, 1889-08-14

produced In all portions or Cno country
though it's saccharine qualities v airy With
climate co nditiOns. The trOubl hereto
fore has been to get the necessary machi-
merry to manufacture the sugar, and the
skilled help required to do the work.
Sorghum must be treated at the mill with
i'll thirty six hours after it is gathered,
otherwise fermentation sets in. This
makes it necessary to locate mills wit hin
convenient distances Of the farms, and as
the machinery for a mill costs 800, 600 and
has only been manufactured at Whining
ton and in New York, it is clear that the
one thing necessary was to convince peO-
pie with capital that the bust could be
carried on successfully. This has been
done by the experiments Of the Agricul~
tural Department.
New aud better machinery is constant.
ly being made, and the great thing lack
ing now is skilled help: Instead Of nine
factories in Kansas, Senator Plumb says
that there would be thirty in operation
this year if the skill could be had equal't0
the requirements of erecting and operating
them. 1t is no longer difficult TO get the
capital. so many persons are going into
the business without the neces sary skill
and experience that Professor Wiley, of
the Agricultural Department, fears that
it may result in loss or disappointment,
which will have a detrimental effect on the
development of the industry. Something
has to be learn ed by experience. When
a few years ago. the German Government
undertook to encourage the product on o,
sugar from the beet the average Saccha-
rine strength developed from the beets WAS
only 4 per cent. This has since been in
creased to an average of 16 per cent, and
Germany not only produces all OF Der OWN
sugar but makes it an article of export
The industry bias been of immense adyan.
ta@e to the German farmer and has IN
creased the value 1T his land. ThrE@
seems to be no reason, in The light OF this
experience, why we should not be equally
successful with DeetS and sorghum III tins
country.
Sorghum sugar will necessarily b" man
ufactured by small factories. There will
be a multiplicity Of them and scattered
over a wide area. Undrr present process
SEES the larger proportion of the product
does not need refining, bat goes direct {"
the consumer or retail deal. r. Hence Nc
can not become the SuhjeCt of trusts and
combinations whereby the price can ho
arbitrarily controlled.
The people Of the United States will pay
about $500 0 900 this year as the cost
of raw sugar. Nearly all this amount is
paid in cash, our trade with the sugar
producing countries being very small. II
this sum were retained at hume it wOuld
add immensely to our prosperity. The
production Of this sugar at home would
mean that Onp-halt the area now devoted
to h. cad products couId hp devoted to sn.
gar. The effect on the prices of farm pro.
dnclS would be great and the stimulus to
all kinds OF business immense. 1t is daily
becoming more evident that the American
farmer must look to the hUme kpt. In
India, Egypt, South Africa, Russia and in
Central and South America immense areas
are being opened 10y colonization and. in.
creased transportation facilltieS.. This
brings into market the products of laluur
which is content with mere subsistence
aud which pays no taxes to support
schools and churches and other adiuncts
Of higher civilization. Our farmers will
find it Increasingly dificult. to compets
with such labOur hence their dependence
will be more than ever on. the home mar.
ket. We must do our own manufacturing
and supply ourselves with sugar.
No other field opens up such profits for
the farmers and such a great nationa
benefit as that OF discussing at home the
vast sum now sent abroad for sugar. Ger.
many, France, Austria, and Russia long
ago saw the advantages of such a change
and adopted the bounty system. If the
tariff on sugar is reduced or abolish ed, as