The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-10-01

sugar. lately published in the Popular
Science Monthly. deserves attention here for
the very full and valuable statistics put
before the public in n 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 1890 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 ID per cent,
Cuba 40 per cent, Porto Rico and Spanish
Possessions per cent. Dutch East Indies
l per cent. Hawaiian Islands l per cent;
other tropical countries 40per cent. From
this il will be seen that large portion of
the supply comes from Cuba, and II Is
argued that should Cuba fail to supply
for one year there would be considerable
embarrassment and the price Of sugar
would g mp to a 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 NgHthy an
ticipated. II 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' in
the market. Germany, this year has more
than 100000 tons surplus. This is larger
than the entire crop Of Cuba, and 1t 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 1873 and full reports are at
hand. A Special Committee was formed
embracing a 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 agrunomic 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 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 10y the researches made
at the laboratory of the Department of Agriculture
have been intelhcently followed Sufficiently full
returns from the crop OF loo2 have already come
~ hand N mg that the ministry &c ung-
tined to be a commercial success.
In work recently produced by PROBES
sor Collier of the Agricultural Depart
ment, a table is given of the sorghum
sugar produced in 1888 The table Is
printed below.
SORGHUM SUGAR PRODUCED ~ 1855.
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 145 acres, 1, 1856 tons
of cane; and from 2.40O tons of cane theT were Oh
tanned l6o0oOpounds Of sugar and 1000 gallons OF
molasses.
The season is described as being the most un-
favorable FOR thirty years.
Al Hutchinson. Kansas some 10000 pounds Of
sugar besides large quantity OF molassss.
At Sterling, Kansas, some $1,000 pounds Of
sugar, besides the molasses.
AZ Dundee, Kansas, 1000 pounds of sugar,
though their product was mainly strip Of which
5000 gallons were made.
At Kinsley, Kansas, 1000 pounds of sugar and
a large quantity of strip.
At Lawrence. Kansas. 900 pounds of sugar.
At Rio Grande, New Jersey, 2S2.7ll pounds Of
sugar and 5000 gallons Of molasses-a large poT-
tion of cane failing TO ripen owing TO the unusual
season.
The Secretary Of the Kansas State Board of Ac-
rioulture reports the following summary Of the
year 1855 for Kansas:
Acres planted in sorghum .... ........ l02042
Acres manufactured into strip 4s2T1
Acres planted for forage .......-..-.. Si,71
Tons Of cane manufactured. ........ 4t7Slg
Gallons Of strip made. 4.6S4O.3 /
Value Of strip made o.. .............. 05s 127 GO
The entire number of counties reporting was 81.
and Of these