The daily gazette., 1880-05-29
sATURDAY. MAY 20, 1850.
SUGAR FROM CORN STALKS AND tn

SUGAR FROM CORN STALKS AND THE
CULTURE OF TEA.-In the Senate ON
Thursday, brief debate took place
over an amendment to an appropria-
tion bill for $15, 900 for the purchase
of machinery and apparatus, and for
experiments in the manufacturing of
sugar from sorghum and corn stalks
and other producing plants" An
amendment of $1,000 was also pro-
posed for the Gu ture of tea, and an
other of $4,000 for experiments IN the
culture of the different varieties of
CO ton.
Mr.. Voorhees, in supporting the first
amendment, said it was now ascer-
tanned that good sugar could be made
from corn stalks. Experiments on a
small scale were no longer necessary.
1t was now desired to find means by
which farmers can themselves make
their own sugar out of their own stalks
by some practical machinery, and, i'll
order to make these experiments use
full, they should be carried on in the
corn6eld. He believed that we were
entering a new era in regard to sugar
production.
In Delaware We are endeavoriHg in
an earnest way, to test The feasibility
of manufacturing sugar from beets as
a profitable business. The effort is
costing gentlemen in this city large
amount of money, and should it prove
a success, wide benefits will doubtless
result to great section of country
from it but no one has thought OF
asking aid from Congress for the mat
ter. Beet sugar is 10 new thing,
although its manufacture here has
never formed one of our industries as
in France and Germany, and the estab-
lishment near this city now being ell
larged is intended to show that
it may be made profitable business.
1t will be gratifying to farmers if it
can be shown that sugar from corn
stalks can be made " ith 50 much ease
and profit as the Commissioner at tbs
head of the Department Of Agriculture
main aims, and we are quite sure they
would agree with the Senator from In-
diana that small appropriation should
not be refused to make the manner of
extracting sugar from corn stalks
more easy and show chat it could be
put to practical use, with profit, in all
pats OF the country. Nor would they
object o the small sums asked for Il e
culture of tea, and experimen in
cotton. But there is danger that
these propositions may open the
door and lead to Others that will cause
ultimate mischief that will overbal
ance the present good, so that it will
be well to act with great caution, and,
hence il is found Senator Walace is i'll
sisting that 'if the theory of the Sena-
tor from Indiana was right, and this
matter was no longer an experiment,
there was no need of the approprla-
tion at all. 1t was for priva e enter
prise, not for paternal Cove rnment, to
provide machinery 10 make sugar.
The fact, however, was that the ex
pertinent was not yet finished. Sugar
had been prepared in the chemists
laboratory from corn stalks, but farm
ers came before the Committee and
testified that they were not successful,
and the Department showed the neces-
sity of erecting larger machinery
here, where all the appliances are, and
where the experiments could be car
ried on under the direct supervision Of
the experts" 1t is hoped the matter
will be fully tested and hat the most
sanguine hopes of the Indiana Senator
will be realized.