 00 2 men, evaporators, at $1.50 per day 3 00 2 men, juice tanks, at $1.25 per day 2 50 1 man, fill sirup barrels, at $1.25 per day 1 25 5 tons coal, at $3.50 per ton 17 50 30 sirup barrels, at $1.40 each 42 CO- Incidentals.. ..-.. .. 1000 Total expense to work 100 tons cane for 24 hours 272 25 Ton will perceive from the above calculation that the sirup will cost 18.15 cents per gallon, taking 15 gallons' yield to the ton. Should the yield be larger, it will reduce the cost accordingly. Say the yield be 18 gallons to the ton, you add the extra cost of packages, and it reduces the cost of sirup to 15.59 cents per gallon, and as our sirup readily sold at 50 cents a gallon, in 300-barrel lots, you will perceive the margin is large enough to enable us to pay more for our cane, if needs be. To ignore sugar entirely, I know Of no business that pays as well, and I know of no better place to work this business than Texas or Kansas, prefer the former, as the prod- uct could be shipped directly to New York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore at a less cost than the charge of transporting 300 miles from Kansas by railroad. Hoping the voluminous appearance of this letter will not frighten you, if there is any- thing I have omitted which you desire to know, command me. Respectfully, JOHN B. THOMS. B. SILLIMAN, Esq., New Haven, Conn.

122 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 14.—LETTER OF GEORGE W. CHAPMAN, STERLING, KANS. STEELING, PEICE Co., KANSAS, Feb. 6, 1882. DEAR SIR: Will you please send me your report of 1881? As sugarcane is very pro- lific here, I imagine it would be of vast importance to us, and would like to have the following seeds: The Red Brazilian artichoke, Chinese, White Liberian, Mammoth, and any other good sugar-cane seed. I am also anxious to try some cotton and Beauty of Hebron potato. I worked up last season 75 acres of cane, Amber and Honduras. Amber yielded 9 tons stripped and topped, and the Honduras 33f tons raw stalk per acre,, being the largest yield of cane yet known in Kansas. I can substantiate the above yield by the affidavits of four responsible men, and in this vicinity no one disputes it who has seen it. If a full report of cultivation, &c., will be of any value to you, I will forward the same. I made some sirup by an evaporator and it all granulated in a solid. Can you give us some information where we might prevail in getting some capitalists to come and develop scientifically the manufacture of sugar? Kansas can grow the deceit if it can be manufactured. If you have any improved methods or seed of any kind, we will feel highly pleased to receive it. Your obedient servant, GEO. W. CHAPMAN, Secretary Price County Farmers' Club. P. 0. box 170. COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 15.—LETTER OF JOEL M. CLARK, ITALY HOLLOW, N. Y. ITALY HOLLOW, N. Y., March 8, 1882. SIR: The Amber sugar-cane seed that I received from the Department of Agriculture on the 17th day or April, 1881, I planted on the 13th day of May last upon darkgravelly soil—-planted in drills 3| feet apart; used no fertilizer except ashes, which I used at the rate of about 12 to 15 bushels per acre. Cultivated and hoed twice, same as corn. At second hoeing pulled off the suckers, and on the 14th day of September I commenced cut- ting the cane for sirup, which was from 9 to 11 feet high; the heads were very dark color, the seed hard and appeared to be fully ripe. The yield was 13 J tons cane per acre, from which I made 18 \ gallons of beautiful sirup per ton, pronounced by dealers equal to the best sirup in the market. From the sirup I obtained a large per cent. of crystal- lized sugar, which was very satisfactory. I also obtained about 20 bushels of seed per acre. Whole experiment entirely successful. There will be from 40 to 60 acres planted in this town the coming season. Respectfully yours, JOEL M. CLARK. COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, Washington. 16.— JOSEPH WHARTON; HIS POOR SUCCESS WITH BEETS FOR SUGAR; SORGHUM PROMISES BETTER. (LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN.) AMERICAN NICKEL WORKS, Camden, N. J., April 8, 1882. DEAR SIR: Your inquiry of 4th instant as to results attained in my (beet) sugar ex- periments at Balsto is received. Those results were but negative. The first year I selected a level piece of sandy ground, similar to most South Jersey land, and dividing it into a number of parallel strips manured them with various fertil- izers, namely, barn-yard manure, green sand marl, kainite, fish scrap, and swamp muck. The beet seeds were planted, at different dates, across the other strips. Cultivation was carefully attended to; but the crop was very light, though part of it was about 8 per cent. in sugar. No results could be deduced from the variety of fertil- izers, the crop being generally poor. The second year I employed Mr. Gaston Barbier, who had had charge of a beet farm in

SORGHUM SUGAK INDUSTRY. 123 France, to manage the affair from early spring, viz, the preparation of ground, until the crop was gathered. The seeds I bought direct from a famous beet-seed cultivator in Saxony and every detail was left without restriction of expense to Mr. Barbier, who con- fidently expected a good yield of beets and of sugar. Again the crop failed, and more signally than befoTe. After that, instead of putting in 10 of 15 acres, my farm manager has planted but a few in the garden, and has merely raised a few beets for the table. My judgment is that the soil of South Jersey, or at least that part of it where sand is underlaid with gravel, is really too poor to carry a good crop of beets, even when well manured; also, that the climate of that region is unsuitable, because a dry spell usually comes on after the plants have fairly set and bigun to grow vigorously; this checks and stunts the growth, prevents the leaves from spreading over the ground in such way as to serve as mulching, and the continued drought has full .opportunity to dry out the light soil. Where the beets survive this trial and attain a certain magnitude, they take a second growth upon being thoroughly wetted by later rains, and that destroys the normal texture of the beet, causing it to be fibrous, watery, and low in saccharine. Cattle fed upon either the beets or upon the '' pugs,'' that is, the roots after rasping upon a French machine and draining in a centrifugal, did not thrive or fatten very well; they inclined to scour and were not solid in flesh. Sorghum promises much better and I have some faith in the possibility of South Jersey to produce sugar from it to advantage; the plant grows well with just such soil and treat- ment as maize. Yours truly, JOSEPH WHARTON. Prof. B. SlLLlMAN. 17.—LETTER OF J. F. POSTER. RED WING, MINN., November 5, 1881. DEAR SIR: Yours of November 1 received. The season of 1880 was my first experi- ence in the sugar business. That year I made about 4,000 pounds; sold it for 9 cents per pound. This year I have made some, but a very small amount. This was made in the forepart of the season before bad ,Weather set in; after that the percentage of sugar was so small I abandoned the idea of making sugar. I have made this season 10,300 gallons of sirup, most of which is an excellent quality and is selling for 45 and 50 cents per gallon by the barrel. Don't know of anv one else that has made any sugar in 1880 and 1881. Yours truly, J. F. PORTER. Mr. PETER COLLIER, Washington, D. C. 18.—LETTER OF BLYMEYR MANUFACTURING COMPANY. BLYMYER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Cincinnati, March 15, 1882. DEAR SIR: Your circular noted. We mail our sugar H. B.; also circular of ma- chinery. That sugar can be made from several varieties of sorghum is of course established. We have known of its being made by the barrel as far back as 1862. We have known several farmers who have made one or more barrels of it several consecutive years. It remains to be seen whether sorghum can be depended upon for sugar as it is for good sirup. The enormous value of the sorghum crop even in sirup wonld, we suppose, astonish the country if reliable statistics could be had. There is certainly warrant enough in what has already been done in sugar-making to justify special scientific investigation. Yours truly, BLYMYER MANUFACTURING COMPANY. Mr. B. SILLIMAN, New Havtn, Conn.

124 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 19.—LETTER OF H. W. WILEY. THE LA FAYETTE SUGAR REFINERY, La Fayette, Ind., April 3, 1882." DKAR SIR: Iwould suggest that in the investigations of your committee especial atten- tion be given to the influence of sulphurous acid on the color, flavor, and quality of the product. Also the solubility of the lime compounds formed by the neutralization of the acids of the j uice, and the possibility of removing them wholly from the finished products. If your final report could be delayed until next winter it would give an excellent op- portunity for the investigation of some of these unsolved problems during the coming summer and fall. My own investigations in the directions indicated are still too imper- fect to lay before your committee, but I hope by another year to have them in a much more complete shape. All persons interested in sorghum culture will take a lively interest in your labors. Respectfully, H. W. WILEY. Prof. BENJ. SJLLIMAN, Chemist. &e., Nevi Haven. Conn. W.—LETTER OF JOSEPH ALBSECHT, CHEMIST. [From the New Iberia " Sugar Bowl" of September 15,1881.] SORGHUM SUGAR. REMARKS ON THE REPORT OF PROF. P. COLLIER, CHKMIST OF THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT AT WASHINGTON. I was always of opinion that no plant could compete with sugar-cane, and that any at- tempt to manufacture sugar either from beet-root or sorghum would end in financial failure in this country. My opinion was much modified when three years ago I had oc- casion to experiment on Amber cane. The plants were in bloom, still the juice of the crushed stalks had a density of 12 J° Baume and contained 10 per cent. of prismatic sugar and 5 per cent. of glucose. I was much astonished at the unexpected richness in sugar in that variety of sorghum. In a recent visit to the Agricultural Department in Washington I had the good fortune to become acquainted with Prof. Peter Collier, who kindly introduced me into his labo- ratory. There he pointed out to me many samples of sugar made from as many varieties of sorghum and of cornstalks; described his mode of expressing and clarifying the juice, of boiling it into sugar; he also explained to me his method of analyzing for saccharose and glucose, which he pursued from the earliest apparition of the stalk until after ripening of the seed. He showed me his voluminous manuscript, proving by numberless care- fully executed analyses that certain varieties of sorghum can develop as much sugar as the true sugar-cane of the South, and that he succeeded in determining by continued analyses the state in which the j uice has reached its maximum richness in saccharose. The astonishing results which the professor obtained in his experiments convinced me that sorghum will be the future plant from which the Middle and Northern States will make their sugar and molasses, and that the "dream" of Commissioner Le Due, to save the country many millions of dollars which now go to foreign countries, will be ultimately re- alized. I am now in receipt of the printed '' report of analytical and other work done on sor- ghum and cornstalks by the chemical division of the Department of Agriculture under direction of Commissioner W. G. LeDuc, by PeterColHer. chemist." This report iswell worth more than a fugitive perusal; it contains matters of the greatest interest. not only to the agricultural and commercial world, but also to the political economist, I may say to every man, woman, and child of our country. Professor Collier undertook a work which, for its magnitude, thoroughness, and clearness in matters pertaining to the culti- vation of sorghum, for the purpose of manufacturing sugar, stands alone and far ahead of anything which has been done by the Agricultural Department. Commissioner Le Due could not have confided this part of his '' dream " to a more able and enthusiastic man than Prof. P. Collier. Never before has a plant been so carefully studied in all its phases in the development of saccharine matter, together with the sci- entific determination of other substances besides saccharose which interfere more or less in the manufacture of sugar.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 125 The amount of labor, patience, and scientific skill bestowed on this work can scarcely T)e estimated by the average readers, but suffice it to say that the author solved the prob- lem of making sugar economically from certain species of sorghum, and fixed the period of growth at which the stalks are the ripest for the mill. With this report in hand, the planter and sugar-maker have a sure guide of the growth and gradual development of sugar in the cane, and need no more waste their time and money in experimental groping in the dark. The cultivation of the richest variety of sorghum will henceforth become more and more extended, until it will supply the wants of the whole country. With the help of the description and the thirteen plates of very neatly executed wood-cuts with which the report is adorned it will be easy to determine the variety of sorghum experimented on; but the most important part of this work are the careful analyses of the laboratory, demonstrating the period at which the juice of each particular variety of sorghum or corn contains the most crystallizable sugar which could be profitably separated. Not less valuable are the synoptical tables of the varieties of sorghum cultivated at the Department of Agriculture, showing the average composition in each stage of their growth, and the graphical plates, revealing at a glance the whole history of the changes of the juice in the different varieties; the development of saccharose, glucose, and other solid matter is made visible at once as the plant progresses towards maturity, render- ing it henceforward easy for the cultivator to judge of the proper time to cut his cane for the mill. We know, from our own experience, that the greater the specific gravity of the juice the richer it is in saccharose and the less in glucose and other foreign matter. Professor Collier has made the same observation, and has fixed, as a rule, that when the juice has reached the density of 1.066 specific gravity (equal to 9° B.) the stalks may be considered ripe enough to be cut for grinding. The report contains also a table of comparison of the different hydrometers, which will be much appreciated by those who possess not the instruments or other means to ascertain otherwise the specific gravity. Considering the cheapness of the seed of the sorghum, the facility of its cultivation, the rapidity of its growth, the wide range of climate in which it can be successfully raised, and the abundance of seed, with many other advantages over the southern sugar- cane, it must engage our serious meditation, and I believe that the prediction that sugar and molasses will soon be manufactured from sorghum throughout the United States is not too much ventured. JOSEPH ALBRECHT, Chemist, 14 Union Street, New Orleans. 21. —LETTER FROM MR. RANSOM TO THE CHAIRMAN, IN RESPONSE TO AN INQUIRY, OF DATE OCTOBER 22, 1882.* SALEM, RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA, October 22, 1882. DEAR SIR: Your memorandum is received. Balance-sheet for 1881 should foot up as follows to be correct: 14acreS Eariy Orange : Profits _________________________________________________________ 433 70 That is as it should appear in your appendix — as my results from 14 acres for the year 1881 — a season so dry in this section that wheat alongside of it and on just as good ground made 2 bushels per acre, and corn 10 bushels, the cane leaving me a net profit of $30. 97 per acre, while the wheat and corn made a heavy balance in the wrong column on my ledger. Now for this fall's work. I am not through yet and can only give you partial results. Six acres of Amber cane made 183 gallons per acre, which left me a profit of $63.70 per acre. I have 26 acres Early Orange, of which about 6 remain to be worked yet. I think it will average about the same, some of it making more per acre and some considerably less. A complete balance-sheet will probably change the profits a little on the above figures for the 6 acres of Amber. * This letter of Mr. Ransom refers to one of earlier date, which follows, and corrects a clerical •error in the former statement.

