Wichita eagle., 1889-02-07
SUGAR INDUSTRY OF KANSAS.
Some Important Facts Relative to its
Growth Cleaned From the Sixth
Biennial Report Of the State
Board Of Agriculture.

The early amber, the early orange and
the Links hybrid are the varieties Of
cane from which most of the sugar man
featured in Kansas has been obtained.
The early amber is a rather small cane,
and is usually planted for early working
on account of the short period which in
tervenes between the time Of planting
and the time of harvesting this cane. 1t
is sometimes called "ninety-day" cane.
But for the early amber planted early in
May, about one hundred days are re-
quired to bring it to maturity. Cane Of
this variety planted in June is said to
mature, under favorable circumstances,
in eighty-fiye days. This cane con-
tains at maturity a large per cent
age of sugar; but it must be
worked promptly, because it begins to
depreciate rapidly in five or six days
after its seed becomes hard. 1t is
planted for the earliest working, and
may be planted at any time in the sea-
son up to the first or middle of July. If
planted later than the middle of July it
will not, in this latitude. mature before
the usual time of frost. The yield of
this cane, including seed tops and leaves,
Is about eight tons per acre, although as
high as fifteen tons per acre have been
produced.
The Early Orange is larger and later
variety, requiring not less than four
months from planting to bring it to ma
turity. After reaching maturity it re-
tains its maximum percentage of sugar
for about thirty days, if left standing.
About half or two-thirds of the acreage
is usually planted in this variety. The
average yield may be placed at ten tons
per acre, and may occasionally be nearly
doubled.
The time for harvesting cane extends
from about the first of August to about
the first of November. This is long
harvest, and enables the farmer to take
off his crop without greatly charging
the ordinary force of the farm. Several
attempts have been made to construct
cane harvesting machines. Thus far they
have not been extensively used
The usual method OF harvesting is to
cut the canes with a common corn knife
and lay them in piles, placing an armful
in pile. The seed heads are cut from
the canes, as they lie, by blow from
corn knife. Cat Douglas and at Conway
Springs the seed heads are allowed to
remain on the canes until they reach the
factory, where the heads are separated
automatically by the cutting machines
The cane is drawn to the factory on
wagons. on which are placed ''cane
racks"
In speaking OF the diffusion process of
manufacture, the report says:
For the introduction of this process in
country we are indebted to the efforts of
DR.. II. w. Wiley, the present chief
chemist of the United States department
of agriculture. Whatever may be the
criticisms of DR.. Wiley, no just history
of the sorghum sugar industry can rob
him of the credit here given.
Judge w. L. Parkinson and Prof.
Magnus Swenson rendered capable and
invaluable assistance at both Ottawa
and Fort Scott. and without the practical
mechanical skill and many valuable
suggestions which these gentlemen con-
triOuted. the difficulties of adapting
diffusion to the purposes of the Kansas
sugar factory would probably have re-
NAMED unsolved So too it must be
said that DR.. c. A. Champion, assistant
chemist of the United States depart
ment of agriculture. by his careful and
accurate investigation of the many
chemical problems presented, con-
tributei an indispensable part to success.