The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-09-01
The Sugar ,Uanss.
Scientific American, Augustd8.

drawn to the fact that apparently a
great, in reality very radical,
change in the sugar production OF the
United States was coming, and that
too without long delay. 1t is laboratory
work which has rendered this practlca-
ble AS in so many instances, mechan-
ical skill has availed itself of minute
scientific results, and the grains or
granules of the chemists test tubes and
balances have become the predecessors
and originaters Of the barrels of sugar
from the boiling house and the refinery.
In order that we may see clearly how
this has been done, and to what i'm
mense results it is about to lead, We
need to look at the two kinds of sugar
cane with which we have to deal.
Hitherto we have had practically but
one, that known botanically as "Sac-
charum oGicinarum," and in common
language universally as "sugar cane
Now every evidence shows that we are
to have another whose Importance will
exceed that of the former in the same
ratio as does the extent of territory
avaiIable for its cultivation. This is
botanically "Sorghum vulgare, known
everywhere by it's generic title as sor-
ghum.
The saccharum is semi-tropical
; plant, and no part of the United States
is fairly within the range of its perfect
development. Even the Gulf States
ale along the northern limit Of its
range for any available purposes, SO
much so indeed that in no case, or in
next to none, is it able to ripen its seed,
and thus show that it has reached its
full maturity AS result of this, the
3 ,g;en viii b can be made profitable
for it's growth and for the production
of sugar is necessarily very much re-
stricted Mississippi, Alabama and
! Georgia have given but little attention
to cane growing. Florida and Texas
reach farenough south to be in The best
position of all, but industrially they
r have as yet accomplished little. Louis
f lana has been the "sugar State" and
n the cultivation Of sugar cane has bsen
: bounded by Red river. And the i'm
mense results dependent on this indus
try are best appreciated from the fact
that even under these adverse circum-
stances OUR annual yield of sugar has
come nearly up to 200,0O0,000 pounds.
|. II now, leaving the consideration of
r the saccharum We turn to sorghum the
e conditions are entirely changed. The
;, plant needs no such long continued
a heat. 1t is perfectly we'll known that
the cultivation Of sorghum can be car
,t ried on to full satisfaction in almost
<, every State of the Union New Eng
t land will probably never do much in
At that way, except In its southern and
southwestern limits, but neither Min
nesota nor Dakota will be beyond the
- range, for they produce the plant now
. abundantly. The trouble however ha;
re been that the yield of sugar from tht
at sorghum has been totally capricious ant
Il uncertain. That the sugar was presen
in the cane was sure, for the juice i
m boiled properly yielded invariably I
:" very sweet syrup; but while occasion
m ally this syrup would crystallize beauti
10 fully, in other instances, and in trutl
ID almost always, net grain of suga
OF would make it's appearance.
A crop Of sorghum therefore had n
& definite value. 1t was not possible t
~ tell while it was in the field what NIGH
~ ~ result from it's working Very nstu
av rally then it did not rank high in pu'
to lie favor. 1t had it's merits, for syru
an and for forage, and in the Northwester
n States especially-it has never ceased
he grown to large extent But no
IS, GENES in the laboratory work to whicl
no reference has been made. It is not to
ny much to say that now we know th
- ~ causes of the caprcious featur es show
\. by the sorghum juice, and that know
he ing the evil we can avoid it. It
not too much TO say that crop of Sol
,at ehum in the field can be as safely calcl
'n- lated en- to yield its full quota of sug'
IL of first quality as can a crop of sac
NJ MS charum, and still further that acre fl
10 acre its best varieties will yield ful
ID. as much sugar as is obtained from tt
for ribbon cane in Louisiana. The cher
hs. ical points which establish this bell
VS.: we will consider at another time, speal
led ing now only of the results.
.eu ~. The future sugar Of the United Stat
on. therefore viewed in this light will
ty. for us nationally a new item. Y
hat have imported annually ut least zoo
rge 100000 pounds, or more than min
'GcI 1ao4b., of o,,r Fbot ,