126 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. I have $1,500 invested in the business (factory). My juice weighs from 10° to 12° B. I use 3 gills of milk of lime in the juice tank when about one-fourth full, and the same when the same juice is run into the defecator. That is for 150 gallons of juice. In the defecator it is brought to 208° Fahr.; then well skimmed; then boiled gently to raise the heavy brown scum that is taken off. Then the juice is run into settling tanks, where one pint of burnt alum water is added. From settling tanks it is drawn from the top- through swing pipes into the evaporator. I use an open fire train. I find a ready sale for my sirup at home at 50 cents per gallon at wholesale, and pay for the barrel. It is- granulating now. Some made yesterday (boiled to 220°), was so heavy at 9 p. m. that the bottom of the day's run would not go through the perforated tin strainer that we use in straining through into a 2,600 gallon reservoir. I never had any experience in the business until two years ago, when I made a failure in my first year's operation. My second year's results I give in the first part of .this letter, and, if not too late to do you any good, I should be pleased to send you a copy of the balance-sheet for 1882 as soon as. I get through. Any information you might be able to give me that would help me to separate the sugar from the sirup this fall would be a personal favor, as I am satisfied that I could take out several thousand pounds from my reservoir if I knew just how to go about it. Very respectfully, yours, B. V. RANSOM. Prof. B. SILLIMAN, New Haven, Conn, 22.—LETTER FROM B. V. RANSOM, SALEM, NEB'. [From the Rural World.] A SOEGO BALANCE-SHEET AND LARGEE MILLS. Colonel COLMAN: As Mr. Day has sent you a partial copy of my 1881 balance-sheet for publication, perhaps it would be as well to send you the sheet complete, as it will give your readers a better understanding of the profits and capital invested from sorgo-growing: than they can get from that: By sirup sale $744 2O By 140 bushels seed, at 30 cents 42 OO 786 2ft Man and team listing 14 acres, 2J days, at $2 $5 00 Man and horse drilling seed, 2 days, at f 1.50 3 00 Man and team harrowing, 3 days, at $2 6 00 Man and team cultivating, 12 days, at $2 2400 14 cords wood, at $4 56 00 Chemicals, oil, and blacksmith 6 00 Rent of 14 acres grain, at $3 42 00 Cost paid for labor to manufacture 131 00 Board of hands 65 00 352 5t> Net profit from 14 acres 433 7(> Net profit per acre 30 98 Net expenses per acre . . 25 17 Total yield per acre 56 12 Net wholesale price per gallon, sirup 5O Cost per gallon to manufacture 23 Net profit per gallon 27 Capital invested 1,000 00 Per cent. interest on capital 43 The figures above are actual results from working on a small scale. My mill was entirely too small for the balance of my work. If the capacity of that had been equal, the profits on capital invested would have been more than double what they were. I used a two-horse mill that weighed about 1,300 pounds. It crushed about half it was recommended to per hour, and what is worse it had one weak spot, that is in the knife or return plate; and as the strength of any mill is the strength of its weakest place, my mill only worked about half what was claimed for it.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 127 My cane juice weighed 12° B. during the entire working season. Five gallons of juice made 1 of sirup that when cold marked 42 B., yet I got only 12 gallons of sirup per ton of cane. Will Kenny got 12f gallons per ton from cane that the hest of it marked only 9° B., and run down as low as 3, and Schevrey & Beecher 16 gallons from cane that aver- aged 10° B. The difference is they use a stronger mill and prohably get 50 or 70 per cent. of the- juice of the cane crushed, while I got only from 30 to 40 per cent. B. V. RANSOM. 23.—LETTER FROM EPHRAIM LINK. [Author of " Link's Hybrid."] MYSTERIES OF SORGHUM. Colonel COLMAN: Reading A. S. Folger's article in Rural World of December 29, re- minds me of what I have for many years thought, viz, that there are as many mysteries, and hidden capabilities in the sorghum family as in any production of the soil. My first convictions on this subject grew out of an experiment I made a good many years since, in an attempt to make vinegar out of the juice boiled barely to a clarifying point. The result was a mystery, which, however, I did not set out to detail in this article, although not without its points in the curious chemistries of the sorghum family. But as I may have furnished the seed the Department sent to Mr. Folger, I wish to say that perhaps six years since I procured my first Honduras seed from Mississippi, and readily found it much superior to any of the varieties I had before cultivated, and discarded all others in the endeavor to prevent any hybridization. It remained seemingly pure and fully satisfactory for several years, during which time I furnished the Department at Washington seed for distribution to the amount, in three years, of 50 bushels or more. In my crop of 1879 I saw a good many heads indicating a mixture, for which I could not account, and which I had been so careful to avoid, unless the contamination occurred the first year, when another variety grew a little distance off. If so, the con- taminating principle lay dormant three years and had developed only that year. I sent to a friend in Texas for an entire renewal of seed for the planting of the spring of 1880, and found that, and the crop of last year, to be very pure, and to ripen two or three weeks sooner than the same variety before grown. Here also is a locked mystery I fail to understand. Also, four years ago I found a head—a clear sprout in the Honduras, entirely different in appearance from it, propagated it, and found its yield and richness in juice second to no other, and its sirup freer from the sorghum flavor than any I ever made. I sent General Le Due a specimen of the sirup and seed, and he ordered all the seed I had, about 14 bushels. In his report of the analysis of varieties he calls it "Link's Hybrid." It grows to good size, stands well, ripens before the Honduras, and I predict for it a high place among varieties. EPHRAIM LINK. GEEENVILLE, TENN. * 24.—LETTER OF ISAAC A. HEDGES, SAINT LOUIS, MO. This letter, of date April 12, 1882, to B. Silliman, chairman, accompanying a consid- erable collection of samples of sugar, melada, and sirups, being the same which were exhibited at the Cane Growers' Association in the previous January at Saint Louis. Mr. Hedges's letter also contains valuable data, to which reference is invited. * It will be observed that Mr. Conrad Johnson, in his valuable letter annexed (XVI), makes special mention of Dr. Collier's analysis of this variety, the origin of which Mr. Link here explains. B. SILLIMAN, Chairman, <&e.

128 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 25.—LIST OF SAMPLES EXHIBITED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COM- MITTEE. [Deposited in National Museum April 19, 1882. ] (A.) FROM DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Sorghum sugar, Dapartment of Agriculture, 1881, 97°.5 polarization. Sorghum sugar, Department of Agriculture, 1881, 92°. 6 polarization. Sorghum sugar, Department of Agriculture, 1881, 86°. 4 polarization. Cornstalk sugar, Department of Agriculture, 1879, 81°. 6 polarization. Pearl millet sugar, Department of Agriculture, 1878, 73°. 4 polarization. Sorghum seed, White Mammoth. Sorghum seed, Early Amber. Sorghum sugar, Professor Sweuson, 1881, 96°.4 polarization. Sorghum sugar, A. J. Russell, 1880, 97° polarization. Sorghum sugar, Hilgert & Sons, N. J., 3 samples. Sorghum sugar, Faribault Refinery, R. Blakeley, Minnesota. (B.) F-BOM THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CANE GROWERS' ASSOCIATION, BY MR. ISAAC A. HEDGES. Sorghum sugar, A. Folger, Washington, Iowa, 3 samples. Sorghum sugar, Clinton Bozarth, Cedar Palls, Iowa. Sorghum sugar, Bartlett, 1880. Sorghum sugar, Thorp, New Haven, Conn., 1880. Sorghum melada, A. Folger, Washington, Iowa. Sorghum melada, Captain Brown, West Baton Ronge, La. \ Sorghum melada, E. W. Deming, Byron, 11l. Sorghum melada, S. M. Poland, Sandusky, Iowa. Sorghum melada, William Frazier, Enterprise, Wis. Sorghum melada, No. 3, Virden, 11l. Sorghum melada, Baton Rouge, La. Sorghum melada, L. M. Thayer, Kenosha, Wis. Sorghum melada, Thorp, New Haven, Conn, 1880. Sorghum melada, Bartlett, North Guilford, 1880. Sorghum melada, Clinton Bozarth, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Sorghum melada, Jacob Stine, New Madrid, Mo. Sorghum melada, Charles Ranch, Virden, 11l. Sorghum melada, W. D. Clark, Colfax, 1ll. Sorghum melada, J. M. Nash, Hudson, Wis. Sorghum melada, N. A. Layton, Giles Mills, N. C. Sorghum sirup, L. M. Thayer, Kenosha, Wis. Sorghum sirup (B), J. A. Sebold & Co., Great Bend, Kans. Sorghum sirup, J. A. Sebold & Co., Great Bend, Kans. Sorghum sirup (A), Oak Hill Refinery, Edwardsville, 1ll. Sorghum sirup, Jesse Allen, Washington, Ohio. Sorghum sirup, A. Folger, Washington, Iowa. Sorghum sirup, N. A. Layton, Giles Mills, N. C., 2 samples. Sorghum sirup, F. Kingsley, Hebron, Nebr., 2 samples. Sorghum sirup, Port Huron, Mich. Sorghum sirup, unknown source. Sorghum sirup, Anthony, Kans. Sorghum sirup, Ovid, Mich. Sorghum sirup, Seth H. Kenney, Morristown, Minn. 26.— LETTER FROM THE LATE ISAAC A. HEDGES, EX-PRESIDENT MISSIS- SIPPI VALLEY CANE GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. SAINT Louis, Mo., April 12, 1882. DEAR SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your favor of the 1st instant, inclosing circular of sorghum sugar, &c. It affords me great pleasure to learn that your enlightened academy have taken the investigation of this industry in charge. In the language of our able Commissioner, Dr.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. '129 Loring, "I doubt not much good will come of the investigation." If the products of this crop cannot receive your indorsement, after the most rigid scrutiny, then the people should know it; hut if, however, it should (as I trust it will) come out of the scientific crucible with that measure of commendation that it has received at the hands of many of our State professors, as well as the commercial public, then capitalists will embark in it, and skilled operators will be employed in the business. The results will be the pro- duction of an abundance like the best samples I have the pleasure of sending for your inspection. The several samples I forward to you by express are, with three exceptions, those that 'were delivered to our association at its late meeting by the members who produced them. I prefer to forward them mostly in their original packages (especially the sirups) as afford- ing you a better evidence of their original quality and genuineness. I have labeled some of them with letters and corresponding ones in the explanatory table. I am com- pelled to do so because of the lack of any record or printed description to furnish you. The four meetings of our association have been, with few exceptions, of new beginners, and hence with limited reports to make. This will account for our lack of statistics, or recorded essays. I send you a copy of the report of our last proceedings, which, though limited, may possess some merit. I send you a copy of my third revised edition of •" Sugar Canes and their Products, Culture, and Manufacture.'' I call your especial attention to the reports of J. S. Lovering, sugar refiner of Philadel- phia, Pa., as copied in the body of my work, pages 123 to 140. I had the satisfaction of examining his samples of sugar and molasses at the time, and can testify to their being equal to any of our refined sugars of to-day. I will also call your attention to the report of Mr. Charles Belcher, of the Belcher Su- gar Refining Company of Saint Louis, on page 173, chapter 14, together with Mr. Thom's (a practical sngar boiler) discussion of Mr. Belcher's report (pp. 173, 174). SUGAR SAMPLES. Among sugar samples, I will only call your attention to a few of them. First. That of Mr. C. Bozarth, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, whose report will be found in a copy of the proceedings of our late cane growers' meeting, page 19, to which I will in- vite your attention. His simple method and uniform success give to the student of this industry greater assurances of ultimate success than the same would from the hand of a scientific expert. The crystals formed in the Orange cane, so called, will generally be found much larger and more cubical in form than the Amber. This latter variety of cane as well as the Orange are outgrowths by hybridization of some of the imphees imported into this country by Leonard Wray, a sugar master and author then of London, England, in the year 1857. It will be observed that all of the samples I send you, with one exception, are from these two varieties, both of which are the result of mere accidental culture. Their superiority is so manifest that they are rapidly superseding all others. It is fair to conclude that as soon as the well-directed efforts of the skilled cultivators of our State and national agricultural schools are applied-to the further development of these several varieties of canes by hybridizing, and the selection of seed from precocious and well-developed canes only (something which has not yet been practiced, to my knowl- edge), then the most satisfactory results must invariably follow. SIRUP SAMPLES. My principal object in placing in your possession the many samples of sirup is that your honorable committee may learn how varied the results are from the same product in the hands of so many different operators. This varied quality (the result of want of skill and good apparatus) has prevented this sirup from becoming a commercial article. (See communications below on this subject.) It will be observed that in all cases where the samples approach a straw color and have been properly treated with an alkali to neutralize the free acid, granulation in a greater or less degree has resulted. I will call your attention to the large package marked '' two years old.'' This formed no crystals the first season, and now they are peculiar, though not abundant. They are characteristic of the Orange cane. The introduction of the sulphur fumes in the juice of the sorghum has been tried to some extent the past season. I send you three samples, marked A, B, C, and respect- fully ask your investigation of the sanitary qualities of each. Sulphur fumes are ex- tensively used in Louisiana, and may be beneficial in the sorghum; but there may be danger of an imperfect reaction of the acid, by which a portion is retained in the sirop, S. Mis. 51 9

