Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1885-01-10
The Production Of Sorghum
sugar.

The late convention of SORGHUM
growers in ST. Louis, known rs Tn,
National Sugar Growers Association
contained representative from all the
" Nc>tcrn. and many rf the Eastern
. States: vi the problems concerning
su@cr, and particularly Y sorghu'I. We're
discussed, and The convention, aft ~
having Ill the facts and figures
brought before it. came to the CON
cMslon that the industry was prom
Using one. which would finally result
IN supplying this country with all the
sugar ii needed, provided thcrn was
no uufriendly Legislation on the part
of Congress.
Attention was called to tho fact
that the industry was new one. and
Therefore needed encouragement. I:
was but Il few Years ago, that the
method Of crystalliZing sugar from
sorghum Juice was discovered. Pre-
vloUNly y, the Manufacture of sorghum
sugar, WAS believed to be iinpcssible;
whereas now, il WAS rs well known rs
that butter could be made from
cream. That within such short
time Of this discovery, the raising Of
sorghum and the production of scr
@hum sugar shoull have become 50
eNtensiue, was good promise for the
future, particularly III view OF the very
demoralizel condition OF the sugar
trade throughout the world. This
trade las never been in worse condi-
ton than ju,t at present, and prices
have never ranged relatively SO low.
Ii the sOrghum-grOWerS and sugar
planters of the United States weather
the storm, the low prices and the
general demoralization produced hv
the ovorprodUction in Germany. it is
evident that this industry rests on
firm and solid foundations. The
unanimous conviction of the conven-
ton was that the Western sorghum
growers were doing better and in
creaslng their product each year, and
that they had not been crippled. al
though probably set back little Bv .
L
convention, therefore, decided t. en-
courage THIS industry III every posi-
bic wa, and to invite farmers t. con-
tinUe the raising and crystallizaticn
of sorghum until they had reduced
the cost of maaurnc:ure to a very
profitable figure and increased the
production until iteyas sufficient for
the demands Of the counr ~.
Thc ONLY thing that they could see
in IN" way of tine accomplishment Of
tbs aim was unfIianlly Legislation
Ifola Congress, particularly the pass
aGe Of tie Spanish treaty. They re-
co%nize the fact that the sugar cane
growers of Louisiana, Texas and
Florida, and the sorghum producers
If the West, are naturally allies, who
'annot come i'll conflict with each ,
'thcr, hut who can together supply
he whole country with all the >uyar
t wants. 1t WAS the ;rction Of Con ,
;reSs that threatened this new IN I
lustry with danger. The great fall +,
n prices, due to overproduction, had |
'een followed by treat to open the ,
oorts of Cuba and Porto Rico to this ..
ountry, and admit their slavc-pro- ,
luced sugar to this country. The
government would lose an iInmrr,e ,e o
AMOUNT of revenue by this, n. the !
american sugar industry woL. be !,
acrlliced to build up the Cuban +,
lave owners. /
rs this the policy the convention
sked, that should be pursued by 4
'reat nation to one of Its most i'm ;,
ortant agricultural interests? DO -
'e want to turn away from this Y
field of agriculture those p
tho have invested their Ill III it, ana r
nve them INTO other branches that o.
re already Cvercrowded Is there o.
ut already an overproduction of all
lnds of American farm produce. and
1t not fact that i'll consequence it
selling III many cases below the
rtual cost of production? Can our G,
5riculture long prosper under such rt
If our prosperity rs u
nation is dependent upon agricul- il
Ire, Is it not the part of wisdom to il
lcoura%e 1t; to open new channels fl
II It's development, to diversity il in a,
! possible ways, that more labor d,
ay be employed, moro wealth pro- OF