The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-01-13
The sorghum situation.

A cane grower writes thus TO Colemans
Rural World: The Northern cane business is
a fair example of the effort and the time
which are required to establish a new in
dustFy. 1t seems as if first efforts are always
ignorant efforts, with frequent halts and slow
advances. After awhile success comes and
new industry is established which employees
thousands and benefits millions. We know
that half of the sugar of the world Is now
produced from the sugar beet, but we forget
the long lapse of years which brought the
present perfection of beet-sugar manufacture.
We realize the value of Southern cane, but
we forget the early difficulties of that
industry. The history of the industrial
arts is full of such examples of gradual
success 1t seems that science is
formed the earth and then countless ages tit
ted the earth for man, and then countless
ages gradually developed man. 1t seems
that man carries this fact of slow develop
msnt into the industrial arts. 1t requires
years of toll and trouble to perfect a new in
dustry, and then the world is a better and
richer world. The Northern cane industry
is not an exception to this general rule. Its
advance has been difficult and slow, but not
more so than others. 1t has been rightly
said that all human progress has been
marked by toll and marred by mistakes.
Those who engage in any new industry must
expect the pity Of those who value only i'm
sential TO final success The manager of the
Ottawa Sugar Company wisely remarked:
1.-The depression iD prices of sugar and syup
was necessary and will benefit the business,
for 1T compels the reformation of cane man
nfacture."
At the close of the year it is well to review
briefly the business, and congratulate our
selves that important advances have been
made in the methods of extracting the sugar
from the cane and purifying the cane Juice.
If the report was that owing to a very ia
vorable season very large quantities of sugar
had been made and owing to general scare
ify of sugar very high prices had been OBJ
tanned" such report though gratifying,
would not be as convincing to men OF dis
eliminating minds as the following report
by the Government Chemist whose cautious
and conservative tendencies are well known.
BY methods used this season for the first time
ID manufacturing Northern cane "9S per
cent Of the sugar in the cane was extracted,
the yield was fully double that obtained in
the ordinary way, fully 30 per cent of the
sugar in the cane be placed on the market
either as dry sugar or molasses, the Juice is
impid, with a minimum of waste and
maximum of purity, the difficulties are
wholly mechanical and easily remedied."
Such report is not based upon an unusual
season or accidental prices.
In the report of the Chief Of the Bureau OF
Statistics we find that in the year 1881 nearly
3,O00OO0,Oo0 pounds of sugar were consumed
in the country; less than 10 per cent of this
sugar was produced in the country; the
average specific rate Of daty per pound of
sugar imported was about two cents per
pound. This is the field which Northern
cane will possess and occupy. Said the Gov
eminent Chemist: "If the Government
could assist the production of home sugar to
the extent OF supplying the demands of the
country by an expenditure of 81. 00O. 900, or
five times that sum. 1t would be the best in
vestment ever made"
Northern cane is easily produced in practi-
cally limitless quantities in large areas of
the country at one-half the cost of South
.ern cane or of sugar beats per ton. 1t costs
no more per ton 70 manufacture Northern
cane than Southern cane or sugar beets The
difficulties have been in the adapting appa-
Tatus and processes to suit the new industry.