130 SORGNUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. that may be injurious to health. One of the above samples, I think, indicates that con- dition. Hence I am more particular to call your attention to it. The proneness of our people to engage precipitously in any new enterprise suggests the importance of a censorship somewhere, or rather an umpire, to which doubtful ques- tions may be submitted at all times, and.particularly in those matters so .deeply affect- ing the general health and prosperity of the whole nation, as does this industry. The following are the communications referred to above, all of which are respectfully submitted: [Office of Brookmire & Rankin, wholesale grocers, 415, 417, and 419 North Second street and 213 and 215 Locust street. 1 SAINT Louis, April 10, 1882. DEAR SIR: Your favor of the 10th to hand, and we would reply to your questions as follows: Question 1. Is there a demand in this region for sorghum sirup as now manufactured ? Answer. There is a good demand at all times for sorghum sirup, but the trouble has been the want of care in its manufacture and lack of knowledge, the result being goods uneven in quality, as well as body, and in many cases scorched. Another great draw- back has been bad and dirty cooperage. We are pleased to state, however, that the goods bought of you have been No. 1 in quality; cooperage new and uniform, and in every way desirable. Question 2. From what source does the demand arise, if any? Answer. The demand is not confined to any particular locality. A good article is wanted from all sections of the country. Question 3. How does this sorghum sirup, as now manufactured, compare with other sirups and molasses, say "Sugar-House," "New Orleans Plantation," " New Orleans Centrifugal," and glucose sirups of various names and grades? Answer. The sorghum as you, or rather your friends, make it would class nearer the old process New Orleans molasses. It does not class or conflict in any way with sugar, corn, or glucose sirups. Very respectfully, BROOKMIRE & RANKEST. Mr. ISAAC A. HEDGES, 320 Monroe street. City. [Office of Wulfing, Dieckriede & Co., wholesale grocers, Nos. 7, 9, and 11 North Second street.} SAINT Louis, April 11, 1882. DEAR SIR : In answer to the inquiries made in your esteemed letter of the 10th instant concerning the sale of sorghum molasses, we beg to state that we find the article growing in general favor, finding a ready sale where once introduced. We think the demand for it is for .table use principally, as well as for use of bakers, for which purpose it appears as well adapted as the Louisiana Plantation or Centrifugal mo- lasses, which latter it approaches nearer to taste than any of the other kinds of sirups in the market. In conclusion, would say that we h,ave been well pleased with the sorghum received through you, our experience with it being quite satisfactory from a mercantile stand- point. Yours, truly, WULPING, DIECKRIEDE & CO. Mr. I. A. HEDGES. , • [Office of J. F. Weston, baker, 611 and 613 Morgan street.] SAINT Louis, April 11,1882. DEAR SIR : In answer to your questions, I reply from a baker's standpoint. 1st. The supply of imported sorghum is not equal to the demand. 2d. It must, necessarily, take the place of Plantation molasses, wrhich is becoming more scarce every year. 3d. Improved sorghum, in my j udgment, is the only substitute for Plantation molasses. All other sirups, either cane or glucose, lack the necessary acid. . Respectfully, J. F. WESTON. ISAAC A. HEDGES, Esq.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 131 I will a dd an extract from a letter just received from Col. H. B. Richards, of Lagrange, Tex., that foreshadows much additional importance to the Orange cane : "But now let me tell you ahoutmy Orange cane. It is no longer doubtful at all but that the Orange cane will become in this climate perennial, and alter this year I will only plant every two years. I have tested it now effectually for two years, and am con- vinced that the stubbles will stand colder weather and more of it than those of the Rib- bon cane. " My cane from last year'sstubbleshas larger stalks, is taller, and in every way ahead of the earliest seed cane at this time, and I believe will carry its superiority clear through to the sirup barrel. I want to begin grinding by June 1. "Please let me hear from you soon. " Yours, truly, ^ "HENRY B. RICHARDS. "LA GRANGE, FAYKTTK COUNTY, TEXAS, Aprils, 1882." All of which is respectfully submitted. ISAAC A. HEDGES. Prof. B. SlLLIMAN, Chairman Com. N. A. S., New Haven, Conn. , 27.—LETTER FROM C. CONRAD JOHNSON. BALTIMORE, MD., March 30, 1883. SIR: In compliance with the request of Prof. Peter Collier, of the Department of Agriculture, Washington, I). C., I have the honor of submitting for your consideration a detailed exposition of my views on the subject of sorghums with reference to the pros- pective production of sugar Irom their juices, as appears to me from an examination of his report upon this matter. Preliminary, however, to any remarks that maybe made upon the respective data ob- tained by Dr. Collier, it must be admitted that his results as therein presented are rather those of an analytical character than the product of actual experiment, at least to any great extent or beyond the precincts of the laboratory. and that while much valua- ble scientific knowledge has thus been gained a wide field for examination still remains to be explored before sufficient information shall have been acquired upon which to hase a satisfactory verdict in the premises. Without entering into a discussion of the special methods followed and processes em- ployed for the purpose of obtaining the various data presented, we may without cavil accept them from Dr. Collier's hands as being scientifically correct. After dealing with this portion of the report, Dr. Collier at once enters upon an interesting and exhaustive examination of the constituent history of the different varieties, and exhibits the re- sults obtained from the analyses of thirty-eight different kinds, made at successive periods during their growth and arranged in tabular form. From these tables and the succeeding. ones, where a comparison of the various stages, especially the working periods are shown, and the condensed table (No. 88) of the stages, as determined from the results of the same stage for all the varieties of sorghum, we are enabled to deduce the facts laid down by Dr. Collier as the resultants obtained from them. We thus find that the earlier stages exhibit a minimum amount of crystallizable sugar (sucrose) pres- ent in the juice, and that in proportion as the plant advances the amount increases, un- til it attains a point as high-at 12 or 16 per cent. of thejuice. The "solids not sugar" likewise are found to increase, but not in a similar ratio to that of the crystallizable sugar. As regards the glucose, or uncrystallizable sugar, it is to be remarked that during the primary stages we find the amount existing in the juice to be as high as 4.50 per cent. (see table 88, stage 3), while in stage 14, or about the commencement of the working period, it averages only 1.88 per cent., as compared with 11.76 per cent. of sucrose, and in the variety "Hybrid " from E. Link, we find these components in the same period to be 0.82 per cent., or less than 1 per cent. of glucose as against 14..28 per cent. sucrose (table 12), showing a gradual diminution of glucose as the sucrose increases, and as a consequence of these changes a constant increase in the exponential value or purity of the .juice. The percentage of juice extracted from the stripped stalks is also given, and is useful, when taken in connection with the table of specific gravities, in the calculation of various data, as also for comparison with similar products from the Louisiana and West Indian eane. The graphical plates also claim attention, inasmuch as they exhibit more forcibly and

132 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. clearly the changing composition of the canes during the period of their growth than can be obtained from the tabular statements, as we are at a glance enabled to comprehend the exact composition of the canes at any period within the observed limits, and the re- lations existing between the sucrose, glucose, and solid matter forming the juices, to- gether with the relative amount of these components when judged by the average pro- portions of these substances as found in the sugar beet and cane. Plate XIV of this series presents the average development of the thirty-eight varieties whose histories are given in the previous tables, and is virtually a succinct graphical resume of the average of these canes during each of the periods into which its growth has been divided, together with an exposition of the "average available sugar per acre, spe- cific gravity of, and purity of juice, and the number of analyses determining the above for each of these stages." As noticed by Dr. Collier (p. 78, \ 3), "it is developed that 'the amount of solids not sugar' increase regularly with and with almost the same rapidity as the glucose dimin- ishes. Thus for specific gravities between 1.030 and 1.086 the average per cent. of glu- cosfe is 2.84, and of 'solids not sugar' 2.71, while the actual loss of glucose is 1.76 per cent. and the actual gain of 'solids not sugar' is 2.77 per cent. From the small num- ber of ash determinations (34) it appears that the average per cent. of ash in sorghum juice amounts to 1.07; hence we must conclude that a loss of 2.76 per cent. of glucose is apparently counterbalanced by a gain of 1.70 per cent. of organic solids not sugar, the ash varying but slightly. * * * One point, however, seems to be suggested strongly namely, that the decrease in glucose bears a much closer relationship to the increase of organic ' solids not sugar' than to the increase of crystallizable sugar. In other words, it seems at least possible that the commonly accepted idea that cane sugar is formed in plants only through the intervention of glucose may be a mistaken idea." In regard to the above remark pointing to the existence of cane sugar as a primary formation in the plant, while much may be advanced in faVor of this position, there is on the other hand much valuable evidence, and particularly that of McCulloh, who, after extended examinations into this matter, seems to favor the opposite theory. This author- ity states in his well-known report to Prof. A. D. Bache on investigations in relation to sugar and its manufacture, February 27, 1847 (p. 188, \ 19 and 20), after presenting the results of a series of experiments made with different varieties of cane, the following: ^ "The preceding experiments were instituted with the view of determining whether, as has of late been maintained, cane sugar is a primary or a secondary product in the de- velopment of the plant; whether, in other words, it is formed directly by physiological agency from inorganic matter or whether it has existed previously as a constituent and inorganic portion of the cane during its earlier immature condition, and has assumed the nature of crystallizable sugar by virtue of some chemical change at an advanced stage of the development of the plant. The facility with which those vegetable substances undergo transformation, which are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, when the two latter are in the proportions requisite to form water, naturally suggests the hypothe- sis that sugar may be formed in plants by some means analogous to those employed in converting starch and woody fiber into grape sugar and the latter into alcohol and car- bonic acid. Yet as all these changes seem but steps of degradation in the scale of organ- ized being, partial returns to organic nature, and as it has hitherto been found impracticable by artificial means to form crystallizable sugar, which seems to occupy a higher rank in the scale of vegetable organization, it,has been with seeming probability concluded that cane sugar in the growing plant results from no chemical reaction upon such substances as starch, woody fiber, &c., but is produced directly by some vital and mysterious forces dif- ferent from those of mere chemical affinity, and for the discovery of which we should study rather the effects of light, electricity, &c., than mere reactions of acids, alkalies, and other chemical reagents. The probable conclusion which I would deduce from the preceding analysis, is that since no other sugar than cane sugar exists in the mature joint of cane grown under favorable circumstances, while left-polarizing sugar is a constituent element of new and immature joints, which also vary chemically from the former in other respects, and undergo a change not unlike that which takes place in the ripening of fruits, cane sugar is therefore formed as a secondary product, and probably from the left-polarizing sugar, an opinion the opposite of that which has been of late generally accepted, and based upon investigations made by M. Hervy in France, under the unfavorable circumstances of using canes grown in hot houses, as well as upon the above-mentioned theoretical reasons. M. Hervy states that there was no difference in the old and new joints of the cane he used, but to every plan- ter it is a familiar fact that new joints differ entirely from old in the countries adapted to the culture of the cane, the former being succulent in fiber and of an astringent taste, destitute entirely of sweetness, while the latter are solid in fiber and contain a perfectly sweet juice." This explanation of the existence of glucose in the cane, which is further proven by

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 133 the analyses of Caseca and leery, who both found traces of this element in their exami- nations of even mature canes, corresponds with the above opinion. The personal experi- ence of the writer also supports the same conclusions, for the reason that he has found that mature canes on the Island of San Domingo will not at times produce crystallizable sugar, and particularly during those seasons when an extended drought has prevailed, during the latter portion of which the canes have ripened, hut which have been followed by rains, causing the canes to take a new growth, and consequently forming a large amount of glucose, whose presence in the juice when expressed and exposed to the rude processes of manufacture generally employed on the island has been sufficient to counter- act whatever of crystallizing power there remained in the concentrated sirups. If such he the case, and it seems to be so, we must attribute the increase of "solids not sugar" to some other agency than the one suggested. Moreover that the presence of glucose in the sorghum juices may he reduced very materially, if not altogether, is shown by an examination of the variety known as "Link's Hibrid." (Table No. 12, 1880, to which reference has already been made.) Table No. 89, distinguished by Dr. Collier as the "specific gravity" table, is, from a practical point of view, one of the most valuable in connection with this subject of any presented to our consideration as being an exposition of the constituencies of sorghum juices. as developed by analysis from the gravities l.Ol&as a minimum to 1.090 and 1.092, together with each intermediate rate, and enables any one of ordinary ability and pos- sessing a hydrometric gauge to form a comparatively true idea of the composition of such juices within these limits. From experiments and the information here afforded, it has been determined that the specific gravity should exceed 1,066, representing a per- centage of crystallizable sugar present equivalent to 70.48 of the total solids contained in the juice, in order to obtain a satisfactory result, as shown in the remaining columns of the table and explained in the report. With reference to the analysis of the soils as bearing upon the saccharine production, nothing can be said from the amount of data afforded, as it is too scanty to base any re- liable conclusions upon it at this stage, but it must be kept in mind that if sorghum cane is to be cultivated to any extent for the production of sugar it will he due as much to the increased knowledge obtained of the terrestrial and climatic necessities of the plant as to the perfected applications of improved and economic methods of manufacture. Table 96, showing the '' comparative value during the working period of sorghums and cornstalks," is a tabulated expression of the results deduced from the "specific gravity table," and affords the premises upon which Dr. Collier has based his conclusions as presented on the previous page of his report. Without discussing the merits of each variety as therein exhibited, we can safely agree as to the results obtained by him, and more particularly with reference to the eight varieties especially referred to. The '' avail- able results,'' however, must be accepted as a yield produced under fair circumstances and accurate scientific research, and must be valued accordingly as the possible product of a manufacture based on chemical analyses. Having thus examined the results and methods employed by Dr. Collier, it remains only for us to compare the chemical with the commercial value of the substance, or, in other words, to,investigate the probabilities surrounding the conversion of the saccharine equivalent existing in the juice into the commercial product. This portion of the subject, which is probably the most interesting to the practical sugar-maker, is one which can be treated only in oneway—that of analogy. No reliable data beyond results obtained by crude, not to say destructive processes with respect to the production of sorghum sugars, are to my knowledge in existence. Beyond the fact that a crystallizable sugar is attainable, and has been produced by accident rather than intent (a result for many years considered impossible), in greater or less quantities, and in the way of experiment, but little is practically known. That such has been the case is not to the practical sugar-maker a matter of astonishment; on the contrary, the re- verse would have been so, in view of the methods followed and the character of the^ apparatus employed. The constitution of sugar in a comparatively pure saccharine solution, whether the latter be derived by expression from the canes themselves or formed by the dissolving of" the crude material in hot water, as in the refineries, is such that it is readily affected by the surrounding conditions of temperature, atmospheric purity, and cleanliness as regards the containing vessels. In proportion as the attenuation of the solution is increased th» action of these influences becomes greater and more rapid, and consequently unfavorable results are frequently obtained, where under proper management a satisfactory return could he easily secured. This is proven by a glance at the average yield of the sugar canes of the West Indies, where the average analysis of the best canes under favorable circumstances exhibits an average of 18 per cent.; crystallizable sugar in the juice, out of which amount the average best result in the majority of cases of crude sugars does not exceed 6J per cent. This result is based upon an examination of juices weighing 9"

