New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-30

The most benefcent Transformations in humsn
affairs are effected silently gradually, without
sound Of trumpet or shout of geeful thousands
Thus it has been is, and will be till Time shall be
no more. To one who had noted the history of
Ericsson's Cslorc Engine, Bessimer's Iron-making
process, &C., the tremendous popular demonstra-
tions which hailed the news of the Laying of the
trans. Atlantic Gable suficed Of themselves to JUS
tify doubt Of the reality and enduring worth of
that achievement The sayiors of mankind are
not ushered into being by sayo, Of artillery nor
swaddltd in purple, blazing with gem'. They are
more likely to be Graded in hangers, and the best
they can expect Of the kings of the earth is to be
let alone.
Three or four years ago, amid doubt aud dis
trust, the growth Of the Chinese and African sugar
cane known as Sorgho or Sorghum, was first tim
idly attempted in this country. Hitherto, it had
been taken for granted that saccharine juices could
only be proGtaby evolved under tropical sun.
This assumption was in part cOntradicted by the
experience Of France, where the production Of
Sugar from the Beet-frst attempted under Napo-
leon /. from necessity, because the British fleets
bockaded the coasts Of France, and cut off all COM
munication between her and the tropics, raising
the price of Sugar in Paris to something like dol
lar per pound-had been expanded and matured,
under stringent Protective duties, until the need Of
Protection was fully Outgrown, and home made
Sugar from Beets now pays the same rates OF duty
in France with that from Cane imported from the
French colonies. Germany and even Russia are
now extensive producers of Sugar from Beets, hav-
ing been stimulated to attempt it by the success of
the French example. And beyond doubt, the rich
prairies of the West, especially those of Southern
Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, are adapted
to produce the Sugar Beet more abundantly and
cheaply than any part OF Europe.
But the production of Sugar in our age except
from the Maple is a difficult process, requiring
costly machinery and decided skill. Capital aud
science, steam. engines aud chemists, are elements
Of cheap and profitable sugarmaking. But, through
the cultivation Of Sorghum, very palatable and
seryiceabe SIrup may be produced on moderate
scale, with rude and cheap machinery at prices
remunerative to producers. We are far within
bounds in saying that wherever gallon of choice
Srup is worth more than bushel Of shelled Indian
Corn, there Sirup from Sorghum may be produced
and sold at profit.
Still, the culture and manufacture Of Sorghum
are in their infancy among u.s. and are susceptible
Of vast improvement. Our growers are not fully
agreed as TO the best time of cutting and we be-
lieye the greater part Of this years product was
cut some days earlier than it should have been, and
before its sacchsrne properties were fully devel-
oped We doubt the wisdom of cutting in antci-
patton Of frost, though smart frost seriously
impsirs the value Of the leaves for fodder. But
the juice of the Sorghum is rather ripened than
soured by two or three light frosts, and We have
known stalks cut and stacked on the first Of Octo
Der to remain juicy aud sweet till nearly December.
Hence infer that the practice of grinding as fast
as cut has no foundation in necessity, but that a
mill may be kept steadily grinding through October
and November. Probably the old NewEDgland
fashion of neighborhood cider will be initiated
in the ultimate production Of Sirup from Sorghum.
The great protracted rains Of the earlier half of
the las: season proved injurious to the Sorghum,
not BY stunting its growth but BY delaying its ma
turity and diminishing its yield of sirup from ten
per cent to seven. Still, the growers are generally
satisfied, and there can hardly be doubt that the
area Of Sorghum culture will be doubled Aext year.
With experience, the burning or souring Of the
Sirup will be syoded or guarded against, while the
amount of juice extracted from each tun of Cane
will be increased. Ten years hence the Free
West viii export Sirup, and We think Sugar also,
though no machinery for producing the latter
proGtsbly has yet been perfected. Thus the fan
ced necessity for buying or stealing Cuba will have
been wholly obviated, and We may proceed quietly
with the development Of our own National Indus
try, instead Of covetiDs the products Of other
peoples.