Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-10-28
Experiments with Sorghum Cane.


acres, was grown near Washington
City during the summer by the depart
ment of agriculture, and on the 18th
of September the grinding of the cane
was begun at the government mill.
Speaking of the crop and of the prob
able results of this years experiments
in the manufacture of sugar, Professor
Wiley, chief chemist of the department
of agriculture, says:
We had fine crop of cane, which
promised well until the storm of Sept.
II, when it was laid as flat as if q
roller had been passed over it.
The tests made with the canes which
were left standing, as compared with
those blown down, show that in the
former there is about twelve per cent
of crystalizable sugar, while in the
latter there is only eight per cent.
The latter will, therefore, yield very
small quantity of sugar on milling.
We are conlining ourselves strictly to
experimental work, trying the various
forms Of publication and noting the
effect which thoy have upon the CO
efficient of purity of the juice, etc.
The apparatus for diffusion has now
arrived, and extensive experiments
will be made in the extraction of the
juice from the cut cane. The cane
cutter slices the cane diagonally.
These slices, each about One-eighth of
an inch in thickness, are placed in a
diffusion battery, consisting of eleven
cells, whore they are treated with warm
water until the sugar is entirely ex-
| tracted. The mill at the department
| has been put in excellent condition and
is doing good work. The cane -crusher
is pressing out about fifty-tive per cent
of the weight of the cane in juice.
There is soon to arrive another mill,
sent by the Hon. Benjamin Butter
worth, of Cincinnati. This consists OF
two sets of rolls. After the cane is
passed through the first set it is cut
into five slices by knives and subjected
to hot steam. 1t is then passed into
and through the second set of rolls.
1t is claimed by the inventor of this
machine that it will pass out larger
percentage of juice than any other
mill known.
Notwithstanding the poverty of the
juice we are now working we have
succeeded in making sugar from every
strike, and the prospects are that the
yield will be better hereafter We
J have only ground a few tons so far,
and have not passed any through the
centrifugals, so we cannot give the ex
act yield But inasmuch as the cane
polarized only 8 per cent of crystaliz
able against per cent of uncrystalliz
able sugar, we can not expect very
large quantity. We have about ter
acres of cane left standing, and if We
are not caught by frosts we shall doubt
less get good yield from it. The
composition Of the cane we are now
, working, as shown by analysis, is fal
inferior to any ever before examined
, by the department, and the fact tina
we have succeeded in making sugar
every time is very encouraging. This
inferioritv is due to the cOldness OF thu
season and the prOstration OF the cane
, before it was quite ripe, by the storm
of the 14th instant. We shall be able
, to report later relative to experiment
with the diffusion process. Our worl
, is entirely experimental. We are no
trying to run it on manufacturing
scale, and different experiments ar
5 made with every tank of juice. Durin!
: the season various methods of puriti
r cation will be tried, with the view O
g devising means for increasing th'
I yield of sugar and simplifying the pre-
cess for its extraction"