Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-31

The SORGHUM Boon The practicable
development of nearly all great inventions
is due 10 the patient labors of the expert
menter. That certain results will follow
certain causes NAV be known for long
time before the fortunate genius arrives TO
put the causes in harness and bring about
results of practical benefit to the world.
The hidden power OF steam was known
for ten centuries before 1t was brought
into subsection as servant to man. Long
before the days of Franklin and OF Morse
it was known that the effects of electricity
could be transmitted to distance. And
to come TO practical question oil the hour
it has long been known in general way
that sugar could be made from sor-
ghum. Many New England farmers
became acquainted with this fact years
ago, but found out to their sorrow that
there was secret connected with the
manufacture which ba1lled them, Some
times their cane would make excellent
sugar, but the next year no sugar would
come, and after few failures the expert
ment was given up. There has never been
question that if the sorghum syrup would
always crystalline the production OF sugar
would be II profitable one, but the farmer
could not afford the risks consequent upon
the uncertainty of the result And just
here is the importance of the discovery
which Professor Collier believes he has
made, which belief seems to be shared by
the scientific and practical gentleman who
have studied his experiments. The pro
fessor, rs chemist of the department oil
agriculture, set himself at work to solve
the puzzle, why syrup would crystalline
INTO sugar at one time and not at another.
After patient investigation he was satisfied
hat he had ut last found the secret. The
professor is not an Over-sanguine man.
He appreciated the Importance of his dis
covery if it proved true, and he quietly set
20 work to verify it. He found that when
ever the cane was cut when it was thor
oughly ripe it always crystallized. The
trouble had been previously in the idea
hat when the cane was not fully mature
it contained the most suCrose or crystal
liable sugar, but the contrary was found
true. Not to he satisfied with his own
experiments alone, DR.. Collier told his
discovery and induced many farmers. near
Washington and elsewhere, to cultivate
the sorghum cane according to his in
sent him from time to time, and when he
decided it was ripe the crop was gathered,
and an eUery instance excellent sugar was
obtained. This uDvaryng result has sat
islicd DR.. Collier and others that the great
question has been answered, that it is
demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt
that sorghum can be raised proitably
wherever corn will ripen. Among the
facts cited in proof is that at Crystal Lake,
Ills. Mr.. A. J. Russell began the manu-
facture of sugar from sorghum last fall,
the sorghum being furnished by neighbour
ing flrmers, much of it from seed OBJ
tanned from the agricultural department,
and made $4,000 pounds of sugar which
he sold for 10 cents II pound, the aver
age cost of raw sugar in this country
being about cents Il pound. AT Fair
bault, Mimi, IL refinery last fall paid from
20 to 30 cents per gallon for crude syrup
and took all that was offered. At Il meet
ing of the cane growers association Of
Minnesota few weeks since there was
complaint of a lack of reiineries, as being
the principal obstacle to the general adop-
ton of the discovery of the agricultural
bureau.
There seems no reason for doubling that
Professor Collier has demonstrated the
practicability Of his discovery. lie believes
that by following the simple directions
furnished gratuitously by the department,
sorghum can be proiitably raised for
sugar wherever Indian corn will ripcn.
The Importance of this if it proves correct,
may be inferred from the fact that the
country now pays annually more than
one hHnlred and ten millions dolhtrS for
the sugar it imports. DR.. Collier is san
guine enough to believe that ten years
will see this all changed, the country self
supporting in this important matter and
sending it, surplus sweets abroad. If this
dream should be realized, there are mani
festly millions in it' for the farmers of
America, and the dscoverer will take rank
with the inventor Of the cotton gin, the
locomotive, and the electric telegraph, as
one of the benefactors Of mankind. -WtrL-
ford Courier.