The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-10
SUGAR.

Conditions Under Which the Cane May Be
Grown and the Product Made Marketable.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-H. w. Wiley,
chemist of the Agricultural Department,
has completed his record of experiments in
the manufacture of sugar from sorghum,
conducted last year at Rio Grande, n. j.,
Kinner, La, and Conway Springs, Douglas
and Sterling, Kan, and the bulletin will be
issued by the department in a few days.
The work at Sterling differed from that at
the other places. 1t was an examination of
all obtainable varieties of the sorghum
plant, begun by the Sterling Sugar Com
pam and completed by the department.
The work at Rio Grande, n. j., was carried
on by Mr.. III. A. Hughes, and the purpose
was to determine whether or not sorghum
sugar could be successfully manufactured
on a small scale. Prof. Wiley says he does
not see any favorable result coming from
the two years trial at Rio Grande. All the
conditions combine to render the manu-
facture of sugar on a small scale COM
n,ercially unsuccessful. The practical ex-
periments carried on at Douglas consisted
in a thorough trial of the open system of
diffusion (the Hughes system). to test its
fitness for working on a large
scale. They were not a success, owing to
the failure of the battery to work properly.
The agricultural results, however, were of
the most encouraging nature, showing that
In that locality a crop of sorghum cane can
be grown which, with proper treatment,
may be expected to yield eighty to ninety
pounds of sugar a ton of pure cane. Prof.
Wiley devotes considerable space to a pre-
sentatiOn of points to be considered in
building a factory. Southern and Western
- k4-A go ~ L.. g.
sorghum raising, so far as is now known.
Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and
North Carolina probably present equally
favorable conditions, but this yet awaits
demonstration. The Indian Territory is
destined to be the center of the industry.
The expectation of establishing a success
full sorghum industry In the great maize
fields of the country must now be definitely
abandoned. A season of manufacture
reasonably certain for sixty days is an es-
sential condition to success in the manu-
facture of sorghum sugar. The water sup
ply must be abundant and easily accessi-
BILE. Factories must be located in
close proximity to the fields, SO
that the cost of transportation of the
cane may be reduced to a minimum. A cheap
and abundant supply of iuel is not less i'm
portant than the raw material itself. Re-
cent experiments show a strong probability
that the refuse chips of the cane may be
used for fuel. The cost of a complete fac
tory. capable of working two hundred tons
of cane a day. may be estimated at from
$60,0O0 to 100000. Finally, in order to sue
coed, investors must secure some one to
take charge of the factory who understands
the needs of the business and has had some
experience in the conduct thereof.
In detail the bulletin is very complete.
1t contains the report of the assistants in
charge of the experiments at the several
stations, with daily records of the results in
tabulated form. analysis of sugar beets
grown in Kansas from seed furnished by
Mr.. Claus Spreckels, and the effect of the
diffusion process upon the extraction of
sugar from the sugar cane. The latest re-
port on this subject shows that an average
of 14 pounds of sugar is made from a ton
of cane.