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

having been slaked in the air and mixed with WAFER
until it of tie consistency of creaEns ans Heu-
tralzed the acids aud cOaGulated the al6ulnlnous
matter e. that whcr the juice was brought 10 the
boiling point they either sank TO the bottom OF rose
10 the top rs Scum. winch was easily removed i"
ascertain the proper amount OF lime 10 auu' lhe
in g., WIS tested with lItnuS paper and the deteca
ton was known to ne complete when II mHlcateu
orlthcr acid nor alkaline reaction. Snlphurous
acid is sometimes used chiefly TO arrest fermenta-
t,on. and a gentleman in Pennsylvania has invented
AMI natentpd n compound of which sulphurOns acid
IL thc princlpal ingredient; this was employed IN
the Agricultural Department experiments last year.
II is not necessary to make sugar-manuiacturlhg
success and if 1t was, the patented compound costs
so little that it does not apprcciaDly increase the
cost of the product.
From the defeating pan the purified juice. when
COOL was drawn off and transferred 10 shallow eyap
Grating pans in which it reduced to syrup. Inc
evaporat,on NAV be continued IN the open pans nm
til the sugar cnmes )" but while the greater part OF
the process is very simple and can be conductor by
any person of ordinary intelligence, the closing por
ton, fcarried in open pans requires considerable
care and skill so that DR.. Collier does not ADVISE
farmers generally to undertake IT, The danger of
Inversion" the change of some of the sucroSe IN
the syrup to glucose much less If the final treat
pans are used, while strong syrup is worth about
as much in the market as the sugar DR.. Collier
made considerable quantities of sugar last year
from sorghum purchased of farmers in this vicinity,
using none but open pans. The cost of sugar-Inan-
ufacturng outfit like that used at the Agricultural
Department last year is about $i5O.
General Le Due looks forward to the early estab-
hshmcnt of sugar mills in each county where sOT-
ghum is raised in considerable quantities. The pro-
pretors of these mills will buy the syrup made by
the farmers in the vicinity, and by means OF im-
proved machinery convert it cheapy into CONNER
cial sugar. Just as the of cheese factories IN
the grazing sections buy the milk which the farm
ers take to Them The amount of capital necessary
for the establishment of one of these sorghum sugar
manufactures will by no means he as great as that
reouired to erect a mill of similar capacity in Lou
slana. In the South the cutting and grinding SEA-
son is so short that the capacity of the machinery
employed must be great enough tn dispose of the
whole crop within given limited time The sOr-
ghum farmer will ordinarily have six or eight weeks
within which to cut and grind his crop, and after
the syrupis made it will not deerorae if 1t is kept
year before it is converted into sugar. The manu-
facturer will not, therefore, he obliged to set up
| machinery enough to turn out his whole years pro-
duct in a month or two and then allow his mill to
stand idle during all the remainder of the year, but
| with a much smaller investment he may set up n
smaller establishment and purchase syrup from time
to time as the farmers offer 1t for SALE and keep his
| machinery i'll motion all the year.
Ihave now given a brief account of the important
discoveries in regard to sorghum which the Com
missioner of Agriculture and DR.. Collier, tho Chem
list of the Department, think were made last year,
their estimates Of the probable product of sorghum
sugar TO the acre. with statistics of what was actu-
ally done last year under quite unfavorablc crcum-
stances, and q description Of the process Of manu-
featuring sugar from the cane juice. There remain
| to be mentioned some interesting experiments that
| have been made by DR.. Collier with the juice of
corn-stalks and his conclusions in reGari 10 the
effect of the substitution of sorghum cultivation for
that of grain upon the continued fertility Of the
| lamd-all of which must be reserved for another
| letter. z. L. W.