134 SOKGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Baume, and au analysis of Otaheite c;in3 juice by McCnlloh, of the specific gravity of 1.0843, which upon polariscopic examination gave the following result: Water .1 81. 36 Crys. sugar 18. 07 Ext. matter.. _.._ _ - 0.57 100. 00 or 18.07 per cent. of cane sugar. It must, however, be remembered that the planters frequently commence working .juice averaging slightly over 5}° Baume, so that practi- cally speaking the comparison would not be a perfectly j ust one if regarded as absolutely correct. With regard to the sugar beet we find the percentage of sugar in its .juice to be about 11.30 on the average as generally given, and according to Professor Deherain under cer- tain circumstances to attain a saccharometric strength equivalent to 20 per cent. in spe- cial varieties. For the purpose of judging of the adaptability of sorghum juices to the manufacture of sugar I present the following table giving the relative composition of cane, beet, and sorghum juices based on average data, the latter being an average of the twelve first varieties as presented in table 88 of Dr. Collier's report, 1880, p. 110: Cane juice. Beet juice. Sorghum juice. Water 81 00 82 60 82.88 18 20 11 30 12 57 Trace 1. 40? . .... 0 80 5 30 3 15 i4,55 From the above table we may fairly conclude that the comparison develops a greater similarity between the juices of the beet and the sorghum than between the sugar-cane and the latter. Without referring to the comparative equalities of the moistures and cane sugars present in the two latter (beet and sorghum), we may remark at once the greater quantitative approximation of the amounts of solid matter existing in these two substances as being more important from the fact that in proportion to the relative amounts of these solid matters do we find the results as developed in cane sugars reduced. In other words, it is to the amount of solid matters present that we must look for a true measure of the available amounts of sugars that we can obtain, and that in proportion as we are enabled to eliminate or destroy the effect of these elements in the same ratio will we have the power to obtain au increase of saccharine product. Beyond this it is further to be noted that the existence of uncrystallizable sugar in the beet has been •claimed by Mr. Bracormot—a fact which would further assimilate its juice to that of sorghum—but denied by Selouze and Pelegot. Its presence has also been claimed to ex- ist in cane juice, according to the analyses of this plant by leery and Caseca. In the preceding table while the sugar (crystallizable) existing in the sorghum does not approximate to the amount present in cane juice, it apparently surpa,sses that of the beet, but the consideration of the presence of glucose in the j uice must be regarded as modifying materially its final value. Whether the existence of this substance in the juices of sugar-producing plants can be reduced or eliminated entirely is a matter of in- terest and worthy of careful examination. That it is capable of reduction seems to be proved by the analysis presented in the case of " Link's Hybrid," in which variety we find the composition to be as follows (see table 12, page 59, Collier's report, 1880), and also from the examination of mature sugar-cane: Analyses of Link's Hybrid (Collier). £ "d u 8 « •P i .3 1 *n aj Date. 2 a f> <fiJB M § •- i fi— . 0 g § 2 "S,9 I 3 3 00 i 3 5 Per cent. Per cent. Per cen/. Per cent. July 24 1 030 56 90 2 85 3 17 2 18 August 19 1 066 63 69 1 51 11 86 2 95 1 076 64 15 0 88 14 75 3 14 October 22 1 086 63 36 0 52 16 68 4 99 1 084 62 33 0 46 16 43 2 71

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. l35 In this particular case we find the amount of sucrose present to be nearer that of the average West Indian and Louisiana cane, while a continual reduction in the proportion of glucose also occurs. With juices equal in strength to these, or approximating to such values, and in view of the improvements in the saccharine properties of beet .juice, as demonstrated in the increase of their sucroses from an average of 11.30 per cent. to 20 per cent., as shown by Professor Deherain, in the case of samples No. 1 and No. 2, im- proved beets, No. 348, we may, under the present circumstances, reasoning from analogy, conclude that while we have a sugar constituent existing in the best sorghum j uices which will, with careful manipulation, produce profitably a commercial sugar, we have every reason to believe from the data herein afforded that this amount can be very materially increased, and to an extent sufficient to render it under ordinary circumstances a profit- able industry in many sections of the country. In order, however, to attain this end, and to obtain such a maximum result, it mustbe remembered that a careful manipulation of the raw j nice is a sine qua non to success. A cor- rect knowledge of the composition of the substances which are to be operated upon becomes , an absolute necessity, and an avoidance of such processes and methods are as inj urious to the operation, audits final result, are equally demanded as requisite elements of success. Perhaps in no stage in the process of sugar-making, whether in the treatment of the true canes or of the sorghums, is so much importance rightly adjudged, and in practice so little care taken, or rather absolute carelessness exhibited, as in the very necessary proc- ess of defecation. Practically speaking, in the majority of cases, as far as an actual beneficial defecation is effected, such a resultas a perfect onedoesnot exist. The opera- tion as generally performed is done in a very crude manner, and the addition of the def- ecating material (generally lime), if it be suitable at all for the purpose intended, is usually applied in such a manner as rather to be an actual detriment than an aid to the operation. Frequently a greater quantity is added than the necessities of the case demand, and the apparent fiiilure of it to act as rapidly as expected generally is followed by an increase of the dose, thus converting an actual remedy into a poison. The want of pre- cision in grading the proportion of the neutralizing agent to the chemical necessities of the juice is without doubt one of the greatest faults common among sugar-makers, and yet this is really one of the most important operations of the manufacturer because all the succeeding processes are in a great measure dependent upon it. When once cane juice has been expressed from the stalks, the operations of the sugar-maker should pro- gress without delay, because exposure to the air will, in a majority of cases, produce a viscous fermentation, resulting partly from this cause and partly from the nitrogenous substances held in suspension in the juice. If free acids exist in the juice, lime, in saturating them, produces uncrystallizable salts which tend to keep a portion of the su- gar in a soluble condition, and to this cause we can attribute a large proportion of the molasses which is usually formed. If alcoholic fermentation has set in, the action of the defecating material operates in a different manner. It unites with the carbonic acid, and combines with the glucose which accompanies or precedes its formation; this second product meets with almost im- mediate decomposition, the glucose going to form glucic acid and, with the lime, glucate of lime. This operation does not stop at this point, but still progresses, and this salt now becomes changed into a new substance—probably the molassate of lime—which forms the coloring matter present in brown sugars and molasses. This latter substance is, how- ever, thought to be less injurious in its effects than glucose itself, for the reason that it is less viscid than the latter, and although it destroys a certain amount of saccharine matter, does not prevent crystallization to the same extent as glucose. Defecation, therefore, should be a neutralization of the acids as nearly as possible, but in practice we find the actual result to be slightly alkaline. If alteration has taken place owing to various causes, as previously shown, glucate of lime is the result and saccharate of lime if otherwise. This latter is an uncrystallizable salt, which, when present in quan- tities, owing to its greater decomposing action, also renders evaporation slow and dim- cult, and opposes to some extent crystallization, according to the best authorities on the subject. The difficulties here referred to may, perhaps, be ameliorated to some extent by pass- ing the fresh juices at once into a tank or receiver to which a low degree of heat can be applied, and in which the action of specific gravity may aid in separating the heavier feculencies present, then passing the partly clear juice through a thin layer of bone-black in order to separate mechanically as much as possible the remaining feculencies, and es- pecially the gummy and viscid substances in the juice. Thence it goes at once to the defecators, where it is to be treated with lime, preferably graystone lime, freshly slaked and diluted with water to the consistency of milk. The practice of using dry lime, or of mixing it with a portion of the juice, is not one to be recommended, as it produces, with the mixing juice to the amount that is employed,.the very result that should be most guarded against. After a perfect defecation it next passes to the clarifiers, or may

13 fi SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. be passed through bone-black which has already been used for bleaching, which is the preferable method, as the action of the black extracts the excess of lime present in the juice, which has the double tendency of producing coloration in the juice on the appli- cation of heat and the formation of col or scale in the vacuum-pans. Powdered bone- black may also be used with satisfactory results in the course of defecation, as also albu- minous substances. Excess of lime may also be neutralized in many ways; and while alum and cream of tartar have been suggested for this purpose, sulphuric acid is to be regarded as being preferable to either when the after results are taken into considera- tion. The indications of a perfect defecation are easily distinguishable by the practical sugar-maker, and too well known to need description here. Clarification, which is sim- ply a supplementary defecation without the intervention of anything except heat, needs no comment as being billed upon the same general principles that control the previous process of defecation. We may therefore pass at once to the consideration of the next stage in the process, that of evaporation, and the means used to effect this object. The apparatus employed in the evaporation of saccharine solutions may be divided generally into three classes: firstly, those in which direct (fire) heat is applied, and of which the Jamaica or open kettle train is the representative, and probably the best of its class, together with the various modifications of "patent" fire evaporating pans more aptly styled by Dr. Ure "sugar frying-pans;" secondly, open steam trains or apparatus in which the evaporation is produced by the radiation of steam heat or hot air in the presence of the atmosphere or under ordinary pressure; and thirdly, vacuum apparatus, or such in which evaporation is carried on at a point below the normal pressure of the atmosphere and at a reduced temperature. As it has been with apparatus of the first class that most of the experiments made in the concentration of sorghum juices have been performed, a few remarks on this special class may not be out of place at this stage of the present inquiry. According to Hoch- stetter, during the evaporation of cane juice in open trains, wherein the liquid is ex- posed directly to the action of the atmosphere at a high temperature, formic acid is liable to be produced, and this formation is claimed by him to exert a most pernicious effect upon both the color and crystallizable powers of the cane sugar. It is also remarked by the same authority, that a similar effect occurs during the process of claying, by the direct contact of trie large surface exposed by the heated drops with the air, and the ac- tion produced thereby. The production of caramel and of glucose is also a direct result of this method, and for weak solutions and those of the character of the sorghums can- not for these reasons be for a moment considered. The next class—those involving the use of open trains using either steam or hot air as evaporating agents—while they are an improvement upon the former, fall far behind in point of effectiveness the results to be derived; for although a better control of the tem- perature is afforded than by the use of direct heat, the difficulty of a necessarily high temperature at the termination of the process destroys to a very great extent whatever advantages may have accrued during the primary stages of the evaporation. That a por- tion of these ill effects may be materially obviated in this class of evaporators is evi- denced by the practice followed by the beet-sugar manufacturers, who in some cases use wooden covers and steam chimneys for their evaporating vessels. The amelioration re- ferred to is caused by the exposure of the surface juice to a covering of steam, whose effects are less inj urious than those of heated air. This modification of the open evap- orator is to be recommended, as being one involving but little expense, and would no doubt if suitably arranged give comparatively satisfactory results, independently of effect- ing a greater economy in the matter of fuel. The third or vacuum apparatus as invented by Howard, and as modified by various manufacturers, must however be regarded as the most perfect system yet applied to the manufacture of cane or other sugars. Filling as it does all the conditions requisite to a favorable attainment of the end in view, it is without doubt the only proper method worthy to be employed in exact investigations of this character, and when combined with steam defecators, bone-black filters, and mechanical filters, and erected as a double or triple effect apparatus, we have presented to us the most perfect combination of mechanical devices that has yet been invented for the production of sugars. While comparatively cheap as regards cost, both in the first instance and with respect to their operation, competition among manufacturers has in many instances produced an inferior machine; and a short-sighted desire to economize on first cost has led to the con- struction of apparatus which, while a great improvement over the open trains, are in some respects inferior to what they should be. In this category we may place vacuum- pans without steam-jackets, which rely for their heating surface entirely upon the amount of worm contained in them, as being probably the worst of their class and a source of endless annoyance to the sugar boiler, not to say loss to the manufacturer. A substitute for the steam-jacket has been sought for by placing the lower worm close to the bottom of the pan, but this device does not seem to meet with satisfactory results

