The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-10-01

sugar, lately published in the Popular
!Sctedoe Monthly, deserves attention here for
the very full and valuable statistics put
before the public in compact form.
The question of the practicability of
raising their own sugar in the United
States Is fully argued, and the future pos
sibilities are proved, at least on paper.
The writer shows first how large the
consumption of sugar is-one sixth larger
in 1882 than in 1881. In 1880 the average
consumption was 9.65 lbs. per head of the
population; in 1882 the amount was fifty
five pounds per head.
The sugar is obtained in the following
proportions: United States 13 per cent.
Cuba 40 per cent, Porto Rico and Spanish
Possessions 6 per cent, Dutch East Indies
per cent, Hawaiian Islands per cent:
other tropical countries 40 per cent. From
this it will be seen that large portion of
the supply comes from Cuba. and it is
argued that should Cuba fail to supply
for one year there would be considerable
embarrassment and the price of sugar
would go up to frightful extent. 1t hap
pens that Cuba has failed, that plantation
after plantation has been abandoned and
that bankruptcy is staring the planters of
the Queen of the Antilles and the planters
of Barbados in the face. But this failure
has come from totally different source
from what the Popular Science Monthly an
ticipated. 1t is not any sudden drought
or any instruction which has upset the
calculations of the planters in the islands
mentioned: it is the immense strides
which the manufacturers of beet sugar
have taken, and the consequent "glut'S in
the market Germany, this year has more
than 100000 tons surplus. This is larger
than the entire crop of Cuba. and # is
easy to understand the effect of having
this quantity thrown onto the market.
The United States have not been slow
to see the necessity of producing their
own sugar, and as the belts of beet lands
are comparatively circumscribed, great
attention has been given to the subject of
sorghum. The Agricultural Department
at Washington has had the matter in
charge since 1879 and full reports are at
hand. A Special Committee was formed
embracing number of the most active
scientific men in the country and their re
port contains the following:
The spirit of scientific Investigation which has
led the Department of Agriculture through its
chemical and agronomic researches TO results of
such Importance toward developing a new indus
try of national value has been literally fostered
by the general Government and TO some extent
also by certain of the States. The fruits of this
policy are already beginning to show themselves
IN the decided success which has attended the pro-
duction of sugar from sorghum, on a commercial
scale IN the few cases in which the rules of GOOD
practice, evolved especially by the researches made
at the laboratory of the Department of Agriculture
have been intelligently followed. Sufficiently full
returns from the crop of 1882 have already come
TO hand to convince that the industry is des-
tined 10 be a commercial SUCCESS
In work recently produced by PROBES
sor Collier of the Agricultural Depart
ment, table is given of the sorghum
sugar produced in 1888. The table is
printed below.
SoRGHUM SUGAR PRODUCED IN 1883.
According TO the statement of the President of |
the Mississippi Valley Cane Growers Association
there were produced at the Champaign illinois, |
Sorghum Sugar Works, from rs acres, ,4S5 tons |
OF cane; and from iOO tons of cane thef were OBJ
tanned 60OOOpounds of sugar and 10000 gallons of
molasses.
The season is described being the most un-
favorable for thirty years.
At Hutchinson, Kansas some 200 600 noun5s Of /
sugar besides a large quantity of molasses
AT Sterling, Kansas, some 100000 pounds of |
sugar, besides the molasses.
At Dundee, Kansas, 10000 pounds of sugar. /
though their product was mainly strip of which |
5O,O00 gallons were made.
At Kinsley, Kansas 10000 pounds of sugar and
Il large quantity OF strip.
At Lawrence, Kansas, 10000 pounds of sugar.
At Rio Grande, New Jersey, 2S2.7ll pounds of
sugar and 5000 gallons of molasses-a large por-
ton of cane failing to rpen. owing TO the unusual
season.
The Secretary of the Kansas State Board of Az
riculture reports the following summary of the
year 1883 for Kansas:
Acres planted in sorghum. lO2O42 |
Acres manufactured into sirup...... 4s2TI
z, acres planted Tor forage. ........... 5S,T1
Tons of cane manufactured - 1850
Gallons of strip made. 46SI093
Value of sirup made. ..............S 81 O5s I9T "a
The entire number of counties reporting was 81.