The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-11-19

The cultivation Of sorghum is how occu
pying great deal of attention in the
| United States, and it is one to which We
should give particular attention here. 1t
GEMS as If the purely experimental steps
had been at last passed, and that the re
suits will now begin 10 show in the farmers
Of Kansas and Illinois going largely into
the business. The following account Of
what the Champaign Sugar Works Of
Ohio have deen doing in the direction OF
sugar making viii be of interest:
The Champaign Sugar Works, Champaign, ILL.,,
were the first large Sorghum sugar works ever
started in the United States. They have ground
the cane this season raised about 900 acres Of
land. and the result s perfect success in the way
Of making frst-class quality of sugar that pola-
rlzes 81 degrees, and much sveeter than sugar
made from cane or beet-roots- For years expert
ments have been made 10 lind out some way to
change Sorghum syrup into sugar. The attempt
was unsuccessful up TO last year, when the State
Of Illinois offered bounty TO any one who would
succeed in Rranulating the syrup into sugar. tx
periments made at the State University Of Illinois,
| in Campaign, by Profs. Weber and Scovell, sue
ceeded in accomplishing the result ready sale
is found for all the sugar and syrup made, and the
works to be erected all over the West, for Sorghum
cane will grow where corn can be raised, and where
farmers can make Sic an acre in raising corn they
can realize $50 an acre in raising Sorghum cane to
sell 20 these factories
The result Of this discovery is likely to make az
great a change in this country rs the making of
beet sugar has in Europe, where to-day two-thirds
Of all the sugar in the world is made. Out Of
total production of three million tons France.
Belgium and Germany produce two million tons.
The Champaign Sugar Works have introduced all
the modern improvements The machinery, boiler,
and vacuum pans were made by Atlantic Works in
Brooklyn, n. Y. They use both the Weston and
Hepvorth eentnfugals-
From the above it will be seen that the
profit on raising sorghum cane to the
planter is $50 an acre. From another
publication we notice in Kansas the net
profit upon an acre of sorghum is est
mated at S5I.67. Labor in Kansas is put
down at S1-25 to SL50 per day: dearer
than it Is here. The canes grow from
seed and arrive at maturity in about four
months
Now there are many localities on these
islands which do not depend upon irriga
tion, where sorghum would thrive splen
didly We are told by gentleman who
has seen a great deal of the sorghum crops
in the States. that the few fields he has seen
here present far better appearance.
With our perennial summer we could raise
at the very least three crops year.
Now if in Kansas with only one crop
year, with not so fine growth and a very
heavy price for labor, a net profit of S51.-
81 can be made, what ought we be able to
do in Hawaii with more luxuriant growth
and three crops year On the face of It,
and without going deeply into the matter,
1t looks rs If sorghum was going to be one
of the things that will help to save the
commercial prosperity of the Islands.
One OF our planters is looking serious
ly into the question. He was here at the
time Of the Planters meetings and the mat
ter was brought 10 his notice. He said on
his return to Hawaii, he would at once
experiments. The results of
these may be looked for in the course of a
few months. His idea is that the crop
might be planted so as TO mature from
month to month, and the mill constantly
kept going. Quick returns are the soul of
and sorghum certainly promises
that Cane does not mature in some loca-
lities under Is months, during that time
the sorghum crop would bereaped at least |
four times, and a fifth crop would be
half ripe. II the profit per acre is what
il is claimed to be, the planting of the |
sorghum would be very much more prof
table than the planting of cane, and it |
would not require the outlay of so much |
capital as sugar cane requires. We hope |
soon to have fuller information on the |
subject, and shall be glad to publish the
views of practical men on the subject.