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 137 in practice. Where economy of steam is a matter of great importance the use of a single pan, arranged in direct connection with a steam recipient so as to utilize the exhaust steam of the pumps and engines, may he successfully employed, and the evaporation carried on in the open steam or kettle train up to a point varying between 18° and 26° Beaum£, hut in this case large capacity is required both in the case of the vacuum pump and pan. The process of crystallization is the next that claims our attention, and may be re- garded rather as an eifect produced by the continuation of the previous operation, than as being separate and distinct from it. The methods pursued to obtain this have for their basis the well-known fact ,'that sugar is soluble in water in a ratio proportional to its temperature up to the degree of 270° Fahr., at which temperature the result is a sirup so exceedingly viscid that if it be allowed to cool it will be found that the sugar cannot crystallize in the usual manner, but simply solidifies in the form of a transparent amorphous mass, similar to that prepared by confectioners and popularly known as candy. While, however, crystallization ceases at this point, it is to be remarked that there still remains a certain amount of moisture, sometimes called the water of solution, united in the proportion of 10 per cent. of water to 90 per cent. of sugar. If now the evaporation be pushed to a point beyond this, so as to perfectly desiccate the mass, the increased temperature required to do this operates in such manner as to effect a complete decomposition of the sugar itself, and thus sets the bounds of the possible limits of this process, as far as heat is concerned. On the other hand we find that while sugar is sol- uble in one-third its weight of cold water at the temperature of 60° Fahr. a saturated solution contains 66 per cent. of sugar and 33 per cent. water, while at 212° Fahr. by reason of the increase of solubility due to the change of temperature the same con- dition indicates the relations of 83.33 per cent. of the former to 16.66 per cent. of the latter, or the proportions of 5 to 1. For this reason, if we undertake to evaporate a solution which is saturated at the temperature of 60° Fahr. and to so apply heat so as to maintain a constant temperature of 212° Fahr. it will be found necessary to drive off in the form of vapor one-half of the water contained in the solution before the latter will have become fully saturated at the higher temperature. In other words the proportion of water must be reduced from one-third the total amount present at 60° to one-sixth at 212°. As soon, however, as the saturation point is reached any further progress in this direction will cause the sugar to separate in a crystalline form on account of the solvent power of the water present having been exceeded, and this process will continue until the deposit becomes too thick either to transmit the heat readily or allow of its conven- ient passage through the exit valve of the pan. Evaporation under atmospheric pressure, therefore, exhibits results in accordance with the indications shown in the previous paragraph and applies to the various forms of open apparatus used in the art, and in such others wherein an equivalent surface press- ure is maintained during the operation. We encounter, however, very different phe- nomena, if we eliminate the pressure of the atmosphere and perform the operation in a vacuum. Subject to this condition, we find that the operation is performed under a very reduced temperature, and in consequence of the rapid absorption of latent heat the "mother liquor " or unevaporated portion of the sirup will necessarily contain a lesser amount of sugar. Taking 175°-180° Fahr. as the limit of temperature we can estimate, for all practical purposes, with sufficient accuracy that water will dissolve four times its own weight at this heat, being then fully saturated. Further evaporation, therefore, necessarily causes the deposition of crystalline sugar as in the former case. In practice the operation is carried at various temperatures, ranging from 120° Fahr. up to 180° Fahr., determinable by the character of the sirup acted upon and the perfection attained in the previous processes. In boiling for grain, as it is technically termed, the same principle maintains, the skill of the sugar-maker .being directed to form primarily a series of nuclei and to afterward erect a superstructure upon them without permitting the formation of a secondary series. It is in this way the higher grades of sugar are now usually obtained, and to this method. and the application of centrifugal force in the drying apparatus are due the existence of the well-known class of centrifugal sugars. Muscovado sugars, however, follow a different method, the sirups being concentrated to a lesser degree of saturation, the final crystallizing action taking place in open tanks or coolers under atmospheric conditions and at a temperature contained within the limits of 95° and 105° Fahr. Here, too, the separation of the solid sugar follows the same gen- eral law of saturation, and in proportion to the length of time employed in the tanks in cooling will the size of the crystals formed therefrom depend. Molasses sugars of strong test are boiled so as to form minute crystals in the pan, but are dropped into tanks and the operation is concluded in the same way as in the case of Muscovados. The treatment ol soured or frozen canes is a matter involving considerable interest to cane-growers both in Louisiana and other parts of this country, and owing to the fact of the adaptability of the sorghum to higher latitudes must necessarily be important to

138 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. the producers of this plant. It may be briefly stated that while much is open to the in- vestigation of the chemist in this department, practical experience has indicated the profitable crystallizability of such juices, when improved apparatus and proper con- ditions have been employed. It is also to be observed that while such canes may be worked in the ordinary way, a larger percentage of crystalline sugar is produced when methods similar to those pursued in the-course of extracting sugar from West Indian and other molasses of strong polariscopic test by the northern refineries are followed. Of the centrifugal machine and its numerous adaptations to the draining of various classes of sugars, little is necessary to be said, as its common use among sugar-makers and refiners has rendered it either in one style or another generally known. At this point, before entering upon a consideration of the conclusions to be drawn from the pre- vious investigations, it may be well to compare the results presented to us by McCulloh of the workings of the various apparatus as compared with each other in the production of sugars from Louisiana canes. In the following table the comparison is made between the several different systems of manufacture as therein given, both with respect to the amounts of sugars produced, the relative quality or grade of product, and the total pecuniary value in a relative point of view of each result, the whole being based upou an equal amount of extractable sugar in each case. Value of a crop of cane made into sugar by six different processes, into hogsheads, without being siruped, at the price each class has been sold or is worth this season, 1847. [The whole quantity of dry sugar being in each case 653,367 pounds and the boiling power required for each crop being 8,000 pounds.! I 1 v$ 'o.S 4 *3 %| 4 J. . 'o.S O p,c J2 « 35 t., aS 4) hC . S 8ijB 4) <D V O £3 «« g. Rg a s £ 0 V 3 . ^ O ofl S O a) a ) u "a J £ «& *s QQ & ^ « c3 IS 3.5 " S'o fi 1 a "aS > g i * 73 3 av Jli — ~ ss^ ii ill 1° V -s «i S3 13 PH > 0. PH >s, H O > S P ! 433,000 41 19,485 *43,300 2 866 00 26,734 18 4,812 12 25,163 12 2'. ,. 433,000 41 19,485 153,500 21 1,221 25 13,857 18 2, 494 26 26, 200 51 3. . 433,000 5 21,650 162,000 Si 5,265 00 12, 874 18 2,317 32 29,232 32 4. . 433,000 4 17,320 153, 500 21 3,837 50 12,857 18 2,314 26 23,471 76 6. . 433,000 51 23, 815 162,000 S1 5, 670 00 12,871 20 2,574 20 32,059 20 8. . 440,000 61 28,600 163.000 4* 7,742 50 11,949 20 2,389 80 38,732 30 +S 478,500 6 28,710 141,000 4j 6,345 00 10,011 20 2,008 20 37,063 20 Comparative expenses, consumption of fuel, profits, &c. A A 13" s" A . P. d Z cj 5 a ^ H . u as a« |! •P ft if Ji *« 5 •. 1 *8 1" O. s >, S 0 r a ^ 1 $7,000 1,515 $18,163 12 $13 440 43 $2 000 2 7,000 1,515 19, 200 37 12,403 18 2,500 S : 7,000 1,515 22, 232 32 9 371 23 4 000 4 8 000 200 1 948 L $974 25 14 477 37 17 126 18 12 000 5 8 000 200 1 948 L 974 25 22 885 55 8 718 00 12 000 8 000 200 550 S 2 171 75 31 603 55 10 000 -f8. 8,000 200 550 S. 2, 171 25 31,034 45 569 10 10 000 (In the foregoing table taken from M'Culloh's report, method 1 represents "the old set of kettles;" 2. Set of kettles for sirup, strike high pressure steam pan; 3. Set of ket- tles for sirup, and strike vacuum-pan; 4. Open high pressure steam pans for sirup and strike; 5. The same for sirup with strike vacuum pan; 8. Rellieux's triple and quadru- ple effect pan apparatus, clarifiers, and filters; +8. The same with results obtained from high boiling). In the above table we have the relative values of each of these methods, as far as pro- duction, value of the result, and expense attending the same are concerned, together with the relative cost of each apparatus at the date of the compilation of this table.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 139 These results are alike both with reference to the total amount of gross values produced, and the relative economy of each method with respect to cost of production referred to the net product. Thus in both instances they stand as follows: 8, +8, 5, 3, 2, 1, 4; the method 8 giving the best and 4 the poorest, proving that the rules indicated by scientific investigation are substantiated by the results of practical experience. From these data we may conclude, therefore, that vacuum apparatus when properly combined with suit- able clarifying appurtenances will always give the most satisfactory returns and in the increased value of the product will in a short period repay the original first cost. Having thus compared fully the chemical constituents of the canes under discussion, the processes best adapted for the attainment of the ends in view, together with such sug- gestions as may seem proper towards enabling the operation to be conducted with a minimum loss, we may return to the comparison of the actual results obtained in prac- tice, with the "available " ones presented by Dr. Collier in his tables. If we accept it as a fact that Louisiana cane will produce on an average 2,000 pounds of sugar and 120 . gallons of molasses to the acre (and we believe that taking the plant and ratoons to- gether this will be found a high estimate) we have the following data: Average Lousiana cane: Sugar pounds-. 2,000 Molasses gallons _ ~ 120 French beets: Sugar -. pounds.. 3,600 Molasses gallons-- 156 Sorghum cane: 1,417 ,374 90 80 Sugar (average) , pounds. _ •! 0'^. ' f Molasses (estimated) gallons.- < AGRICULTURAL EXPENSE. t Average cost of working per acre: Louisiana cane (estimated) $14 00 French beets 14 00 Sorghum cane 11 50 to 17 50 VALUE OF RESULTS. Louisiana cane: Sugar |140 00 Molasses 72 00 212 00 French beets: Sugar 189 00 Molasses --- 16 38 205 38 Sorghum cane: Sugar (average) .{* 54 Jj0 167 36 Molasses (estimated) < ^ QQ *237 72 From the above data, which is approximated as closely as the information attainable in this regard will allow to actual results, we can conclude as follows, independently of the final determinations reached in Dr. Collier's report: 1st. That sorghum canes as a source of sugar production possess on an average less crystallizable sugar in their juices than those of the average sugar-cane, but more than that contained in the juices of the average French beet. 2d. That a comparison of the analyses of the juices of the beet, the sorghums, and the *Mr. Johnson's estimate omitted the value of the seed of sorghum, an item which it is important to state, and which in the opinion of many cultivators is fully equal to the cost of cultivation or more. Evidence on this point abounds in this report.—Com.

140 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. true cane, seems to develop the fact that a greater similarity, chemically speaking, ex- ists between the sorghums and the beet than between the latter and the sugar-canes, the quantity of'' solids not sugar'' (ash) in each case being regarded as a factor of greater importance in the matter of sugar production than the other features. 3d. That the capacity of the sorghums for improvement, and their consequent increase to produce crystallizable sugar, is evidenced by the superior results obtained from par- ticular races and gives us strong reasons to believe that it may be possible to approximate its yield in the near future to that of the ordinary sugar-cane. 4th. That owing to the character of the plant and its similarity in this respect to maize, its relative cost of cultivation is necessarily less than that of the beet, and taking into consideration the element of time with reference to the period of its growth, less than that of the sugar-cane. It is also better adapted to the general conditions of soil, climate, ' and system of agriculture pursued in the United States than that of the beet. 5th. That a fair trial and effort to determine the practicability of this industry can only be made by the use of the best class of machinery. under the management of thoroughly competent men of practical ability, before any decision in regard to the results can be rendered upon this matter, because the profits to be derived from the cultivation and manufacture of sugars depend rather upon the relations existing between the actual amounts of sugar extracted and converted into the commercial product and the total su- gars in the plant, than upon the latter alone. Thus, while in the case of the ordinary cane a result of 6J per cent. out of a total of 18 per cent. is the common result, a product of 7 or 8 per cent. out of a total-of 14 per cent. would be a better one in this particular instance, independent of the relative increase, inasmuch as the article produced would from its quality be of more value, over and above the fact of its involving a less cost in the matter of cultivation. 6th. From the conclusions drawn in the body of this communication, as also from those presented in No. 2, it follows that the methods best adapted to the treatment of sorghum juices should lean rather towards those employed for the beet than the ones in use for cane, for the reason that the difficulties in these juices are similar and arise in great measure from the same sources. 7th. As an element involved in the practical success of this industry, the relative value of sorghum cane as compared with those of other crops of the sections in which it may be raised, viz, wheat, rye, oats, corn, &c., becomes important, for the reason that the cost of the raw material and its adjuncts influences to a very great extent the value of the final product, because no agricultural industry can ever succeed unless the monetary value of the product exceeds that of the one it supplants. In conclusion, I would state that while exceeding the limits originally intended for this communication, and perhaps digressing on details not directly connected with the sorghums themselves, the fact of the very intimate relations between the three classes referred to must be my excuse! As a practical sugar-maker, however, my own experience of many claiming to be such. and their constantly repeated errors has led me to be more diffuse on the subject of manufacture than I should otherwise have been, for the reason that if these conditions exist among such men we must necessarily expect to find them* in a greater degree present among those not possessing any experience—such as the ordi- nary farmer. Let us hope that what chemistry in the matter of the sorghums promises us in the present may be brought to a successful realization in the near future, and that following in the footsteps of its older brother it may meet with final success. Very respectfully submitted, C. CONRAD JOHNSON. B. SILLIMAN, Chairman Sorghum Sugar Committee, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D. C. VS.—LETTER FROM HENRY B. RICHARDS, OF TEXAS, RESPECTING ORANGE CANE, PERENNIAL, BY HIS EXPERIENCE. [Referred to in the report, p. 28.] LA GRANGE, TEX., September 25, 1882. DEAR SIR: I have been working with improved varieties of sorghum, on a small scale, since 1875 until the summer of 1880. I considered until then the Early Amber the best for all purposes. In the drought of that summer it fell far behind the Early Orange (sent me that spring by Mr. Hedges, of Saint Louis,) and it (the Amber) failed entirely in

