Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1867-06-15
SORGHUM SUGAR.

At ii Salo oh0S
s]owest Of all people to change old nab
its, and slower still to change opinions
In the main this is unquestionaoly cor
rect. With many, prejudice is 50 deep
rooted that nothing short of q miracle
can eradicate the evil. king Cotton can
not be dethroned,' said they, before the
war otis folly to think otherwlse.-
They are thinking otherwise now. 'sor-
ghum is a humbug," said our sugar plan,
ters at the same time ; " it never Will
produce sugar, or if it should, it never
can be brought into competition with
ours.' And it could not compete with
s. uthern sugars 80 long as they were
produced by slave labor. But that day
is past, and with it, the prominence OF
cane sugars-at least, it SO appears now
A formidable opponent is in the field,
armed with facts and figures to defend It's
position. There is no such thing as
evading the issue by a yolley Of words,
Understanding phrases or stormy denials.
They will not avail. In our opinion, I'M
less some radical change takes place in
our labor system at q very early day, the
era Of sugar making in this State is gone
forever. Western men are pushing
ahead with gigantic strides in the p%erfec-
ton of beet and sorghum sugars. They
have the best incentives TO exertion-high
prices and a steady market. That it
pays them handsomely is evidenced by
the interest they manifest in its culture.
That the field Of production is widening
every year is un~deniahle, and that they
are rapidly supplying the demand is be-
yond dispute. It behooves the planters
Of this State to be up and doing, or the
golden prize will be wrested from them
BY men whose efforts they once despised
and c%ontemned. We laughed once
they laugh now.
One of the heaviest cultivators of sor-
ghum in Ohio, Mr.. E. S. Kicker, makes
oath that from one acre of sorghum he
realised
400 lbs of sugar worth IS cents..........s 100
AZ gallons of Of molasses at 81 Co.,. So
30 bushels seed at s. I05
l2cwt blades worth 81 per hundred. y
$3.50 90
He gives this statement as the result Of
9 fair average crop, and not specially
selected to show the proliicacy Of one acre
alone. And is is asserted that Mr.. Rick
eT has not been as successful as many
others in the same branch of agriculture.
This item alone will suffice to show our
nome folk what progress is being made
IN the manufacture Of sorghum sugar.
As to the nett profits per acre from such
a yield, we leave others better posted
than ourself to determine.
1t is the general impression in the
South that sorghum sugars and syrups
are unpalatable, and far inferior to those
OF our cane sugars, but this appears to
be a popular error only. Such. indeed.
was the ease at first and caused the
whole to be pronounced a failure. Etienne
bofe's first attempt 8. graduating cane
Juice, II this State, vas greatly ridiculed
ana, Tor q long time, received more ieers
than money for bis pains. He could onlv
make syrup, as other had done, despite
all efforts, for a long time; but success
at last, and the tables were turned
So with sorghum. Syrup could only be
made at frst-then came a miserable
stuff having the appearance and c@oDsis-
Iency Of tar. Such results were only
fid'enied, and by none more than the
planters of Louisiana. Nothing dappted
by reverses, however, the hardy North |
men persevered, and now too, like Bore
they laugh OF their r~evilers. The i%ntro,F
Of Cooks Evaporator proved the
philosophers stone" to those perseyer
ing men, and they can now manufacture
any quantity of sugar, and equal to apv
IN this State, that is to saw.
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