Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-10-22
Beet, Corn and Sorghum Sugars.

Beet, Corn and Sorghum Sugars.
Secretary Flint, of the Massachusetts,
Board of Agriculture, rather hastily de-
clared, few years ago, that the idea of
making the beet sugar manufacture prac-
tical success in New England was absurd.
The progress made in Maine during the
past two years begins to throw doubt over
Mr. Flint's prophetic powers. If beet sugar
making fails, it will be because New Eng
land farmers are not sufficiently masters of
their trade TO grow good crops of the beets
at price which the factories are able to
pay. That beets of good quality can be
grown and the best of sugar made from
them has already been proved, and the pres
ent years trial will settle that part of the
matter conclusively. The remaining ques-
ton, whether the farmers will furnish the
beets, it will take longer to determine. 1t
is our belief that good farmer will find
far more profit, in the long run, in growing
beets at four or five dollars a ton, than in
growing potatoes at thirty cents bushel,
or in making butter at fifteen cents pound,
But beet-growing, to be permanently sue
cessful, must be carried on intelligently and
systematically, as part of a rotation in con-
nection with other crops and the great
difficulty lies in the fact that as yet we have
no such thing as a systematic agriculture in
America. Growing beets for sugar would
work in very well with dairying and mixed
farming, such as is best suited to New Eng
land but good beets in paying crops cannot
be grown haphazard. 1t is a specialized
crop which, when intelligently grown, will
yield steady if moderate profit. There is
no speculation in it-only good fair bust
ness for good farmer who knows how, or
can learn. If there are enough OF such in
any one neighborhood to grow the necessary
supplies of beets steadily, year after year,
then there is little doubt that beet sugar
making may be made success in New
England. The whole question really turns
upon that.
The Boston Culiira'or, which has done
good service in urging on the beet sugar ex-
pertinent, sets itself up as rival in proph-
ecy to Mr.. Flint when it comes to the corn
and sorghum sugar question. The Culticator
goes not only beyond the record of facts,
but far beyond the limits of courtesy, and
even of decency, in its recent attack upon
the department of agriculture in reference
to its experiments upon maize and sorghum
as sugar-producing plants. These expert
ments are, in our judgment, legitimate and
useful altogether aside from whether the
manufacture of sugar from either or both of
these plants ever becomes commercial sue
cess. The fact of previous failures, at a
time when the chemistry of the subject was
not nearly in so advanced state as now, is
no argument against further trials. We are
glad therefore that the chemist of the de-
partment, Professor Collier, is continuing
his labors in this direction, though with in
sufficient means and resources. Last year,
with quite imperfect apparatus and with
nothing more elaborate or difficult in his
methods than is found in the ordinary work
of Vermont "sugar-place," considerable
quantity of sugar was made at the depart
ment from both maize stalks and sorghum
The quality of this product was, from the
maize, fully equal to the average of our stir
red maple sugar. That from the sorghum
though not quite so good, was equal in APP
pearauce and favor to fair article of West
India sugar.
Professor Collier has this fall renewed his
experiments, and we are indebted to him
for specimen of the maize sugar even bet
ter than that of last year, and of sorghum
sugar very much better-almost equal, in
fact, to that from the maize. This is en-
couraging especially III view of the fact that
Professor Collier has no control over the
growth Of the plants, but has to take them
as he can get them from the farmers in
the vicinity of Washington. How great a
drawback to success this is may be under
stood from the fact, as stated by the profes
sor in a recent letter to u.s. that every
sample have thus far tested shows early in
its development large amount of glucose
(grape sugar. say four, five or six per cen
of the juice, and small amount of sucros'
(cane sugar. say one, two, three, four or fivt
per cent. These quantities invariably chang
as the development of the plant proceeds
until have found one-half per cent glucos
and seventeen per cent of sucrose in tn
juice" The professor goes on to say, as il
well understood by all scientific sugar makers
that the amount of sugar which may b.
obtained by capitalization depends about a
follows, directly as the amount of sucrose
and inUerseiy as the amount of glucose.
This being the fact, it is plain to be seel
that in order to solve the problem OF the sue
cessful production of sugar on commercia
scale from these plants, the manufacture
must control the growth and time of cutting
so as to secure the crop in the condition an
at that stage when the juice contains tn
least grape sugar (glucose) and the mos
cane sugar (sucrose), since the latter is tn
only recognized sugar of commerce. Prc
fessor Collier adds that he is now getting q
the rate of twenty-one hundred pounds pc
acre OF dense syrup, almost white and sem
solid from crystals of sugar, from an acre c
sorghum. This, he says, will yield fifty
sixty-five per cent of sugar, and the res
is a very light colored and pleasant Aavore
syrup. He hopes and we think our reader
will share the hope that the next congrei
will give him the money TO grow five acr,
of each, in order to test the only questio
which remains, the cost of production on
moderate scale and under the necessary Co
ditions for success Has Vermont no co
gresham with ability, influence and patric
ism sufficient TO secure so small an appropri
ton for SO great purpose Or do the va
sums OF money needed to promote Il
"booms" of presidential candidates rsnd
economy in the agricultural department il
perative3
For the Vermont Waterman
A Young Man on Agricultural C,ollepes