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 141 making a second crop that season. The Orange, on the contrary, made a good average second crop. Again, in 1881, with the severest drought I ever saw, Amber was a failure; Early Orange made two crops, nearly average. I now plant the Orange only. Two mature crops of it, for the mill, are certain, and, for forage, three crops. In regard to sugar, my works are too small for profitable results in that line, although I have made, experimentally,, 200 and 300 pounds of sugar during a season. Owing to the scarcity oi and demand for pure sirup in this section, I have not kept a single barrel of sirup this season long enough for it to granulate much, and have only boiled to 228° Fahr., sirup standard. Specimen" samples of sirup that I kept have all granulated more or less, notably one, made June 19, which is three-fourths solid sugar, in very large grains. My sirup is all contracted for by one merchant at 55 cents per gal- lon at mill, for all I can make during 1882. I have made near 2,000 gallons to date, and expect to work for two months yet. The yield this season per acre is not satisfactory. Juice is pretty rich, ranging from 9° B. to 12° B., mostly the last; but the stand is bad generally, and cane low and branching at the top to three and four, sometimes more, heads, which being cut off, leaves the cane very short, say 4 to 6 feet, for the mill. The average yield for my mill per acre is about65 gallons; some have made 80 and 90 gallons; some as low as 40. With regard to the Perennial Orange, its yield was 86 gallons per acre; juice 11° B., first crop, and a very poor stand, as it was totally unprotected during the. winter. The second crop from it for this season will soon be ripe. I intend protecting my stubbles this winter with two furrows thrown on them, and confidently expect a much earlier and heavier crop next year. I find the juice from the old stand richer by 2°, under the same circumstances, than seed cane, and the growth of stalk more vigorous and rapid; it also matures earlier. No other variety, except the Early Orange, possesses this perennial quality. The plant has no insect enemies that I am aware of; it flourishes when other crops are parched with drought. By far the most valuable forage plant in existence, yielding three crops per annum, each crop giving three times the amount of fat-producing food that the same area of corn will give. The only drawback to its culture I know is the difficulty of pro- curing labor during the season of cotton picking. Very respectfully, yours, HENRY B RICHARDS. Professor SiLLIMAN, Chairman Sorghum Sugar Committee, N. A. 8. P. S.—I consider the two certain crops of this Orange cane a much safer and better in- vestment every way than any one crop of Ribbon cane, which is the most uncertain, un- reliable thing on earth. yd.—LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN FROM GENERAL ASHBEL SMITH, M. A., M. D., ETC., HOUSTON. TEX. [Dr. Smith's remarks on the peculiarities of sorghum grown under the latitude of Texas are of special interest. He is one of the oldest and most intelligent agriculturists in Texas, where he has passed a long life, varied by his diplomatic and other public duties, having been minister to France and Great Britain from the Republic of Texas before its annexation to the United States. His estimate of the biennial or perennial character of sorghum in that latitude is interesting, and more so are his remarks on the successive crops, in the same season, from one early sowing, and its vigor against frost destructive to maize. By 'Dr. Smith's statement sorghum is a good sugar crop in Texas for six months, from June to December, and hence the long maturing varieties, like Honduras, Mammoth, &c., are of special interest.] EVERGREEN, NEAR HOUSTON, TEX., October 18, 1882. MY DEAR SIR: Your esteemed favor of September 19 reached me a few days since, after an absence of some time from home. I am afraid I shall not be able to give any information valuable or new to you con- cerning sorghum. I can only evince my disposition to do so. I have cultivated a patch of sorghum, an acre or such a matter, every year for several years, not as a leading crop, but as feed for hogs and green forage for horses and mules.

142 SORGHUM SUOAR INDUSTRY. I have long known that sorghum is a biennial, perhaps a perennial. This, however, is an inconsiderable advantage, or rather none at all. For annual planting is of less labor than cleaning the ground around the ratoons; besides, annual planting leaves the ground in better condition. The cost of seed for planting is practically nothing, for a nickel's worth is enough to plant an acre. The sorghum of the sugar species known to me is a very hardy plant, and bears without injury a degree of cold which completely kills Indian corn. Consequently it may be planted very earjy, with us in Texas early in February. It is in another respect hardy, for when fairly started to grow it grows so rapidly as soon to outstrip nearly all the weeds of a field. making it a crop of easy cult- ure. It suffers as little from being bruised in working as Indian corn. . So far as I know it has not in Texas suffered from any disease, nor is it yet infested by any insect. In Texas and, I presume, in more northern climates, it tillers very numerously. I have already mentioned its very rapid growth. When cut down to the ground it sends forth shoots so promptly, and these grow so vigorously that two crops of matured canes, ready to feed or grind for sirup, can be cut from the same plants and their ratoous, and two or three crops of well-matured se,id gathered from them during the same season. In Texas we have several varieties of sorghum, between which the chief difference is of those which bear black seed and those which bear red seed. My own observation does not enable me to speak of their relative worth. You are, of course, aware how readily the sorghums hybridize with each other and with their congener, broom-corn. In Texas sorghum is often rolled for sirup on a small scale, but not for sugar, though we know that sugar can he extracted from it. A sufficient reason for the latter fact is that the West India cane, Saccharum officinarum. flourishes well here. A neighbor of mine makes every year from sorghum a few barreis of sirup, a fair article, better than the manufactured sirup of glucose, but decidedly inferior to the sirup from the proper sugar-cane. The sorghum sirup. which I have tasted, leaves in the mouth a pungent sensation—an avoidable or removable defect, for it does not exist in the juice of the mature sorghum cane. An acre of sorghum from one cutting yields much less saccharine matter than an acre of West India sugar-cane. This disparity in yield may be compensated or reversed in favor of sorghum by the successive crops or cuttings of sorghum from the same roots in one season before adverted to. It is certainly a great advantage of sorghum that rolling the cane may be commenced in June and continued without intermimtiun until Christmas. The rapidity with which saccharine j uices take on fermentation, especially in warm weather, would in such case necessitate the use of sulphurous antiseptics to secure the immediate commencement from the mill of their conversion into sirup or sugar. Sugar-making is a good deal more than simple boiling. It requires skill and prac- tical tact. These are readily acquired under an experienced sugar-boiler. To ascertain the reliable capability of sorghum as a source of sugar supply. get an experienced, prac- tical sugar-boiler from Louisiana or Texas. Then place the product in the hands of one of your northern sugar refiners. I surely can see no reason why sorghum cannot be cultivated successfully in districts so far north of the Hacv/uirum officinarum belt as to furnish the entire supply for consump- tion. It must have some advantages over the sugar-beet of Europe. It has less impor- tance for us in the great Mexican G-ulf districts of Texas, for the Saccharum offieiuarum flourishes and matures.sufficiently throughout all these districts. On reading over what I have written I am surprised a little at the meager details of this letter. It would be indeed a sincere pleasure to add any facts, if I knew any, in addition to those you already possess. Faithfully, your friend, ASHBEL SMITH. Professor SILLIMAN, &c. 30.—DUPLICATE ANALYSES OF SORGHUM JUICES. [See report, p. 26. J For the purpose of controlling the results of analyses, there have been made during the season of 1882 twenty-four analyses of sorghum juices in duplicate at the Depart- ment of Agriculture. In no case did those who were engaged in the analyses have any reason to suspect that they were at work upon duplicates, the samples having been prepared and sent in to the laboratory under their several numbers, as being individual specimens of juice. Thus Nos. 105 and 113 were duplicate juice, and so are Nos. 107 and 115.

SORGHUM SUGAE INDUSTRY. 143 It will be observed that the agreement is quite as close as could be expected in work of such a character, and that the average results given at the close of the table show that in the analytical work there is nothing to cause doubt as to the substantial accuracy of the work recorded. Duplicate analyses .of sorghum juices. Number of analysis. i Glucose. Sucrose. Solids. 1 & 105..... . .... 1042 5.40 2.72 1 69 3, 06 107 1034 3 25 3 73 1 30 4 24 109 1038 3.27 4.69 1 29 5 28 Ill 1053 3 38 8 30 1 14 8 01 133 1072 2.10 12.96 3 07 13 44 158 1068 1 15 11 79 3 26 12 06 ISO . . ..: . 1063 2.79 10.06 2.55 10 21 161 . 1072 .93 13 31 3 28 13 60 168 1057 3.23 8.37 2 35 8 68 169 1056 2 02 8 92 2 63 9 36 173 1068 1.57 12.03 2 64 12 44 182. 1057 1.48 8.48 3.41 8 54 189 . . 1058 2.13 10.41 2 50 191 1057 8.50 2.24 192 1069 2.44 11.65 2.79 194. : .....:. 1056 2.42 8.86 2.24 9.01 206. 1038 .67 f 5.72 2.93 224 1071 1.05 13.15 3.27 13.44 214 . 1069 1.89 12.48 2.73 12 91 216 . 1073 1.82 12.94 3.20 13.68 212. ion .84 13.39 2.98 13 53 220 , 1071 1.19 12.54 3,40 13 23 221 . 1061 4.11 8.22 2:81 8 70 219. 1061 1.64 10.31 3.24 10.93 1435 64.06 233.63 60.43 195.34 1059.8 2.252 9.729 2.627 10.281 Number of analysis. Specific grav. 3 Sucrose. J Polar. 113 1042 5 65 3 13 87 3.20 115 1034 8 26 3 83 1.25 3.72 114. . . . 1038 3 27 4 86 1 21 7.24 116 1053 3 41 7 82 •1.57 7.90 136. 1073 1.93 12 81 3.27 13.53 160 1069 1 16 11 59 3.03 12.14 157. 1063 2.92 10 23 2.21 10.28 163 1073 93 13 31 3.54 13.60 180 1057 3.18 8 26 2.29 8.69 181 1056 2 05 8 78 2.45 9.34 179 1068 1.53 11 96 2.70 12.55 183 1057 1 49 8 45 3.09 8.52 202 1059 2 18 9 99 10.48 203 1056 3 29 7 91 2.75 8.47 204 1069 2.41 11 60 2.88 12.05 205 1056 2 46 8 70 2 55 207 A 1038 67 5 93 2 88 226 1071 1 12 13 37 3.26 13.48 227 1069 1.87 12.73 2.58 12.02 228 1073 1 54 13 50 2.76 13.76 229 1071 .89 13.73 2.98 13.48 230 1071 93 11 11 5.15 13.48 231 1061 4 04 8.49 2.54 8.64 232 „ 1062 1 68 10 95 2.56 11.02 1439 53.86 233.04 60.37 194.59 1060 0 2 244 9 710 2.625 10.242

144 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 31.—THE CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION—ANALY- SES OF SORGHUM SEED. [Annual Report for 1881. Professor S. W. Johnson, Director.] 1. Seed of Minnesota Early Amber cane, from E. M. Dunn, Grafton, Mass. 2. Sorghum seed, from E. D. Pratt, West Cornwall, Conn. COMPOSITION. Constituents. Air-dry. Water-free. Minnesota Early Amber. Sorghum seed. Minnesota Early Amber. Sorghum Water .. . 15.04 1.73 8.13 1.94 69.65 3.51 16.76 2.17 7.69 3.21 66.81 3.36 seed. Ash 2.04 9.57 2.28 81.98 4.13 2.6O 9.23 3.85 80. 3O 4.02 Fat 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 No determinations of the digestibilty of sorghum seed have been reported. Its com- position is quite similar to that of the ordinary cereal grains, and it is to be anticipated that it will prove equally digestible and nutritious. Also the following analyses by Dr. Peter Collier, Chemist to the Department of Agri- culture: Constituents. Early Amber. Liberian. White Mammoth Water 10 57 9 93 Ash 1 81 1 47 1 85 Fat 4 60 3 95 4.58 1 91 2 70 2 58 2 64 2 64 2.95 7 34 6 90 . 7 95 1 10 .72 .95 Starch .. • 68 55 70 17 77 46 Fiber 1 48 1.52 1.68 Total 100 00 100 00 100.00 32.—COMMISSIONER LOSING'S CIRCULAR. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, D. C., June 6, 1882. To the manufacturers of sugar from sorghum, beets, and other sugar-producing plants in the United States: Congress in the appropriation for this Department, for the fiscal year commencing July 1,1882, has provided for '' experiments in the manufacture of sugar from sorghum, beets, and other sugar-producing plants." In view of the experiments which have already been made at this Department, I have determined to institute the following plan for the coming season, in obedience to the act referred to. Provision has been made for continuing the chemical analyses of sorghum at the lab- oratory of the Department, should this be deemed necessary, in order to add to the in- formation already obtained by investigations not only here but also in the agricultural colleges of this country. On assuming the duties of my office in 1881, I found 135 acres of sorghum containing 52 varieties which had been planted in Washington for the use of the Department. On being informed that the time had arrived for manufacturing sirup and sugar, I engaged. the services of an expert in sugar-making who had been highly recommended for the position of superintendent, and operations were commenced on September 26 at the mill,

