Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-27
Farm and Household.
HOW BOTH CAN BE TURNED INTO SUGAR AT
SMALL. COST

hNW hbAh NhN hh NhNh-b INV o'NfAA' NJ
SMALL COST.
tFrom the Springfield Republican, 18th instl
number Of representative farmers of this
city and the surrounding towns gathered at
the room of the business mems association
yesterday afternoon TO hear Prof Peter Col
lier the chemist Of the agricultural depart
ment at Washington talk on sorghum culture
and the making of sugar from sorghum and
corn. stalks. The facts which he related in
regard TO the annual consumption and cost of
imported sugar in this country, and the re-
suits Of experiments by himself and others in
making sorghum and corn sugar, were eager
ly listened to by all who were present. The
whole talk could be readily summed up as
showing that any of the common kinds of
sorghum will produce syrup that will crystal
lie into sugar without trouble provided the
farmer allows the cane TO ripen till the seeds
at the top become hard that the cane can
always be grown on good corn land, though
some varieties require warmer latitude than
ours; that experiments have proved that
good per cent of sugar can be gained from
corn stalks and that this can be done with
mills which cost 1925 or less.
Some time was spent in showing how the
corn production is falling of at the West, so
that It can hardly be made to pay even in IL
linois, and how corn culture as it has been
carried on has exhausted those prairie lands.
II a crop can be raised for sugar, thoy will
not deteriorate in 1000 years, SO rich ma
nure is gained from the residium which comes
from the mill. The speaker then gave an ac-
count Of his last years experiments with rails
ing sorghum in behalf of the department of
agriculture By Analysing the stalks of four
different kinds of sorghum at different stages
of growth, it was found that traces of crystal
lized sugar multiplied as the seeds neared
maturity, and the result was that they all
gave a good per cent Of sugar. because the
juice was not expressed till the cane had
thoroughly ripened. This fact explains the
many failures of the past, and the fact that
the farmer has gained good sugar crop from
his cane, while the next year nothing but
syrup could be obtained. The cane happen
ed to be ripe the first year before he got
ready to put it in the mill. The seed when
it first appears is n milky substance then
doughty, after which it becomes hard and dry.
sharp frost will not hurt the cane, but il
must not be left to thaw after it has been
once frozen. Prof Collier found that his
sorghum gave a better average per cent of
sugar than the Louisiana cane. Farmer Rus
sell of Crystal Lake, ILL.,, who went into the
business quite largely last year, claims that
the cost of making sugar was but two cents
per pound, or a cent less than it is in Louis
his crop gave him at the rate of 90 bushels to
the acre and $50 pounds of sugar, while the
Louisiana plantations only give 1850 pounds
to the acre. He is confident that he can gain
10 tons of sugar from any ten acres of good
land which he might cultivate, and that
among the 10 at least one acre will be found
to yield two tons. Probably the average far.
mer would not do as well. because he would
neglect some of the things necessary to be
done to attain such q result. In making su.
gar he used the Stewart process, but doubts
if it is the best. He does not think that the
practice of stripping of the leaves from the
stalks helps matters materially. The pressed
cane which has been through the mill con
tains more nutritive matter than the impress
ed, and is eaten with avidity by cattle. Il
sugar is the only thing to be considered, sor
ghum is the crop to raise. The cane givei
Il per cent of sugar, sugar beets 12i and corr
little less. A good mill will give 60 pei
cent of juice, and mill which turns out 10t
gallons per hour takes three horses to run i
we'll In conclusion, the speaker predicted
that at the end of five years we shall make a
much sugar as we use, and in 10 years NOR,
than we have ever yet imported. Our i'm
portations last year cost us S109, 600, 600. 1
should be understood that whenever sugar il
mentioned in the account of the experiment.
referred to, raw sugar is meant The process
of refining is always expensive, but the suga
re6ners bid SO much higher for the raw suga
than do consumers that it cannot be found il
any of the stores. Prof Collier showed sam
Piles of different sugars made by him and 9th
er parties from different varieties of sorghum
and from corn. At the close of his remark
Selectmsn William Chapman of West Spring
field announced his intention of starting a su
gar-mill.