Connecticut western news., 1882-01-04
MAKING SUGAR FROM SORGHUM.
The Experiments and Investigations by the Commissioner of Agricul- fVurn

MAKING. SUGAR FROM SORGHUM. The Experiments and Investigations
 by the Commissioner of Agricul-
 ture.
 The experiments prosecuted under the direction of the Commissioner of Agriculture to test the practicability of making sugar from sorghum, while the conditions under which they were made were not in every respect satisfactory, produced information of positive value. There is prospect that this will be- come leading industry in the country. The possibilities of sorghum, although it has been grown for syrup for long time, are very little understood-scarce- ly at all, except by 8 few individuals, as to sugar. Dr. Collier, of the Agri- cultural Bureau, in the forthcoming re- port of tha Commissioner, will give the results Of numerous experiments and tests, which bid fair to mark new de- parture in the growth of sorghum for sugar. It's. practicability appears to be entirely proven. It seems to have been demonstrated that there is hardly State in the Union where syrup may not be produced from sorghum, and very few where sugar may not be pro- duced more or less abundantly. s.f Last year several tons of sorghum sugar were made in New Jersey. The experiment was by leading firm in Philadelphia, who were so greatly en- couraged by their first attempt that next year one thousand acres of sorghum will be cultivated by the proprietors, and in smaller acreage by others in the neighborhood, near Philadelphia. Ma chinery rivaling that of some of the larger plantations in Cuba is to, be erected by the firm referred to, capable of grinding thousand tons of sorghum stalks daily. f.,. ,s... ..
 Where corn at the rate of say thirty five bushels !ap acre can be grown, fl will be practicable to grow sorghum fol sugar. Sorghum will grow where corn will. .- e3sssA Y ' N l. A-.'A . 'A9'
 As far north as Minnesota sorghum is grown, and when made into syruE yields from $40 so $75 per acre. tet1s1oisI .s' ':
 In favorable 1atltudes, say on a line from Norfolk through to the Rocky Mountains, and any distance south and one hundred miles or more north of it. the evidence is that as the. methodl become known sugar may be made a an outcome comparing favorably witt the average sugar lands of the bes Louisiana districts 1t is believed thai one and 2 half and two tons and ever upward per acre, under very favorable circumstances would not be too mucl to much to expect, which is quite up tt the average ofthe Louisiana cane planta tions. The cost oE raising and manu fscturing sQEghAFa isI Rsiderahly les than sugar cane while the period within which the sorghum natures gives it 1 decided advantage over cane, in th' respect that it is not liable to the stress of weather resulting from late maturing that renders the growth of cane nor, or less perilous business. The prospec is that in the great corn districts it vii become business of very considerable magnitude. ......... r-.
 In Kansas preparations on an exten sive scale are making. In that Stat sorghum growing is nothing new, syrul having been the outcome, except wher sugar has been made on limited scale It would probably be regarded as wilt prediction that the time will come whel Kansas will beat Louisiana as suga maker. saying nothing about syrup O molasses.
 What is true of Kansas is equal, true of g dozen of other States.
 The annual increase in the con sumption of sweets, and the restricte' area heretofore supposed to be adapte'
 to their production within our owl . borders, render this an important a we'll as an interesting subject for tn , practical statesmen and political econo
 mists. Whatever may be said of tn l operations of Dr. Loring's predecesso in some other respects, it is to be sal that in this he rendered great servio ,, by giving it an impetus which promise
 results of great magnitude. .