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 145 erected by my predecessor, on the grounds. These operations were continued with slight interruptions until the latter part of October, at which time the supply of cane became exhausted. Forty-two acres of the crop were overtaken by frost before being sufficiently ripe for use, and this portion of the crop was so badly damaged as to be unfit for manu- facture. The yield of cane, per acre, on the 93 acres gathered was two-and-a-half tons; the number of gallons of sirup obtained was 2,977; and the number of pounds of sugar was 165. The expense of raising the cane was $6,589.45; and the expense of converting the cane into sirup and sugar was $1,667.59—an aggregate of $8,557.04. The manufacture of sorghum at the Department therefore has been found to be so ex- pensive and unsatisfactory, that the work can evidently be better conducted elsewhere. To repeat the experiment of last year would be unwise under any circumstances, and it is made doubly so by the impossibility of procuring the sorghum cane at any reasonable price in this neighborhood, after the discouraging crops of last year, and by the additional fact that the appropriation is not available until too late in the season for planting to begin. While therefore such scientific investfgation as is deemed necessary at this Department will be continued, the experiment of manufacturing can better be conducted by those who have thus far furnished us all the valuable information we have; and this work I refer to the manufacturers themselves, to whom I submit the following proposition. Each manufacturer is requested to submit an account of his work to this Department, covering the following points, viz: 1. An accurate account of the number of acres of sorghum brought to his mill; the number of tons of cane manufactured; the yield of sorghum per acre; the mode of fer- tilizing; the time of planting; the time required for maturing the plant; and the value of the crop as food for cattle after the juice has been expressed. 2. The amount of sugar manufactured; the amount yielded per ton of cane; the quality of the sugar; the amount of sirup manufactured; the process of manufacturing; the ma- chinery used; the success of the evaporator, the vacuum-pan and the centrifugal in the work of manufacturing. 3. The number of hands employed in the mill; the cost of fuel; the cost of machinery; the wages paid for labor; and the price of sorghum at the mill if not raised by the manu- facturer. The returns when received will be submitted to a competent committee for examina- tion, and in order to compensate the manufacturers for the work of making these returns, I propose to pay for the ten best returns the sum of $1,200 each—the decision to be made by the aforesaid committee. Each return must be sworn to before a competent officer. SUGAR BEETS. I have distributed to ninety persons a supply of the best sugar-beet seed which I could obtain; and I would request each person having received this seed to send to this De- partment a statement of the amount of land planted by him; the yield per acre; the fer- tilizers used; the value of the crop in the market. I also request each person making this experiment to forward to this Department a sample of the crop for analysis. The directions for this will be issued hereafter. An accurate statement of the process of man- ufacturing beet sugar in this country is of great importance, and I propose to compensate the manufacturers for preparing such statement by the payment of the sum of $1,200 for each of the two best returns submitted to a committee as in the case of sorghum. OTHER SUGAR-PRODUCING PLANTS. The promise of 1,000 pounds of cornstalk sugar per acre, which was made in 1841, and has often been repeated with great confidence, both at the expense of the corn crop and in addition to it, not yet having been fulfilled in manufacture, the experiments not hav- ing been satisfactory, and the business not having been followed up, it is not deemed necessary to institute sugar-making experiments in this direction during the present year. The same may be said of many esculents which have been classed as sugar producers. All proposals to enter upon this work for the Department must be laid before the Com- missioner on or before August 1, 1882. GEO. B. LORING, Commissioner of Agriculture. S. Mis. 51 10

146 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 33.- -REPORT FROM PROFESSOR SWENSON, DETAILING TEE RESULTS Of THE SEASON'S WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. [N. B.—The following report of Prof. Swenson arrived after the Academy's report had been transmitted to the Commissioner of Agriculture. But it is deemedof sufficient importance to form a supplement to the data previously submitted on pp. 34, 35. ] This document is interesting especially from the evidence it offers of the little effect obtained by the use of fertilizers upon the sugar prod- uct of the crops treated by different manures. The-effect appears to have been rather to diminish the sugar output, as compared with no manure, so far as can be judged from the figures. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT, Madison, Wis., November 22, 1882. DEAR SIR: I forward you to-day a short report of the work done here this season. I am sorry that it comes so late and hope it may reach you in time. I also forward a sample of sugar from plot No. 2. Use my report as a whole or in part, as you may see fit. Very respectfully, M. SWENSON. Prof. B. SlLLIMAN. DEAR SIR: I take great pleasure in submitting the following brief report of the work done with sorghum canes on the farm of the University of Wisconsin during the past season. Twenty-six varieties of cane were grown on the university farm during the past season, some of which were from seeds kindly sent by Dr. Collier. The following table shows the results of my examinations: Variety of cane. Average weight of stalks. Stage of the seed. Per cent. of eane sugar. Percent. of glu- cose. Lbt. Oz. 8 Dough 7.28 1.76 8 Milk 7.71 1.88 Hi Milk 7.36 1.78 Chinese No 4 !>i- Dough 7.80 1.78 9 Dough 7.15 2.08 1 4 Milk 4.18 1.81 India No. 1 1 6 Hard dough. 9.45 1.65 India No. 2. ./. 14 Hard dough. 9.26 1.64 1 6 Dough 8.91 3.12 Miller 10t Ripe 10.18 2.44 1 6 Doughy 15.77 2.63 1 1 Dough 13.02 2.42 2 Milk 8.18 3.26 1 13 Milk 9.64 2.77 1 3i a. 12 3.22 1 2 Ripe 13.08 1.96 1 12 Milk 11.88 1.77 2 2 Milk 9.22 3.45 1 6i Ripe 11.30 2.38 1 3t Hard dough.. 10.99 2.32 1 14 7.16 3.57 White Liberian 1 14i Doughy 11.14 1.78 12 Ripe 10.74 2.97 1 2J Ripe 13.65 2.29 1 2 Ripo 11.62 1.65 The only variety used for sugar making was the Early Amber. Three separate plots were planted, of 3.6, 2, and 1J acres respectively. The latter plot was used for experi- ments with fertilizers. Each kind of fertilizer was put on a plot of cane of one-twentieth of an acre, and these plots were separated from each other by guard rows where no fer- tilizer was used. Each lot was cut and brought to the mill separately and a sample from the defecated juice was taken for analysis.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 147 The following table gives the results: Fertilizers.* Nitrogen on plot. Cane sugar. Glucose. Stripped stalks. No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5. Pound*. Per cent. 10.91 10.19 10.57 10.54 10.95 Per cent. 2.80 2.77 2.77 2.80 2.78 Pounds. 828 864 796 762 910 1.2 No. 6. Nitrate of sodium (7i pounds) \ 1.2 1.2 10.77 ,10.17 2.56 2.78 776 856 No. 7. Nitrate of sodium (7J pounds) \ Chloride of potassium (15 pounds) J Superphosphate (15 pounds) \ No. 8. Chloride of potassium (7J pounds)) 10.83 2.89 778 No. 9. No. 10. No. 11. No. 12. No. 13. No. 14. No. 15. No. 16. 1.2 .8 .4 .2 .1 10.87 11.63 11.34 10.92 10.41 10.10 11.59 10.47 2.85 2.85 2.76 2.80 2.94 2.86 2.90 2.87 578 616 472 578 548 560 618 590 * These were obtained at the Connecticut Experiment Station, and a list may be found on page 363 of the Report of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture for 1880. The method employed for making sugar was as follows: The juice from the mill was pumped into the defecator by a jet pump. To the lukewarm juice milk of lime was added to a slight alkaline reaction. It was then heated to the boiling point, and after a few minutes skimmed, again heated and skimmed in the same manner three or four suc- cessive times. The result was a very clear juice with very little sediment in the bottom of the defecator. The juice was next evaporated about 20° Beaum6 in an open pan. It •was then drawn into the vacuum-pan and evaporated to a rather dense sirup. From there it was drawn into wooden boxes lined with tin, each box holding fifty gallons. In a couple of days it was usually ready to separate. The table below gives the result of the work. Thus far only the "firsts " have been separated. The molasses has been con- centrated and is now crystallizing quite heavily. It will undoubtedly yield at least 25-30 per cent. of sugar: Plot No. 1. Plot No. 2. Plot No. 3. Si 2 1} 75, 262 28,974 17,112 65 47 47 9.89 12.10 11.20 3 95 2.86 2 78 2, 116J 1,008 594 409 101 58 56.3 70 69 10.0 7 6.8 Plot No. 1 was on quite low and rather heavy claying soil. At least one-fourth of the heads were still in the milk. Plots 2 and 3, on the other hand, were each on a sandy slope and the cane was quite mature. , This accounts for the great differences in the com- position of the juices. The cane from the first three acres of plot No. 1 was crushed in a five-roller mill which submitted to four gradually increasing pressures, the rollers being so arranged that the pressure between the two last was double that between the first two rollers. The yield of juice with this mill was 69J per cent. I cannot give a fair estimate of the total cost of the sugar made here, as several stop- pages had to be made in order to exchange some of the machinery which was partly bor- rowed and was called for in the midst of the work. The expenses and returns per day of twelve hours were as follows: EXPENSES. Fireman $2 00 One man at mill 1 50 Two men in cane house at $2 4 00 Half ton of coal 3 25

148 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Lime, oil, kerosine, litmus paper $0 30 Four tons cane at $2.50 per ton... 10 00 Cost of separating - - 2 00 Total daily expenses 23 05 RETURNS. Two hundred and forty-five pounds sugar at 8 cents $19 60 Thirty-six gallons sirup at 35 cents 12 50 32 10 23 05 Balance --- - 9 05 The scale on which this work was conducted was, of course, entirely too small to be economical. A great deal of waste was incurred that might have been saved with better appliances. Judging by the results obtained here the past two seasons, there can be no reasonable doubt but that our sorghum cane will be a valuable crop as a sugar produc- ing plant in this vicinity. Very respectfully, M. SWENS9N, Chemist Agricultural Department University of Wisconsin. Prof. B. SlLLlMAN. 34.—BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SORGHUM. [CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED.! Arduino, Pietro. Memorie di osservazioni e di sperienze sopra la coltura e gli usi di varie piaute, che servons o che servir possono utilimente alia tinctura, all'econ- omia, all'agricoltura, etc. Tomo I, Padova, 1766, 4, xxiv, 105 p., 19 tab. Child, David Lee. The Culture of the Beet and Manufacture of Beet Sugar. Boston, 1840. 12°, pp. 156. Notlz fiber Maiszucher. Annales maratimes et coloniales. Paris, 1842. II, T. 2, pp. 346. Colman's Rural World. Saint Louis, Mo., 1848 to 1882. Browne, D. Jay. Researches on Sorgho Sucr6 by Department of Agriculture. Report 1854, p. xii and pp. 219-223. Chinese Sugar Cane. Correspondence Department of Agriculture. Report 1855, pp. 279-285. Barral. Ueber den Zucher in Holcus Sorghum. Moniteur industrial, 1855, p. 1939. Reihlen. Ueber Holcus saccharatus. Polytechnisches Centralblatt; 1855, p. 703. Wray, Leonard. Practical Sugar Planter. VUmorin, Louis. Paris, 1855. Essay on Sorgo Sucr6 in Le Bon Jardinier Almanac, pp. 41-52. Sorghum, Characteristics of. Massachusetts Agricultural Report, 1856, (Pt. 1), pp. 89-91-98. Sorghum Saccharatum, brought from China. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1856, 1857, p. 446. Browne, D. Jay. Crystallization of the juice of the Sorgho Sucr6. Department of Ag- riculture. Report, 1856, pp. 309-313. Jackson, C. T., M. D. Chemical Researches on the Sorgho Sucr6. Department of Agri- culture. Report, 1856, pp. 307-309. Erfahrungen neber die Kultur nnd Ausbeute von Zucher aus Sorghum. Moniteur in- dustriel, 1856, No. 2049. Turrell. Ueber das Sorghum in Nord China. Moniteur industriel, 1856, No. 2110. Zoulie. Ueber Sorghum. Moniteur industriel, 1856, No. 2110. Madinier, P. and G. Lacoshe. Guide du cultivateur du Sorgho a Sucr6. Paris, 1856. Madinier, M. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1853, p. 313. Vilmorin, Louis. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1856, p. 312. Browne, D. Jay. Report ofthe United States Agricultural Society. Department of Ag- riculture. Report, 1857, pp. 181-183. Sorghum, Experiments in the cultivation of. Massachusetts Agricultural Report, 1857 (Pt. 1), pp. 117-145, 149-215 (Pt. 2), pp. 157-222, 170, 38, 225-229-234. Sorghum Mills, Description of. Ohio Agricultural Report/1857, pp. 416. Sorghum, Lovering's experiments of. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, pp. 423.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 149 Sorghum, Statement of, in Ohio. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, pp. 437. Hardy. Ueber Zucher aus Sorghum. Moniteur industriel, 1857, No. 2131. Cave\ Ueber den Anbau von Sorghum auf dem Gute de Cond6. Moniteur industriel, 1857, No. 2153. Sorghum, Report on, at Fair. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, pp. 142. Sorghum Sugar Cane. New York Agricultural Report, 1857, pp. 16-128-135. Hyde, J. F. C. The Chinese Sugar Cane. New York, 1857. 12° pp. Sorghum Saccharatum. Pennsylvania Agricultural Report, 1857-58, pp. 147-557. Sorghum, History of. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, p. 409. Sorghum, discussed in Annual Convention. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, p. 195. Sorghum or Chinese Sugar Cane. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1857, p. 34. Jackson, C. T., M. D. Chemical Researches on the Chinese and African Sugar canes. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1857, pp. 185-192. Lovering, Joseph S. Sorghum Saccharatum or Chinese Sugar Cane. Detailed account of experiments and observations upon, 1857. On the Identity and Hybridity of the Chinese and African Sugar Canes. (Condensed from the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History.) Department of Agri- culture. Report, 1857, pp. 183-185. Smith, J. Lawrence. Investigation of the Sugar-bearing Capacity of the Chinese Sugar Cane. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1857, pp. 192-196. Sorghum Sugar, condensed correspondence on. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1857, pp. 196-226. Stansbury, Charles F. Chinese Sugar Cane and Sugar Making. New York, 1857. 12°. Sorghum Syrup, statement in regard to making. New York Agricultural Report, 1858, p. 722. Sorghum Cane, letters read at a convention on. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1858, p. 306. Sorghum Cane. Wisconsin Agricultural Report, 1858, 1859, pp. 261-350-409-412. Sorghum. New York Agricultural Report, 1858, p. 12. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1858, p. 9. Sorghum Cane, Sugar from. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1858, pp. 107-109. Sorghum Cane, On. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1858, p. 512.. Olcott, Henry S. Sorgho and Imphee. The Chinese and African Sugar Canes. A treatise / upon their origin, varieties, and culture. New York, 1858. 12°, pp. 352. Jackson, Ch. F. Compte Rendus, XLVI, p. 55, 1858. Du Feyrat, Comparative Ausbeute aus Sorghum u. Zuckerrohr. Moniteur industriel, 1858, No. 2228. Leplay. Ueber Sorghum u. dessen Zuckergehalt. Moniteur industriel, 1858, No. 2334. Comptus rendus v. 46, p. 444. Polytechnisches Centreblatt, 1858, 593. Polytech- nisches Jour. Ding. B., 148, p. 224. Collectaneen ueber Zucher aus Sorghum. Polytechnisches Jour. Ding. B., 148, p. 158. Bulletin de la Societe d'encouragement, pour Pindustriel nationale, 1858, p. 505. Polytechnisches Centreblatt, 1858, p. 1102. Habich, Ueber Sorghum u. dessen Werth. Polytechnisches Jour. Ding. B., 148, p. 302. Polytechnisches Centralblatt, 1858. p. 1647. Lovering, Ueber den Werth des Sorghums als Zuckerpflanze. Moniteur industriel, 1858, No. 2312. Bulletin de la Societ6 d'encouragement pour 1'industrie nationale, 1858, p. 673. Sorghum Saccharatum. Essay on its composition. Michigan Agricultural Report, 1859, p. 213. Wagner. Ueber den Mais als Zuckerpflanze. Agromisches Zeitung, I860. p. 12. Das Zucker Sorgho, oder das chemisches Zuckerrohr (Holcus succharatus). Deutsche Gewerbezeitung Wiecks, 1859, p. 443. 1860, p. 156. Pierre Ueber das chemische Zucker-sorgho als Futler u. Zuckerpflanze. Bulletin de la Societ<5 d'encouragement pour l'industrie nationale, 1860, p. 94. Anbau, versuche mit der Zuckerhirse Sorghum Saccharatum. Annalen der Land- wirthschaft. Wachenblatt, Berlin, 1860, p. 350. Cook, D. M. Culture and manufacture of sugar from Sorghum. Department of Agri- culture. Report, 1861, pp. 311-314. Sorghum. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 52. Sorghum as an Exhauster of Soil. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 526. Sorghum as a Wine plant. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 526. Sorghum, Growth and manufacture. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 210. Sorghum Sugar. Warder's Statement. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 15. Sorghum Culture and manufacture. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 208. Sorghum Sugar Cane. New York Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 785. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1861. Cornstalk Sugar, p. 275.

