Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-04


PER POUND AND SOLD FOR FIVE CENT5-soRa-
HUN STALKS WHICH LIvE STOCK WOULDN'T Eat
HOW THE COMMISSIONER Sailed IT DOwN-A
MATURING CROP OF VINEGAR.
One of Commissioner LeDuc's experiments In
connection with bis sugar making from sorghum
has never been made known. This was the
sailing and packing away under ground of the
refuse stalks OF sorghum, from which the juice
had been pressed Dy the roller OF the sugar
mill, for the purpose OF making horse feed
Not only was all OF the available space allotted
for experimental vegetable growth soWn with
sorghum SEED, but a large farm was rented In
Virginia, several miles from this city, and about
one hundred acres planted with this crop. Sew
eral buildings were erected on the line OF Il
street south, a steam boiler, engine and very
expensive machinery set up, Including mill
for pressing the juice from the stalks, boiling
tanks, pumps, defecator. eyaporator, mixer,
to De good one, and at the proper time the
sorghum was cut, the leaves stripped from the
stalks, the latter made up into bundles as large
as could well be handled and Mr.. George W.
Knox, the well-known expressman, had the
contract for bringing the product from the
farm to the sugar mill In the Agricultural
grounds
THREATENED REVOLUTION IN SUGAR.
Tie Commissioner had given out that he
would show that a good merchantable sugar
could be made from sorghum. and at much
cheaper rate than the staple market article. Ii
this could be done OF course a revolution was
threatened In the sugar market, and the bulls
and bears would have to fight 1t out. Tue
chef value OF the sorghum heretofore had been
its yield or saccal,ne matter, which had been
converted into mOlasscs OF very common
Elnd but Its adaptab1lity for sugar had always
ceen In dOutJ, and although numerous expert
hts had been tried none had ever proved sue.
ceestc'. This Commissioner LIZ Due altrlpuJ ID
10 me defective process emp'oyed. but with the
aid OF modern machinery and the light OF re-
cent sclent!hc discoveries there was no such
thing as fail. The true results OF these expert.
rents are Dnt Known to the pubic, and pr3oa-
bly, ntver will be, but no shock has ever taken
place IN tie sugar market.
The HORSE FEED PROJECT,
II Is thought. was merely incidental, but was
good. AS the work progressed, the accumula-
tion OF the crushed sorghum stalks was simply
immense, and what to do with it was q serious
question. The commissioner generously Of
Tered to give 1t away to poor persons who kept
COWS or hogs, for feed. Some Of 1t was carted
away for such purpose. but 1t was soon found
that the animals would not eat It, Horses would
nioble at 1t little, and the happy thought
for horse feed, by sailing and packing away;
and by excluding the air ON the ''ens1lage
plan" it could be successfully cured and used
by p ao1g the winter s6S aas S9I1ng
giving the subject thoughtful consideration.
he directed that pit be dug in the sorghum
patch near by the sugar works; This pl5 was
feet deep, paved and walled up Its full height
with hard brick set In cement, and covered with
rough board roof to keep the rain out. This
formed sort OF tank or reservoir, and into 1t
the green crushed sorghum stalks were packed,
In close and alternate layers OF sorghum stalks
and salt, the latter to keep it from fermenta-
ton and at the same time give the feed relish
Ing seasoning. In this way the pit was filed
TO within foot or two OF the top and then all
was OVerlaid with earth compacted to the
depth OF two or three feet. to thoroughly ex-
Guide the atmosphere. This was kept through
last winter until spring, Wnen portion vas
uncovered and the contents examined. A small
quantity was taken to the stable and put be.
lore the horses, but after all this trouble the
ungrateful brutes rejected 1t, much to the
disgust OF its protector.
A SORT OF STRANGE DOOR
began to make itself known in that neighbor-
hood, something like fermented swlll, or mash
from distlllery, but no one was able to
account for 1t. Finding the feed was not rel
| iShed by horS S, the commissioner gave dire >
| lions that one end OF the pit be uncovered and
the contents thrown out from the bottom into
/ the open air. This was done, and the shiny
! stuff has been left there Since3oWith the Pill
| open to emit the foul od0rs. The horse feed
experiment, like that Of the sugar, was not q
/ success and the only thing to fail back on +
| about fifty barrels of the sorghum juice stand
| Ing In the open lot and now supposed to be IL
| dergoing the process OF turning to vinegar. How
| Ibis will pan out for use on green's and Cabbage
| IS not yet known.
| THERE Is STILL ANOTHER
unGeveloped projsct, that of making a compos
| OF sorghum stalks and free iima; large pit o
which was made last fau near by the hors
iced pit, but 1t appears that the stalks remain
! har0, ike dry chips OF wood and refuse to b
| rotte1. IL IS said by some that the fe pound
OF brown sugar made by Commissioner LeDu
last season cost the government from $50 TO 50
per pound. and was sold by gro GER In this Cit
! lor nVe cents per pound.