The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1883-02-08
THE soRGHUM-sUsAR INDUSTRY.


States are coming to this office con-
corning the growth of sorghum and the
manufacture of syrup and sugar from
il in Kansas. Now lying before us is a
letter from Parsons inclosing a news
paper clipping on the subject. The
writer wants information, and IN re-
plying TO him we answer many Others
as well.
That Kansas, especially the southern
half of the State, is well adapted to the
growth of sorghum is an established
fact. When this State was the Terri
tory of Kansas, the writer of this ar
ticle raised sorghum il south-western
Missouri near the X las line, and
made syrup from il co to the best
produced anywhere, an some of that
syrup made itself into a fair article of
brown sugar, needing only a little
draining. Similar soil and climate exist
in Kansas, and the best syrup has been
made here every year that il has been
attempted by careful person.. Sor-
ghum syrup is now regularly quoted in
Chicago. st. Louis, Kansas City, Tope-
ka and Denver market reports.
There has been much difficulty in
getting rid of certain wild taste, but
il may be truthfully stated that there
need be no further trouble on that ac-
count. Experiments have been in pro-
gress some years, and now experienced
manufacturers do not fail TO produce a
good article every time.
The acid in the juice was the obstacle
in the way of granulation. That, also,
is now overcome, and beautiful white
sugar is made from sorghum cane with
as much certainty as it is made from
ribbon cane i'm Louisiana. We have
seen samples of sugar so made, and
have reliable reports from different
places telling the same story. The sue
cess attained at Champaign, Illinois,
was published only few weeks ago in
this paper. An agent OF the Agricul-
tural Department at Washington, hav
ing visited Kansas to look after this
matter, says that during the past year
the obstacles in the way of making
sugar from sorghum have been greatly |
overcome.
The Rio Grande Sugar Company, of
Cape May county, New Jersey, made
$4,000 pounds of sugar and 40 600 gal |
Ions of molasses last year from sorghum
cane. The company had 95S acres of
land in Amber cane, % acres in Linke's
Hybrid, % acres in Early Orange, 2
acres in Ionduras-l00S acres in all. |
The Amber ripencd first, and was being |
worked up when committee visited
the works October 18th. The commit |
tee says "For the week ending the day |
of our first visit Csc tons of cane.were
crushed, yielding l15 barrels of sugar
of SO degrees, and SO barrels of molasses
of AZ degrees. The first sugar was
equal to 63 pounds TO the ton of cane
crushed"
The Champaign Sugar Company, of
Champaign, Illinois, reports as the
yield per acre of its crop: Tons of cane
stripped and topped, 10 1-2; sugar, 700
pounds; molasses, 116 l-2 gallons. The
sugar graded as extra yellow &C" and
sold readily at the factory at l-2 cents
per pound in lots Of five barrels.
In a committee report gently made
to the Academy of Scien ;, it ia stated
that the results of the e. ensive opera
tions in Illinois and New Jersey "fairly |
put to rest any doubts as TO the pro-
duction of sugar on great scale in
Northern climate with a commercial
profit"
The Kansas Farmer, during the last |
year, repeatedly called attention TO the
cane-growing industry, and again last
week. We personally know enough |
about it and its value to Kansas TO JUS
tify us in urging faamers to raise it for
syrup, sugar, feed and flour.
Sugar-making is an established fact.
All our farmers have 10 do in relation
TO il is to study and learn the best way
of doing the work. We believe, and
have often said, that sugar. and syrup
making in Kansas will yet be leading
industry When our readers want de-
tails let them ask for thcm.-Kansas
E1,.,,,or