Connecticut western news., 1880-02-18
A New Industry.
THE SUGAR CANE INTEREST," IN MINNESOTA
 AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESULT.


 AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESULT.
 About two years ago tho Minnesota Bureau of Statistics announced, in it's annual report, that "A new industry has been born" Tho meeting Of Minnesota Amber Cane Growers, recently held at Minneapolis, shows that northern sor- ghum culture, the newborn industry, has already achieved astonishing growth.
 In the year 1875 there were 1,534 acres of cane in Minnesota, producing 70, 479 gall ons of syrup; in 1876 there were l, ,695 acres and 72. 4S9 gallons in 1877, 2 200 acl es md 140 153 gallons; in 1878, 8, ,2o7 acres aud 429, 660 gallons; ln 1879, 4, ,624 acres, with the number of gallons not yet returned, but probably 700, ,000.
 Here we find in five years, says tho New York Stna, from which wo quote, the acreage under cultivation increased thraefold, and the saoohariue product probably tenfold, in one State. The increase iu production to the acre is specially remarkable; but in this direc' tioa further advances will be made. The early; amber cane is easy to raise !; but in the machinery and in the chemi- cal treatment necessary to produce a sugar pure and pleasant to the taste, there is great need of improvement. AS more and better cane mills are provided for extracting the crude juice and turn ing it into sugar, more farmers will pro- duce their own sugar and mo1asses, as they nov do their grain and meat.
 Mir. Seth H. Kenney, a pioneer in the amber cane industry, whose results at- tracted little general attention in 1876. has taken six pounds of sugar from each gallon of syrup-he drained 200 gallons per day, yielding sugar worth $96, and 116 gallons yielding sugar worth about $34-total, S150. Still, this sugar is not quite palatable, and the refining process must be carried further. '- .' In the Minneapolis Convention bar rels of sorghum sugar were shown and tasted. Discussions were had on the processes of purifying by heating and ] by treating tho juice with alum and lime ; OF tho value of bagasse as fuel in evapo- rating the syrup; on the methods of skimming and cleaning the pans; on the best construction of furnaces and the best wood for burning; on seeds, soils, and harvesting. Hundreds of samples were examined, and reports were received from cane growers in all parts of the State, most of whom seem to be satisfod and confident.
 The Northwest sugar business is still in its infancy. Perhaps under any cir cumstanoes tho sugar of the amber cane may never equal the products of Lou isiana and the West Indies in crystaliz ing quality and well-deancd granulatiop. or ill palatability. But France has shown in her beet sugar industry, what can be done by persistent and intelligent ex pertinent; and the progress effected ir the last twelvemonth is token thai when ths Convention reassembles 1T Minneapolis year hence some difficul ties will have been removed and some discoveries made.
 In the United States, every year, from 1 1,5OO, ,0s0, ,oOO to 1,70O. COG, 900 pounds oi sugar are used for this from $11O. .Ooo,' | poo to $115, ,OO0, 900 are paid. Thus the project to raise sugar in the Northwest has national importance. One farmer wrote to the Minneapolis Convention that it cost him $9.10 to produce ar acre of wheat, $41.55 for an acre of sor' glum, $s.05 for an acre of corn. But he expected to sell on acre of wheat fol $15, an acre of sorghum for 975, an acre of corn for $10. If the refining of the amber cane sugar can be carried on un' til it is as palatable and commercially valuable as tho foreign sugar, the pre- dic,ion that Minnesota's sugar produo tion will one day equal in value that oi it's wheat may be fulfilled.