New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-25


intrigue.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY ON SORGHUM
SUGAR.
The famous report of the National Academy
of Sciences on the scientific and economic rela
tons of the sorghum sugar industry has at last
been published without the report Of DR.. Collier,
upon which the Investigation was based. and
without the graphical charts which make it in
telligble and add materially to its value. 1t
narrowly escaped more serious mutilation, for
Part II, containing the practical summary aud
conclusion, was mysteriOusly lost somewhere in
its progress from the hands of DR.. Lor1ng to the
Printing Committee of the Senate. The timely
discovery of this loss, however enabled the
Academy to furnish duplicate copy. 1t is
worthy of note that the report appears rs n Sem
ate document and not as q special issue of the
Agricultural Department, although DR.. Loring
Oh more than one occasion, while expressing his
eager desire to give the results of this official
investigation to the country, had declared that
it would soon be published by his Department.
In what particulars this paper differs from the
original report made as long ago as May, 1882,
we are not advised. 1t is known that DR..
Loring objected to the committees suggestion
that the sugar-b boiling experiments on the De-
partment grounds should be continued. This
suggestion does not appear in the present docu-
ment, probably because the experience at Rio
Grande, n. j., has suficed TO establish the de-
sired data. And yet it appears that the Com
missioner who made such passionate objection
to the experiments when they would have been
worth something is now setting his pans III
order when they are not seriously needed.
The cause of the ridiculous failure of the
crop on the Department grounds in 1881 ap-
pears in the published report with emphasis,
although DIR. Loring objected to the passage in
the original report as incorrect. He has since
then, however, coolly adopted the committees
views in a pu bic address. In view of this adj
mission, it,wOud hardly seem TO be a commend
able project to plant the same wornout land,
where O ton of cane cost the Government SAC,
when neighboring farmers offer to furnish 1t at
81 and So ton as stated in the original report.
We have DR.. Loring's word for it that the new
report is essentially modified" 1t would be
interesting to know precisely what these essen
tial notifications ale, inasmuch as they have
delayed the publication of the paper for year,
during which time the Commissioner has been
loudly expressing his anxiety to haye it laid be-
fore the country.
Of course the report is interesting, especially
the section on the agricultural character OF
sorghum, where the marvellous capacity of the
species for variation and Improvement is dis
cussed. OF more immediate practical moment
are the demonstrated statements % that up to
the time of DR.. Golfers experiments nothing
had been definitely determined in regard to the
most important questions relating to the Guilt
walton or working of the cane and (2) that Dr.
Collier has proved that sugar can be success
fully produced from sorghum on commercial
scale and has made many specified discoveries
of the greatest practical Importance both to
the cutivator and the manufacturer. Upon the
whole it appears that these studies of the chem
list constitute altogether the most valuable body
of work yet achieved by the Department Of
| Agriculture. The National Academy pro-
nounces these Investigations as most import
ant to sugar-producers in the tropical cane dis
| trcts, as well as the vastly wider area north
and south where sorghum can be successfully
grown, and the committee express the opinion
that DIR. Collier is especially fitted to solve the
many important practical problems connected
| with this industry which remain unsettled.
| DIR. Loring may consider that he had sull-
| Gent reasons for the summary dismissal OF DIR.
| Collier, but he has not seen fit to make them
| known. lie wishes it understood that he is
consumed with a desire to promote the home
production of sugar, but he rejects the services
of the one man who has proved himself spe-
| cialy competent for this work and who COM
mands the confidence of every one else, includ-
! ing the one body of scientific men who speak
with official authority. 1t should not be for
| gotten that the Senate appropriated $4,000 to
the chemist of the Department for the special
purpose of continuing his work. Beyond
question this appropriation was based on a
| knowledge of DR.. Golfers ability, character,
and success, and it is safe to assert that the
money would never have been given if it had
been suspected that any other alleged chemist
would have been put in his place. Public con-
| fideDce in the Commissioners sincerity has not
been increased by ms removal Ct DR.. Collier
nor by his singular performances with the
Academy's report. 1t is not to be lightly as
sumed that high official who is paid to sob
| tain and difuse information should deliber-
| ately set himself to work at obstructing re-
search and suppressing information But it is
DR.. Loring's own fault if such suspicion has
gone abroad.
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| RESOLUTIONS on Il SPREE.
| 4 4 L /. 1