Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-26
THE SORGHUM QUESTION AZ
WAsIUUN(,TON.
Correction Of Current Nisreprcscnta-
tIons-Thc Manufacture Of sugar at
the Government Will n Failure
OInpnissiOner LOring not SCrankyS
OH The NMgnr q nesllOn.

the Government Min a Failure.
CommissiOner1 Oring not "Cranky'
on the sugar Question.
Washington Correspondence Of the Boston Herald
Attention has been drawn here to the rather
extraordinary attacks on the Commissioner
of Agriculture, relative to the question of ex-
tracing sugar from sorghum, which have APP
pearcd In several New England papers.
These attacks are evidently stimulated by
personal feeling against the commissioner,
the occasion of which | have taken some
pains to inquire about. In the Providence
Press OF December 18th, it was alleged that
the commissioner had cndeavorcd to prevent
n proper investigation into the question OF
sorghum sugar, out of a feeling of hostility to
his predecessor and TO the chemist of the de-
partment that he has suppressed report of
| the National Academy of sciences for the
| purpose of destroying the benefit it was cal
culated to render to the sugar industry and
that he had diverted the funds appropriated
| for conducting sugar experiments from their |
proper channel by using them to compensate |
manufacturers for services performed for the |
departments. These charges have. on in
vestigation, brought out
Some Interesting Facts
| 'N'"''S w 'hN hiNhe Va thS Niohuii
investigations by Commissioner Loring of the
Agricultural Department. 1t will be lemcm-
berei that the administration of DR.. Loring's
predecessor was made ridiculous in the public
estimation by its extravagant and absurd
promises with regard to the possible produc-
ton of sugar from cornstalks and sorghum,
and the growing of tea for national consump-
ton, When DIR. Loring assumed the duties
of his office he found it under this cloud, and
lie sndeavored at once 10 induce the chemist
Of the department, Mr.. Collier, TO conduct
his investigations into the production Of SUI
gar, as an investigator and not as an advo-
cate and he endeavored 10 carry on all ex-
periments referred to him fairly and candidly.
The laboratory was supplied with ample ma
terials for analysis, and the sorghum crop of
1876 acres, growing in Washington for the de-
partmcnt, was carefully worked up in mill
erected for that purpose. The laboratory
work was successfully performed, and the
analysis were recorded. The work in the
mill was u lamcntable failure, as was the
crop raised on land rented for that purpose,
and cultivated under the direction Of
lie Due and Collier. The manufacture of
= sugar in a small mill under Mr. Golfers
special care, was also failure. These facts
, have been stated repeatedly in public reports
by DIR. Loing, and have never been denied.
S 1t was during these operations that the
v promises of lie Due and Collier, that sorghum
= sugar could be made as well as cane sugar,
saving to the country 100000, 600 annually
and that as appears in the agricultural re-
y port oi 1880, the actually obtained availa-
= ble sugar per acre" from corn stalks is, with
one variety at least, 1922 pounds per acre,
leaving the crop of corn in the hands of the
K. cu,ivator, were rcckcssly made. 1t evident
II ly became apparent TO Collier at this time
= that his own reputation as chemist was SO
badly damaged by these results and state
u menls that some endorsement Of himself was
y necessary. However this may tie, he re-
e qucsled the commissioner to refer his work
&, to the National Academy of Sciences, a re-
> quest which was at once granted. Nolum-
nous manuscripts were placed in his hands
ST by Collier, and, on January 80, 1889, were
/ laid before the academy and referred to a
.r committee appointed for the purpose of con-
sidering them, of which one of whom
d was Prof. b. Siliman, whose exploits
l. III investigating and recommending
c certain industrial operations are still
painfully remembered The report OF
: this committee was submitted to DIR. Loiing
n in May following On examination, il was
:. found to contain irrelevant matter, and tc
: assume 10 direct the business of the depart.
ment on statements Of facts known to wholly
= unfounded. The matter was laid by DIR
d Loring before Prof. o. c. Marsh, the acting
:. president Of the academy, and Prof. New
i, comb, the secretary, who, after careful ex-
- animation and conference with some of the
: most distinguished members of the academy
c Withdrew the Report.
The report was returned on Nov. II rcvis
=, ed materially ; the irrelevant matter stricken
out the attempt to direct the business of the
:, department expuuged the eXtravagant
:, claims for Mr.. Collier as superior to all the
chemists, who had for years analysed the
=, sugar producing qualities of sorghum, modi
. fed. An abstract of the report was at once
1t furnished to the press. During this delay
e certain allies of lie Due, Collier and Sillimau
Is clamored for the report even while they had
n been informed Of its withdrawal, and en-
deavorCd to impress upon the public mind
Ut the idea that the commissioner was ''ma.
= levocntly" and ''mtanly" Withholding it,
&c and rendering his department not only use
, less" but "pernicious. In all this matter Dr.
Loring was informed by the officers of the
81 academy that the report was entirely under
4. his own control and not only the officers,
If but many of the most honorable mem.
"a bers, expressed great indignation when the
= chairman of the committee, Silliman, sent
4. forth an Associated Press despatch revealing
its contents, Nor is it true
that Dr. Lolng has thrown obstacles in the
way of further investigations by Collier il
the laboratory of the department Finding
" that the manufacture Of sugar on the de
partment grounds was
4 DIsgraccfui Failure,
~ he did call on the successful manufacturer;
m in the country to conduct their operations
, under his direction during the season OF
70 1889, and he proposed 10 remuneratc then
)r for their services in this work. lie appoint
le cd an agent to supervise it, and adopted 6
W policy which has not only given him vast
" fund of information Of Il practical character
d but is in exact accordance with the course
% pursued in 1881 and 1882 with the beet sugar
y manufacturers.
" Nor is there one word of truth in the state
u ment of the Press that ''whilc Loring has
III been making such liberal promises to indi
e. viduals he has refused To provide The most
~ important and inexpensive facilities necessary
~ to continue DR.. Golfers valuable expert
=! ments" lie did not 'ast spring refuse tC
NJ ~ allow any portion of the experiments
VI farm to be set apart for the cultivation OF
10 sorghum for experimental purposes" but he
T. expressly directed Mr.. Saunders, the tistin-
4. guished horticulturist of the department,
u whom the Press dcsignates as ''the hard
Us headed Scotch superintendent TO provide
T. a place for the planting and to protect tht
T. crop against all destruction incident to the
AZ erection of new building on the grounds
,c 1t is also false that he ordered the crop tC
u be cut down during short stay in Washing
~ ton in October last. On this point | have
a. before me a
q statement of Mr.. Saunders,