The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-03-06
scRGEUM A SUCCESS.
Results Of the Growers Convention
at ST. Lcuis.

uf this month.
Mr.. Clifford. made the followin
statement to the reporter:
was commissioned bv Co
; Bate to represent the state at tn
convention, and I found this al
thomty Of great assistance to MI
as was recognized as the represe1
tative of a state where the commi:
siOuer of agriculture and the GOV
ernor had taken great interest
the manufacture Of sugar from sol
ghum.
Col. Cole, the editor of the Ru
raj World, afforded me every assist
ance in getting information on eve
~ point | wanted to look into, an,
the whole question was thorough,
and comprehensively discussed. I
was agreed to take up the discus
sion of the matter Systematically
the first speaker beginning with tht
selection of the seed and the mex
with the pr paration of the ground
The best manner of cultivating the
cane was also discussed very fully
Prof. Wiley, the government
chemist, was among the speakers
having been sent by the government
to explain the character Of fertili
zers to be used, the amount of sac.
charine matter in the sorghum,
and other scientific points relating
to the question under discussion.
The next question discussed was
the best manner to get the sugar
from the cane and use the bagasse
or fibre remaining after the stalk j.
run through the mill. Prof. NJ.
Scovell, of Champaign, Ill, who is
one of very successful company
that have been manufacturing su-
gar from sorghum at Champaign,
ILL.,, explained the best way of ma
nipulating the cane, the machinery
necessary, ETC., etc. He gave the
result of his analysis of the cane cut
in its various stages, showing that
topping the cane increases the
amount of cane sugar very materi-
ally, and prevents the cane from be
ing blown TO the ground by wind or
falling from being too top heavy.
The process for making sugar used
by the Champaign company is the
same used by the Rio Grande com
pany Of Newark, n. j., and has
been found very profitable.
Samples Of sorghum sugar fIom
Kansas, Iowa, and other states.
where nothing but the early ambe
cane can be grown, on account OF
The shortness of the season, were
shown, ana some of the molasse>
was made into sugar, In little cen
trlfCgal machine, worked in the
presence OF the members of the con
venuon.
The American reporter ate some
Of this sugar, which was given him
by Nr. Clifford, and found it to be
very sweet and Of very fine quail
ty, looking almost as white AMI
we'll grained as the granulated su-
gar sold at the grocery stores.
Mr.. Clifford continued: Prof
Wiley explained the object and
uses OF the polariscope on a black
board, and had one Of these wonder
ful little instruments with him
which shows that sorghum sDgar
polarizes at SO per cent, indica-
ting that to be the amount of sac
charine matter in the substance.
"It was demonstrated beyond
question:" said Mr.. Clifford, that
sorghum sugar can be made with
very great profit. 1t was also
shown that Nashville was the yer,
center of the sorghum belt, and
that the Honduras cane can be
raised in that section. 1t is three
times more prolific and productive
Of saccharine matter than any 9th
er kind of cane which can be grown
north of the Ohio river. 1t was
also demonstrated that sorghum
would grow better in this country
than Louisiana even, and that ii is a
perfectly safe crop; more so than
any other raised IN this section of
the coun ry. Nor is there any like
lihood of over production, as we
raise only about one-tenth of the
sugar used in this country now, and
import the rest from Cuba. Then,
instead of having to pay all the
freight from the large refneries in
New York, we could refine our own
sugar at home. In the tar west
this saving of freight is very great
The reforms of these western sugar
mills last year showed a clear profit
Of % per cent, and the people there
look upon the industry as the most
profitable thing in which they can
put their money"
1t was shown by the scientists
at the convention that much of the
syrup that remained after extract
ing the sugar can be still further
refined by chemicals, so as to pro
duce several pounds of sugar to the
gallon, leaving very little syrup.
The question whether q
sorghum crop exhausts the soil
more than any other was also dis
cussed. Plenty of statistics on this
subject were to be had, and the re
suit VAS that, if the cane is topped
ninety per cent. of the exhaustion
of the soil is saved, and that ever
when this is not done, 1T does no,
exhaust the soil nearly so much a.
corn.
From the bagasse or fibre, the
very strongest and best sort O
wrapping paper can be manutactur
ed, So thal nothing goes to waste.
H. g also proposed to organize
stock company at Nashville with
capital of 100000, divided int,
-hares of 800 each for the manu-
facture of sugar from sorghum
Mr Clifford says that when he ask
ed Prof Wiley, the governmen
chemist: Can / say to our peopl
that sugar making from sorghum i
a success, and not an experims /?
ne answered tina, IL is uuquestiona
bly q success, and can be but