The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-12-16

The Ohio sorghum Association held their
annual meeting last week in Cincinnati. The
following statement In the opening remarks Of
the President on taking the chair. furnishes m
interesting account Of the progress made in the
cultivation OF sorghum:
:" The past season has been one Of the moot
important and successful with the cane that
has bren experienced since itS introduction
among Us. Thousands have planted the cane
this year fer the first time. and nearly all who
have planted I'm former years have this year
greatly extended their operations. The spring
va IN many places backward and unflvora-
BILE; this was followed 10y short and pinch
Ing drought. and This hy rainy season Of n
most extraordinary character. extending over
period Of nearly three months. Tho first Of
sept mber found the cane. n wei a. the In
dian corn. green and growing luNuriantly.
about rs il usually appeats ON the first Of Au-
gust. Tho saeehnrinc matter was 40 this time
undeNclnpcd. and an untimly frost would
have cau>cd an almost total destruction al
both corn and cane. Fortunately for both
crops, the autumn WAS ~ propitiouS a. the
spring and summer WAS untuward. This af-
forded time for the maturity of the cane. and
gave 10 the husbln1ncn a bGunteou, saccha-
rinc return Tor his toll and anxiety. The be-
haNior Of the cane and the phenomena mani
fsted under the e u lar circumstince OF the
last season have been Ia the highest degree in
tcrc,ting.
From the best sources Of information nj my
command, estimate that the quantity OF cane
planted in Ohio this season. was about ~ per
cent. greater than list year, and the product
about - per cent. greater. Taking Ohio and
all the states west and northwest. | estimate
that the amount planted was - per cent. and
the product - per cent. greater than last year.
We have now reached point In the deVcl-
opmcnt al this enterprise at which il j. appfo-
pirate for Us 10 take a higher stand. We have
solved all The preliminary questions which
~. -
among u. We have demonstrated beyond
question that IL can be successfully grown in
eur latitude. During the nine year, in which
II has been cultivated among Us. not Il single
disastrous failure has occurred. IL has proved
Itself more certain crop than wheat or corn.
IL thriNes IN soils Of great diversity aud over
4 range OF latitude as broad As that upon which
our common Indian corn j. cultivated. Those
who have tmplo!rd-skill, aeatnesS and appr0-
pirate apparatus. have demonstrated that the
cane l. capable Of producing an excellent Ia
bic syrup. ana a swectcning adapted 10 many
Il the purposes for which commercial sugar
WAS formerly employed. And lastly, al who
have engaged in the business. either as growers
Or manufacturers Of sorghum, have found that
X i a profitable opcratiOn-fhat sorghum pays.
We should now take step IN advance. and
that step all viii agrtc should be In the direc-
ton OF greater perfection Ia the quality Il tie
product. We have not vet developed the
have made almost no definite and well defined
progress ~ the production Of sugar. With r.
ference Ia the latter. IL may very properly be
said that The road. sud the only road. n sue
60, IN SUGAR making J. the great perfection in
syrup making. Tor 4 strictly good syrup con-
slsts ot crystalizcd sugar and water, and sugar
separates ilsell from . pare super-satarHted
solution as naturally a. IL di-solNes it-elf in
an excess Of water. Hence % make SUGAR we
have only 10 make pure syrlrs. when the
sugar viii most certainly manifest ii.clf. We
may not expect 90 comprehend and master alt
these obstetrics and di.Acultir> with which this
undertaking j. incumbered at once. AMI prob
ably not fer many Year, but VI may signllize
cur metting here Us >olne movement toward
ultimate s,scees-. aud o. this 1 trust tai. con-
Ncniion vii earnestly adaT12- itse.f.
" nile upon this subject. ] can not refrain
from expressing my convictions that We en-
not count vita ans confidence upon thu pro-
duciion q sugar ftgi OR cane> through the
inter- eGti'n 4 any or tire "a t-ical modes or
processes about which there ar. - IA iuy Imo-
rant. fraudulent snd mi>eLlcsous prtiau-e-.
There i no royal read to sugar. Many of the
most learned and accomplished scientist, 81
the world have been employed for half a Gen.
tury IN the production Of sugar from IL yari-
uus sources IA nature and tn success stained
IN AL eases has been measured by the scientific
and practical skill employed Ia The operation,
and IN 10 tn lt.css teIiiain anu fnoint..tsau
that the farmers OF the North will ultimately
become their Own surar makers 10 the same
eXteLt that they az nov the makers u their
own butter and cheese, bat this will be accom-.
phshed by the application of scientific princi.
piles 10 The whole practical operation.
Ne need 10 te-t and deteruiine the sueoes sfll
variety 81 seeSl, The most appropriate soil and
cultivation, and the b,st apparatus for ihs
Manufacture q the. product. When we sbal
have become familiar with those elements Of
the art, and shall apply them with fidelity Il
the WORK. we may ex perl 10 produce sugar re
gul .riy- Systematically y; without them we have
not hope 10 produce II except accidentally and
In comparatively rare cases, az a present
There were, perhaps, 4 hundred different
samples Of syrup on exhibition, aud SON,
! twenty samples OF sngIr. Most Of tae fasne,
was equal IN color and fi-v or, 10 the best O.
the southern article. The sugar was fail
enough 20 Took 81. but did not dissolve IN Ia,
mouth - freely az the Orleans qualities.