New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-10

If we divide the sum of the State averages given
in the above table by the number Of States and Ter
ritories from which reports have been received it
gives 1925 gallons of syrup to the mean
product throughout the country, or, reducing this
amount to pounds of cTystallizable sugar, 1,5SS
pounds. This is less than ton, but there are some
reasons why the average yield of sugar from the
sorghum planted last year should be less than it
may be expected to be in the future The seeds dis
trlbuted were all those of the Early Amber variety.
which is one of the smallest Of the sorghum plants,
and is especially adapted to Northern ATTITUDES
where the seasons arc short. 1t is probable that if
other varieties, requiring longertimc to mature but
producing from 80 to so per cent more cane and
nice to an acre, had been planted in the Southern
States the average yield.frOm it would have been
very much greater. Again, the full significance OF
the results of DR.. Golfers experiments was not
known to himself even, until about the close of the
season. and when it was too late to make his dscOv-
cries of any practical value in treating last years
crop. The farmers cut the cane when, IN their
Judgment it ought to be cut, and many of them
doubtless gathered it green and before the
was fully formed. Taking all these circumstances
into consideration, it is remarkable that the
age yield of sugar great as it was. 1t is pos
sibIe that the Commissioners estimate of one ton of
sugar 10 an mere Of good corn land may not, after
all, DO too great.
said in former letter that the chief obstacle to
be overcome in making the production of sorghum
sugar one of the most important industries of the
country has been the difficulty of obtaining from
the Chinese plant cane juIce which contains
large percentage of sucrOse or crystalhzabe sugar.
and that, having secured that, the manufacture of
sorghum sugar is a very simple matter assumed
thai once having obtained the juice containing the
sucrose, the difficulties of extracting it would be
very easily overcome. At the same time, the pro-
cess of manufacturing gar from cane juice presents
questions of vital Importance to the farmer who de-
sires to engage in the industry for the first
time.
The juice OF the sorghum plant containing IL or
IA per cent of sucrose is precisely identical with the
juice of Louisiana cane of the same strength, and
treated the latter is treated, will produce the
same amount aud the same quality of sugar. But
the equipment of q sugar plantation in Louisiana is
very expensive. Machinery costing from fifty thou
sand to half million dollars Ii employed, and there
is therefore. an outlay of capital such not one
farmer in a thousand afford. If it is necessary
for every man in the North who raises sorghum to
own vacuum pans and centrifugal machines for
separating and drying the sugars, the whole scheme
Of the Commissioner Of Agriculture night as well
be abandoned at once. We might as well expect
every farmers wife to set upa steam laundry in her
house. But General Lie Due and his assistant, DR..
Collier the Chemist of the Department say that no
such outlay is necessary desirable In TACT they
do not expect every small farmer who raises few
acres of sorghum or and grinds his cOrn-saks
TO become sugar manufacturer himself. The con-
version of the cane juice into syrup weighing from
ten to twelve pounds TO a gallon and containing so
per cent aud upward of crysaizable cane sugar, is
very simple process, requiring neither great skill
nor costly complicated machinery, while the pro-
duct will always command a good market. The
process used at the Department last Fall is one
which every farmer adopt, and it may be briefly
described as follows:
The cane having been cut when it was thoroughly
ripe was ground in an ordinary sorghum mill, which
costs about $780, The juice thus obtained was then
placed in an open pan about three feet deep. This
may be made of galvanized iron and set IN brick
arch. the WHOLE with the evaporatng pans, costing
about $50 The juice as 1t comes from the mill con-
tains besides sugar. woody fibre. vegetable acids
solubIe salts albumen, caseine, wax, etc. To dis
pose Of these foreign substances small fraction OF
one per cent OF lime added TO the Juice. the lime