Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-12-22
Sugar from Sorghum

The Massachusetts Plougtn1an has an
article on the above topic. part of which
we give below, and which is rather dis
couraging as far as getting sugar is con
cerned, though it comedies syrup
We have had great hopes of this indus
try, and there still remains the fact that
sugar has been made from sorghum OF
good quality and in considerable quantity,
and, rs we have understood, at II profit;
therefore it is not impossible and we do
not give up our faith:
In November. 1879, while on "A visit TO
Washington Gen LeDnc showed US some
sugar obtained from amber cane. and
some from corn stalks. At that time he
had very lutte apparatus for his expert
ments. In 1879 Prof. Collier, at n
meeting of the National Grange of the
Patrons of Husbandry at Canandaigua,
New York, gave glowing account of the
possibility of supplying the country with
sugar from corn stalks; while, with amber
cane, success seemed to be assured by the
experiments made at the department of
agriculture. The discovery of these
sources of sugar were expected to greatly
benefit the farmer by increasing the value
of his crops, and the sugar consumers by
reducing the cost of sugar. The result OF
these statements was liberal appropria
ton by congress last winter, for suppl lying
an ample quantity of sorghum from the
immediate vicinity of Washington. pro.
curing the most approved and elaborate
machinery. and appliances for converting
sorghum into sugar, land securing from this
country and Cuba, the best attainablt
knowledge of the science and TT of sugar
making.
1t was well worth visit to Washington
to see the beautiful and complicated
machinery set up for sugar making at the
agricultural department. First is an ella
borate machine for crushing the cane thl
is brought to it ,-np an inclined plane by al
endless railway Under this machine is con
structed u vat to receive the Juice from it
From this vat the juice is forced by pumps o
various kinds to evaporating pans that ar
heated by steam; these pans have various
devices, some are open and some ar
closed One is vacuum pan, which is o
elaborate and curious construction. Ate
being sufficiently boiled down in thes
evaporaIng pans, the cane juice, that nov
is passed into centrifugal machines c
various sizes. in which the sugar is ex
pected to be extracted. Unhappily thes
machines did not succeed in extractin
the sugar during our visit.
We were shown some very good suga
and molasses, and some poor vinega
made from sorgum. These were tn
results of the best knowledge and skill i
sugar manufacturing with the hes
possible appliances. So far as we coul
Judge from the best information we cou
obtain by careful investigation and obseI
walton, the results obtained are no bette
than we're obtained some seventeen year
ago with very poor appliances, of whic
an account was then published. In 1877
Prof. Chas. A. Goessmann, who is II
acknowledged scientific expert in th
manufacture of sugar, obtained the sam
results at the Massachusetts agriculture
college, and published at that time a
account of his experiments and invest
cations.
All of these careful researches seem
prove that a good quality OF moasses {
syrup may be obtained from sorghum
amber cane at II cost that pays for produt
ton. But that sugar cannot be obtaine
from it at Cost that makes its productio
from this source practicable.