150 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Sorghum Culture. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1861, 1864, pp. 553, 567. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 8. Sorghum, History of. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 206. Sorghum as a forage plant. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1861, p. 527. Sorghum Culture. Wisconsin Agricultural Report, 1861, 1868, p. 35. Goessmann, C. A. Chinese Sugar Cane. Contributions to the knowledge of its nature, &c. Transactions of New York State Agricultural Society, 1861, pp. 785-811, and in pamphlet. Hedges, Isaac A. Sorghum Culture and Sugar-Making. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1861, pp. 293-311, Sorghum. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1861-1864, pp. 32, 67, 208, 859. Bollman, Lewis. Cultivation of the Sorghum. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1862, pp. 140-147. Smith, J. H. Imphee and Sorghum Culture and Sugar and Sirup Making. Depart- ment of Agriculture. Report, 1862, pp. 129-140. Statistical Report. Department of Agriculture Report, 1862, pp. 552, 553. Sirup and Sugar manufactured from Sorghum. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1862, p. 87. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1862, p. 128. Hedges, Isaac A. Sorgho or the Northern Sugar Plant, with an introduction by William Clough. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1862. 12°, p. 204. Sorghum. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1862, p. 87. Wetherill, Charles M., M. D. Chemist Department of Agriculture. Department of Agri- culture. Report, 1862, pp. 514-540. Clough, William. Sorgho Journal, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1863 to 1869. Gould, John Stanton. Report on Sorghum. New York Agricultural Report, 1863, pp. 735-769. Wallace, G. B. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1863, p. 162. Moss, James W. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1863, p. 244. Sorghum, Essay on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1863, pp. 137-244. Gould J., Stanton. Report on Sorghum and Sugar Beet Culture. Transactions of New York State Agricultural Society, 1863, pp. 735-769. Sugar Evaporator and Mills. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1863, p. 100. Sorghum Sugar, Protest from exhibitors of. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1863, p. 101. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1863, p. 4. Sugar Mills. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1863, p. 85. Clough, William Sorghum or Northern Sugar Cane. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1864, pp. 54-87. Sorghum Mills. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1864. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1864, p. 7. Sorghum Mills, Report of Committee on. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1864, pp. 119,120. Collins, Varnum B. Sorgo or Northern Chinese Sugar Cane. Journal North China Branch Royal Asiatic Society, December, 1865, pp. 85-98. Shanghai, 1865. Clongh, William Production of Sugar from Sorghum or Northern Sugar Cane. Depart- ment of Agriculture Report. 1865, pp. 307-324. Sorghum. Introduction into the State. Michigan Agricultural Report, 1865, p. 17. Sorghum. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1865, p. 352 and p. 14. Sorghum. Premiums awarded. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1865,1866, pp. 18-97. Sorghum, Report of Committee on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1865, p. 225. Tenney, A. P. Sugar Question. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1865, p. 329. Ives, Mrs. E. F. Essay on Sorghum making. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1865, p. 225. Peck, F. Botanical History of Sorghum. Department of Agriculture. Report, 1865, pp. 229-307. Webster & Co. Sorgho Sugar Growers. The Culture and Manufacture of Sugar and Sirup from the Chinese and African Canes. Chicago, 1865 (?) 32°, pp. 41. Reed, W. History of Sugar and Sugar-yielding Plants and Epitome of Processes of Manufacture. I Condon, 1866. Moser, J. Vers. St. at vol. 8, p. 93, 1866. Jacobs Brothers. Sorgho Manufactures. Manual, &c. Columbus, Ohio, 1866. Sorghum and its Products. Michigan Agricultural Report, 1866, pp. 169-172. Sorghum in Delaware County. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1866, (Pt. 1), p. 188. Sorghum and Imphee. Missouri Agricultural Report, 1866, p. 28. Sorghum Mills. Illinois Agricultural Report, 1865, 1866, p. 202. Sorghum, Report of Committee on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1866, pp. 132 and 223. Sorghum, Report of Standing Committee on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1866, p. 223. Sorghum Sugar Making. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1866 (pt. 2), p. 287. Stewart, F. L. Sorghum and its products. Philadelphia, 1867. 12°, p. 240. Sorghum and its products. Michigan Agricultural Report, 1867, pp. 65-67.

SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. 15l Sorghum. Report of Committee on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1867, p. 18. Sorghum. Resolutions and Report in regard to Michigan Agricultural Report, 1867, pp. 305-307. Sorghum and its Products. Missouri Agricultural Report, 1867, p. 92. - Sorghum and Machinery. Awards on Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867, p. 138. Sorghum. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867, pp. 62, 246 (pt. 2), p. 16. Sorghum of Van Wert County. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1867 (pt. 1), p. 158. Sorghum and Machinery. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1868, p. 97. Sorgho. The Journal and Farm Mechanic. Cincinnati, Ohio, February, 1869. 8°. Sorghum. Committee on Iowa Agricultural Report, 1869, pp. 190,195. Sorghum, Products of. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1869, p. 17. Sorghum, Report of Committee on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1869, p. 179. Sorghum, Secretary's Report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1869, p. W. Sorghum and Imphee. Wisconsin Agricultural Report, 1869, p. 27. Sorghum. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1869, p. 16; 1870, p. 189. Bretschneider. Notes on History of Plants and Chinese Botany. Peking, 1870. Sorghum Sirup. Wisconsin Agricultural Report, 1870, p. 34. Sorghum and its Products. Michigan Agricultural Report, 1870, p. 149. Sorghum. Statement as to Iowa Agricultural Report, 1871, pp. 205 and 212. Sorghum. Report of Secretary on Iowa Agricultural Report, 1871, p. 23. Sorghum Sugar and Sirup. Report on Iowa Agricultural Report, 1871, p. 204. Sorghum. Abstract of County Agricultural Societies. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1871; p. 300. Skinner, E. W. Sorghum, Iowa Agricultural Report, 1872, p. 290. Sorghum Sirup and Sugar, Report of Committee on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1872, p. 325. Cadwell, Phineas. Report of Committee on Sorghum and its Products, in Iowa Agri- cultural Report, 1872, p. 286. Sorghum PJant. Nebraska Agricultural Report, 1873, p. 89. Sorghum. Abstract of report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1873, p. 313. Sorghum. The production of. Nebraska Agricultural Report, 1873, p. 89. Sorghum. Table of Products and Acreage. Kansas Agricultural Report, 1873, pp.. 89, 126. Sorghum. Abstract of Report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1874, p. 304. Sorghum. Ohio Agricultural Report, 1874, pp. 254, 636. Basset, N. Guide Practique du Fabricant de Sucr6. Paris, 1875, 3 vols. 8°. Sorghum. Number of acres in. Georgia Agricultural Report, 1873-1875, p. 9. Sorghum. Abstract of Report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1875, p. 281. Sorghum. Tables of Product and Value. Kansas Agricultural Report, 1875, pp. 464, 469. Sorghum. Diagram showing product and value. Kansas Agricultural Report, 1875, p. 460. Sorghum. Georgia Agricultural Report, 1876, p. 222. Sorghum. Abstract of Report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1876, p. 312. Sorghum. Report of Committee on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1876, p. 224. Stewart, F. L. Maize and Sorghum as Sugar Plants. Department of Agriculture Re- port, 1877. Sorghum Molasses, Gallons of. Virginia Agricultural Report, 1877, p. 43. Sorghum. Abstract of Report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1877, p. 271. Collier, Peter. Sorghum. Department of Agriculture Report, 1878, p. 98. Maumeue,, E. J. Traite th6oretique et practique de la Fabrication du Sucr6, Paris, 1878. 2vol. 8°. Stewart, F. L. Sorghum Sugar made from Maize, &c. Washington, 1878. Sorghum. Virginia Agricultural Report, 1878, p. 31. Sorghum. Abstract of Report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1878, p. 386. Sorghum. Introduction into the Country. Kentucky Agricultural Report, 1878, p. 144. Collier, Peter. Sorghum. Department of Agriculture Report, 1879, pp. 36. Sorghum. Abstract of Report on. Iowa Agricultural Report, 1879, p. 315. Sorghum. Productions of. Kentucky Agricultural Report, 1879, p. 64. Goessmauu, C. A. Early Amber Cane. Report Massachusetts Agricultural College, 1879. Sorghum. Sugar from. Vermont Agricultural Report, 1879-1880, p. 260. Collier, Peter. Sugar from Sorghum. Vermont Agricultural Report, 1879-1880, p. 219. Stewart, F. L. Sugar from Maize and Sorghum. Washington, D. C., 1879. 12. pp. 102. Drummond, Victor A. W. Report on the Production of Sugar from Sorghum, 1879.

152 SORGHUM SUGAR INDUSTRY. Sorghum Cane. Proceedings of the Wisconsin Sugar Cane Growing and Manufacturing Association. Wisconsin Agricultural Report, 1879-80, p. 463. Johnston, Hon. J. W., chairman of Committee on Agriculture in United States Senate, on Sorghum Sugar, 1880. Blymyer Manufacturing Co. Sorgho Hand Book. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1880. Clough Refining Co. Clough Refining Process for Sorghum, &c. Cincinnati, 1880. Collier, Peter. Cornstalk and Sorghum Sugar. Abstract of an address delivered in the House of Representatives. Hartford, Conn., February 17, 1880. Pamphlet; 8°, pp. 23. Collier, Peter. Sorghum and Corn as Sugar-producing Plants. Address delivered before Connecticut State Board of Agriculture at Willimantic. 1880. Pamphlet. 8°, pp. 28. Sorghum. Sweets of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Agricultural Report, 1880-1881, p. 331. Sorghum. Statistics of. Quarterly Report Kansas Agricultural Report, 1880, pp. 21, 22. Sorghum. Production of. Kentucky Agricultural Report, 1880, p. 140. Collier, Peter. Sorghum. Department of Agriculture. Report 1880, p. 37, and Special Report No. 33. Ingram, W. Sorghum Cultivation in Belooir. London, 1880. Department of Agriculture. Preliminary Report. 1880, pp. Collier, Peter. Department of Agriculture Report, 1881, pp. 17. Hedges, Isaac A. Sugar Canes and their Products. Saint Louis, Mo., 1881. Rutger's Scientific School. Seventeenth Annual Report, 1881, p. 63. Tucker, J. H., Ph. D. A Manual of Sugar Analysis, including the application in gen- eral of Analytical Methods to the Sugar Industry. New York, 1881, 8°, pp. 353. Weber and Scovell, Professors. Sorghum. Report on the manufacture of Sugar Sirup and Glucose from. Illinois Industrial University, 1881. Vilmovin, Andrieux. Le Sorgho Sucr6 de chine et le Sorgho hatif du Minnesota, on Sorgho Sucr<j Ambr<j. Journal d'Agriculture Practique, May 8,1880, and February 17, 1881. Spon's Dictionary. Article Sorghum, London, 1881. Ware, L. S. A study of the various sources of sugar. Philadelphia, 1881. Sorghum, Sugar from. Kentucky Agricultural Report, 1881, p. 83. Sorghum, Cultivation and Manufacture of. Kentucky Agricultural Report, 1881, p. 72. Kolischet, Theo. Sorghum, Sugar from. Kentucky Agricultural Report, 1881, p. 86. Locke, Wigner, and Harland. Sugar Growing and Refining. London, 1882. Experimental Farm. Madison, Wisconsin. Experiments in Amber Cane, 1882. Biot und Soubeiran. Zncker in Mais, Polytechnisches Journal. Dingier, 865213. Pallas. Mais Zucker Polytechnisches Journal, Ding., 945326. Brevetes d'invention. Paris, T. 46, p. 146. Vorschlag zu einer Production von Zucker aus Holcus Sorghum. Technological Repos- itory, Gill, v. 10, p. 119. Franklin Journal, 1 S., v. 1, p. 201. Pallas. Zucker aus Mais Polytechnisches, Journal, Ding., 635156. Journal des con. usul et pract. Paris, T. 26, pp. 97-109. Neumann. Zucker aus Mais Polytechnisches Journal, Ding., 67, S. 300.