Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-04-13
r. G. WILSON, J
J. III. MARCH, Commt'e
z. d. WHEELER,
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.


port of our investigations up to this time
because: 1st. Quite number have ex
pressed desire that We do so; I'd. w
do not expect to have any thing more tt
report until after the sugar-manufactur
ing season of 1889 has commenced. W.
hope to investigate thoroughly then al
the new methods that have come to light
Up to the present time, sorghum sugal
has been manufactured as business by
the methods known as open and close
diffusion.
Open diffusion is where the cane chip:
are handled in large iron baskets by 6
large crane, the chips being dipped in diff
ferent tanks of water until the fluid be-
comes rich enough to reduce.
Close diffusion is where the water is
handled, instead of the chips.
While the machinery necessary in the
latter method seems to be moro expensive
than that required in the former, yet it
seems, at present, to be the more profit
able OF the two methods. The principal
reason seems to be that larger per cent
age of the sweets can be extracted from
the sorghum by the close-difusion pro-
cess. In this age the leading question
seems to be, Does it pay? From inyesti-
cation, we would say to the manufacturer,
Yes, abundantly. The profit runs from
four to five dollars, and even more, per
ton. Thus mill of the usual capacity of
200 tons per day of twenty-four hours
should make a profit Of $500 every day,
Or S24,G00 every month; and for one sea-
son Of little more than three months the
profit amounts to the cost of the plant, or
nearly $4,000. This result is, of course,
based only upon the most Intelligent
management. Cane must be planted at
time specified by the manager, so that
continuous supply Of mature cane can be
obtained. The season can be heightened
by planting the earliest varieties, then
the medium and then the late, and by
covering with thin layer of earth to pre-
vent freezing. Then, before harvesting,
sample of each crop must be submitted to
an analysis, to determine whether the
cane has reached such degree of matu-
rity as to have made it's sugar.
An outline of the processes of sugar
making will doubtless be interesting to
those who have not had time or opportu-
nifty to investigate for themselves. AS
now developed, the processes of sugar
making are as follows:
First-The topped cane is delivered at
the factory by the farmer.
Second-rhe cane is cut by machine
into pieces about one and fourth inches
IN length.
Third-The leaves and sheathes are
from the cut cane by tanning
mills.
Fourth-The cleaned cane is cut into
inc bits called chips.
Fifth-The chips are placed in iron
:anks, and the sugar difused- soaked out
With hot water.
Sixth-The juice obtained by diffusion
has its acids nearly or quite neutralized
With milk of lime, and is heated and
SKINNED.
Seventh-The defeated, or clarified,
uice is boiled to semi-syrup in vacuum
BANS.
Eighth-The semi-syrup is boiled to
grain in high vacuum in the strike-pan.
Ninth-The mixture of sugar and mo-
asses from the strike-pan is passed |
trough mixing machine into centrifugal
which throw out the molasses
nd retain the sugar.
And now we come to the important |
question as to the profit to the farmer.
Prof. Cowgirl says, in his report, that I'M
Ter ordinary methods of cultivation ten
ons of cleaned cane per acre are some
What above the average; but that under
he best of cultivation the larger varieties
ften exceed twelve, while the email
Early Amber sometimes goes below eight
ons per acre. Let eight and half tons
4 cleaned cane per acre be assumed for
he illustration. This responds to gross
leld OF ten tons to the farmer; and, at
2 per ton, gives him $40 per acre for his
rop. He also states that sorghum will
ield seven and half tons Of clean cane
or acre more surely than corn will yield
hirty bushels or wheat fifteen Bushels
or acre. He estimates that one acre of
orghum will produce
80 lbs of sugar, worth &c per ID. .... sS7 50
LOCO lbs of molasses, Q 1szc per b.. T7.sO
800 lbs Of seed, G sc per ID - 4.5ol
Total value OF sorghum. less fodder CSC. so
The corn crop gives l6soias g u cent -. 8. 40
The wheat crop gives soofhs 6 l cent. go
1t can beseen that the sorghum yields
o the farmer more than twice as much
er acre as either of the leading cereals,
Thiie as grass product of agriculture
nd manufacture, on cur own soil, more