Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-09-27
Raising of Sorghum.

have received a series OF letters written
BY a citizen of our county on the raising
Of sorghum and the benefit TO be derived
from the building Of sorghum mill at
Woodstock. As they will be of general
interest to our people, send them to you
for publication.
To those who are interested and desire
to form a joint stock company for this
purpose. | would be pleased to have them
call at my office and examine tented
statements as to cost Of mill, and the
profit to be derived, &c.
A.G. WYNKooP.
The manufacture OF sugar or syrup
wether obtained from the tropical cause,
the sugar beet or from the sorghums re-
solves itself into FIVE distinctive processes
which are capable of subdivision into
different operations It's the quality OF the
final product demands. These processes
are first the extraction Of the juice from
the plant second, the Classification or
separation of the saccharine content from
foreign matters; third-the concentration
of the classified solution fourth the
crystalizatiOn Of the sugar, and fifth the
separation of the crystalize from the
uncrystallizeable product. No matter what
the special machinery or general treat
ment NAV be these will always remain
the controlling operations in sugar max
Ing and to their perfection must we look
for success in all operations for the pro-
duction of sugar.
The attention of the Department Of
Agriculture has for the past nine wears,
AZ already indicated. given very consider
able attention to the subject, believing
il TO be a source of national wealth as well
A. an industry calculated eventually to
afford ample return to the farming COM
munity. The valuable information thus
obtained while not covering the entire
field of possibilities in this regard, has
laid the foundation for economic investi-
cations that have opened the road to
certainties in the manufacture OF
tropical cane sugar, and given en-
couragement to the success of north
ern sugar production from sorghum. A
marked advance in the process Of extrac-
ton has been effected by the substitution
of diffusion (in large operations) for the
old method of crushing with rolls. An
increase Of twenty per cent. extraction
having been secured by diffusion over
the amount obtained by the best milling
operations. Practical experience however
seems to point to judcious combination
of the two sytems as promising the best
results from a financial aspect. Such
operations however require a. Indicated
by the experiments made by the Depart
ment in Louisiana and Kansas, large and
expensive plants involving large capital
and An extensive supply by cane tonnage
which are justified moreover by the very
largely increased product obtained by
their use. At Rio Grande n. j., however
the same principle has been applied in
different way distinctively American, by
which the Same results are claimed to be
obtained with plant of moderate cost
and greater simplicity. The Hughes sys-
tenn Of dsnusion, (the invention Of Mr. II.
A. Hughes late Superintendent at Rio
Grande, n. J.,) claims having obtained
an extraction equal to 90 per cent. of the
total sugar content or syrup product oil
twenty five gallons per ton Of cane as
against fourteen gallons obtained by
crushing. This while apparently an IN
crease Of eleven gallons per ton Of cane
must be qualified by the fact that IN
diffusion As now used the chips are useless
for full while in milling they often sup
ply nearly all the steam necessary, which
could make certain amount Of reduction
when comparing the relative values OF
each process. The cost OF establishments
built under the Hughes system, inyoly-
ing a small central house or refinery, and
their auxiliary houses would DO &C
cording to Mr.. Hughes statement as fol-
lows:
Small central house with a capacity OF
1920 sugar and ass gals, molasses
daily Observation-Disclosures 9,OUUUO
8 auxiliary houses at 1880 each 39yJO.OO
Total i-,J5O'VO
The auxiliary houses would consume
each 80 tons Of cane per day. and taking
50 days as the working season for the
three houses, and % gallons As the pro-
duct per ton gives 100000 30 the central
house working from Sept. lst to July lst
26O days and producing lbs. from each
gallon Of molasses gives
300, 900 and 4..-.....-.- l,2OOOOO
and a. per cent. of molassos $4,000
Now !, 2OOO 900 sugar at 4c gives sis, OOO'oO
1875. 900 gals. molasses at 2Oc HOOO.OO
Is. 900 bus. seed at 4Oc...-.. 10000
Total Ssz'ZoO'VO
Half 4l'lVV'VV
Taking the cost Of production and pack
ages as given by Mr.. Hughes at SIS ,5l6.oo
we have GAL 100 to the farmer or s323 per
La