Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-02
AGRICULTURAL.

Al the recent agricultural meeting III
Montpelier, Col. Mead, Superintendent
of Agriculture, called upon o. N. Tnk-
ham, Esq, to give report upon the re-
cent International dairy fair.
Mr.. Tinkham, rs reported in the Watch
,"Ga, said the fair was held i'll the Amerl-
can Institute building, New York. \
conspicuous object was pyramid OF
American cheese sixty feet high, with
chooses one thousand two hundred pounds
each at the base and tapering the small
pineapple cheesas. Then there WIS
pyramid Of sslt, and another Of imported
cheese The latterwas very strong-smcil-
ing, and not likely 10 suit American Isles.
On each side were tables with boxes Of
cheese and packages Of butter, arranged
by seasons and States. Vermont made a
very creditabie show Her exhibit was
separate from that Of the rest Of New
ENGLAND, and many times more extensive.
Mr.. Tinkham spoke at considerable length
of the offensive character OF several kinds
IF European cheese, and the success of
some American makers inimitaiinS them.
In dairy implements Vermont led Inc
van, and may be fairly said to have sur
passed all other localities. Tie Ccntrifu
gal Cream Extractor was exhibited. Tins
throws out the cream from The new milk.
Ii revclvts two thousand times n minute,
and separates the cream from milking
in about twenty minutes. 80 lar the re-
suits Of its use have not seemed satssfac-
tory III this country. Mr.. Tinkhain gave
an amusing account Of churBmg con
test between Iowa and Vermont. in which,
OF course, Vermont came oilt ahead. HE
show o: dairy stock WAS very extra, and
Of all the leading dairy breeds, Jerseys,
Gncrnseys, Dutch and Ayrshires, with a
few Grade Shorthorns.
AT the requo-t of Col. Mead, Prof.
Peter Collier, Of Washington, sketchad
the work of Tic department OF aSricul-
tire.
The chronological division looks after
the injurious insects that interfere with
agricultural crops, studies their habits
and seeks to devise and make known prac-
teal remedies. Binds are also made the
subject Of similar Investigations, and
their value rs insecrdcstroycrs made
known. The microscopic studies and
reports on the rusts, milIews and other
minute plants that affect our crops, mi
mute insects Of the same character. etc.
etc. The sta.istician collects statistics Of
crops from all parts of the nation, and
has other important duties. The chemist
analyses artificial fertilizers, deposits of
natural fertilizing substances. useful and
injurious plants and plant products, and
does great variety of other wcrl, for the
benefit Of the farming community. The
botanist makes a complete collection Of
all American plants, seeds, woods, etc,
etc, and exchanges specimens OF these
with other nations.
In speaking of the work Of the chemi-
cal department, Professor Collier men-
toned the singular fact that though the
| United States produces upwards of 800,
| COO, 900 worth of corn, and at least one
hundred and fifty varieties, no analyses Of
/ corn have been made until within the
last few years. Recent analyses made at
4 the department to determine the relative
value Of Eastern and Western corn do not
| show so much difference between them as
has been supposed to exist. When West
orn corn has seemed to he inferior it has
probably been because it WAS hot first
/ class corn Besides corn, the department
| has recently made series Of analyses Of
| grasses to determine their comparative
value for feeding, either rs pasturage or
| for winter forage The botanical division
has acted in concert with the chemical III
this work, to determine the habits Of
growth and adaptation to peculiar soils
| and climates Of the variuas grasses and
forage plants,
Professor Collier, referred To the imper-
feet means Mt the disposal OF the depart
ment for the prosecution of its investiga-
tons, especially in the chemical division,
which is far less perfectly equipped than
/ hundreds of orr colleges and technical
schools for efficient laboratory work
On Tuesday evening, Professor Collier
lectured on sugar Industry in the United
States" He sail The average con-
sumption of sugar per head of popula-
ton i'll the United States is between thir-
ty-five and forty pounds, of which by far
the greater portion ghty-seven per cent
is imported The annual imports of this
commodity equal our total annual pro-
duction of the precious metals, or up
wards of S13,000,000. The payment for
this imported sugar is made nlmos! en-
tirely in cash. The question, therefore,
of raising our own sugar, if possible, is a
very important one The professor as
serted his confident belief TINT this could
be done, and that we have two sugar
yielding plants that will grow anywhere
in the United States, either OF which IS
capable of giving us all the sugar We use
on a very small acreage. These are the
sorghums and cur common Indian corn.
Nine per cent OF the land planted to corn
III the single State of Illinois, if the corn
stalks were utilized for sugar making.
would supply our whole deficiency and
keep all the money at home that is now
sent away TO pay for our imported sugar.
The professor expressed strong conyic-
ton that this can not only be done. but
can be done ut good profit TO the pro-
ducers.
From the experiments made at the de-
partment Of agriculture during the last
two years, it has been proven beyond the
shadow of doubt that the different kinds
of sorghum, when worked at the proper
stage of growth, will give from twenty
four hundred to five thousand pounds of
merchantable sugar Of high grade TO
the acre, besides large quantity of good
syrup The sorghum that gave the best
result in these experiments was the Hon
duras. The one best adapted to growth
in the more Northern States WAS the
Early Amber, which gave yield of two
thousand four hundred and forty one
pounds Of sugar to the acre, besides
syrup
The corn experimental with was COM
mon field variety grown in the vicinity of
Washington. This was found to yield at
the rate of one thousand two hundred
and five pounds Of sugar, besides syrup,
to the acre The best yield of syrup was
obtained when both the sorghum and the
corn had reached nearly to the point OF
maturity as regards its seed. At early
stages oil growth there WAS less sugar but
more syrup. The Early Amber cane ut
Washington was in good condition for
making sugar all the time from August
10th 10 October Goth. The quantity of
uncrystalizable sugar i'll the juice was
very little if any greaterthan in the South
ern sugar cane, and the percentage OF
crystaliZable sugar i'll the juice was fully
as high as in sugar cane H. A. Russell
Of Crystal Lake Illinois, made forty-two
! thousand pounds of sugar from the Am
her cane the past fall, which sold i'll Chi
clgo at ten cents Il pound. Specimens of
this sugar were exhibited to the audience
and greatly admired for its beautynnd cx-
ccllent flavor.
Mills can be had for $50 which are
warranted 10 extract from sixty-iiye to
seventy per cent Of the Juice from sorg
hum or corn stalks. This juice contains
from ten to seventeen per cent Of crystal
liable sugar. OF this about two-thlrds
can be extracted i'll practical operations.
! The average product of Louisiana sugar
cane in sugar per acre ~ about II hogs
head tsixteen hundred pounds.
The reason why preceding experiments
have not shown equally good results IS
probably that the stalks were worked NJ
too early stage Of growth, or the stalks
were kept too long after being cut before
they were pressed The juice also WIS
not properly purified or promptly evap-
Grated Al these points are absolutely
essential e. be observed il successful re
suits are expected. 1t is also OF great
Importance TO select the variety OF sorg
hum or com best suited to the climn'c Of
the locality AMI to sugar making. There
Is no doubt Great rhoic,. in regard to