The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-28
INDIANA CANE-GR0WERS.
An illustrated Lecture by Prof. Wiley
on Sugar and Syrup-Making,
Best Methods of Treating the Cane in Its
Growth and Reduction to the De-
sired Commodities.


growers Association, yesterd ay, was devoted to
the discussion of questions relating to the ma
chinery for the manufacture of sugar and
syrup.
In the afternoon e. W. Demming related his
experience in the manufacture OF sugar and
sorghum at West Point, in Tippeeanoe county,
and DIR. R. I. Brown, of This city, delivered an
address on "Ehe effects of sorghum culture on
the SOIL" ex-governor Coleman, Of Missouri,
read brief paper on 1.-THE practcability of the
sorghum industry in the United States" W. L.
Anderson, OF Ladoga, explained o new plan of
evaporation
Last evening Professor H. ". Wiley, the gov
eminent analytical chemist, delivered an ad-
dress on syrup and sugar making, which was
illustrated by projections on the screen Of the
polarscope.
DR. Wiley stated that the object of his investi-
cations on sorghum su9ar-cane had been to get
at the truth as to the feasibility OF sugar and
syrup making
First-The sugar-cane was composed of abo6t
SO per cent. of water and y per cent. OF cellu-
lose. The latter makes an excellent paper
pulp Each ton of cane will make $50 pounds
OF paper as good as that made from wood pulp.
The water contains the sugar in solution. The
lecturer then projected on the screen transverse
and longitudinal sections of the sugar-eane
stalk, and gave a brief lesson on the endOgenous
structure OF plants. The same was done with
the leaf. Other projections showed the cane
fields at Washington as affected by storms. The
amber cane. owing to its ripeness, was most af-
fected by the winds.
Prof. Wiley next illustrated on the screen the
machinery used In cutting the cane into pieces
from an eighth to sixteenth of an inch in
thickness, to prepare it for the diffusion process
of extracting the juice by pouring water over
which
same process is used abroad in extracting the
juice from beets, but has not before been APP
piled to sugar cane. By this method Prof.
Wiley got 90 per cent of the juice without crush
ing between rollers.
The lecturer next threw on the screen the
Champaign sugar works, in which the bogasse
Is used furnace feed for evapo
rating Prof, Weber complains that in
spite of the tall chimney there is little economy
In burning the wet bogosse.
The workings Of the Rio Grande factory. near
Camden, N. j.. were shown in detail. long
tramway runs over the thousand-aere cane
field aud brings the cane to the sugar-house.
The tram costs 5000 mile, but is necessity in
all large plantations. BY the system of defeea5
ton employed, two boys can take entire charge
e collected in 5000 gallon tank;
The vacuum pans crystallizing rooms WaEd
packingrooms were shown in detail. A half
mile Of hog pens, accommodating 1000 hogs,
was shown. The hogs were Fat and clean Their
only food was cane seed, and their bed is the 4
bOgasse.e One man takes care Of 800 hogs. One
acre OF cane furnishes seed enough for one hog,
one acre. a'' lls .ssoBs lEs !. coo 10
At the department canefelds, 800 tons raised
on fifty acres furnished 1000 bushels Of seed
A ton Of cane will furnish 100 pounds OF seed. 1
Prof. Wiley regarded it very important that
cane be selected which will ripen its seed. 1t is
better economy to feed the boiled seed to hogs
and make the bogasse into manure than to burn
the bOgasse and seed. A fine and varied series
OF views was shown of the department. works at
Washington, "a well as of those at Champaign,
Land Rio Grande, N. j., after which the
lights were turned on and the lecture continued.
Prof. Wiley is satisfied that by the crushineS
process, even with double rolling, less than 60
per cent. of the juice is saved. The bogasse acts
sas 4 plotting paQeg, and takes up the juice again
as soon as it is crushed fr66aSiy IN the
mills of the world not over go per cent.
Of the juice is saved. Prof. Wiley is
sangulne that by the diffusion process, which
removes the sugar from the unbroken cells,
much larger per cent. OF the sugar can be saved.
Samples Of the exhausted cane were shown
which had not particle OF cane sugar when
tegted by the polariscope, although traces of
grape sugar were left. In the diffusion process
the cane is exhausted with warm water. The
diffusion juice contains DO per cent more water
requires more boiling and more fuel. BY the
diffusion process Professor Wiley got "a per
cent. of the total sugar, instead OF so per cent.
by the crushing process. IL is question of
which is cheaper, coal or sugar2 The same
methods which apply to beet sugar, Professor
Wiley is satisfied, Will apply to Inc manufac-
EDr. wiey'cautioned his audience against overo
eating the possibilities OF the sngar-cahe bnsi-
paign and Rio Grande made each ambition
pounds, this is probably largely Ov erestimatedo
Kansas did not make its own sugar. Not mills
lion pounds were made last year in the United
States-abOut half enough for one breakfast.
The sugar industry has an outlook for the valley
States The skilled chemist, the skilled aborer
and the skilled agrieulturist, will, by working in
harmony. put the sugar manufacturing on
firm scientific and financial basis.
Not all localities produce sugar Almost
any part of the United States can produce syrup
profitably. The seed must be improved, taking
advantage of accidental variations. as that
which produced the amber cane, to secure the
largest amount of sucrose and the smallest
amount of glucose. The methods of expressing
and purifying the juice must be further studied,
with every variety of soil and climate. Prof.
Wiley felt assured that American money grit
and inventive genius would solve the problem,
and the United States would yet makes its own
sugar instead of importing it,
Prof. Wiley's lecture was listened to with the
greatest attention, and was universally well re-
ceived.
The association will conclude its session this
morning.
Memorial Church Meeting.
The congregation of the Memorial Church held
;kao doc ,i,rGt