Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-12-25
FARMERS IN CONFERENCE
Meeting of New Castle County
Institute at Newark.
DOMESTIC SUGAR INDUSTRY
DR.. Neale's Able Paper on the
Cultivation of Cane.
A New Suggestion for Delaware Fnrmors
--Prof. Beckwith Discourse Opon Injuri
Gus Insects and Insecticide.

Special Correspondence Of Gazette and Journal
NEWARK, Dec. 19.-The meeting of the
Farmers Institute of New Castle County
Which was held here yesterday afternoon,
was one of the best attended of recent
meetings. The session instead of being
held in the oratory was held in Professor
Chester's recitation room in the college
building, because an apartment was needed
where light could be excluded, SO as to
make the lantern views a success. The
room was small and necessarily crowded
and dark, but about sixty or more farmers
managed to crowd into the space and listen
with interest to the excellent addresses and
look with wonderment on the views pro-
iected on the canvas by the aid of cal
cium light. These illustrations were very
faithful to nature and were admirable
specimens of the work of the experiment
station and its officers.
The meeting was opened by the presi-
dent. DIR. j. j. Black of New Castle, who
announced the programme and called
upon Professor Chester of the station for
his address on "Fungi, as Causes of Plant
Diseases which was copiousy illustrated
by views of various kinds of spores. larva
parasites &c., taken from life by the aid
of n microscope and enlarged many diam
eters. This address was very clear and
helpful to the farmers in teaching them to
discern and classify plant diseases.
The next address was by Professor M.
II. Beckwith on tlniurious Insects and
Insecticides This was also illustrated
with many views OF minute insects and
parasites so many times magnitied that
common tiy looked very like mammoth
ichthyosaurus Of prehistoric ages. His
address was very instructive. 1t went to
show that the grain aphs or louise was
very abundant upon wheat and caused
serious losses to that crop in the New Eng
L., ,4,,t L.
Pennsylvania and throughout Canada dur
ing the year 1851. The wheat and oat crops
for the past two years have been greatly
injured by this insect throughout this
State. Heavy losses to those crops have
also been reported in several of the western
states.
This insect can be readily destroyed with
kerosene emulsion, but the expense of ap
plying the remedy upon large areas Of
wheat, render it impracticahle. There are
number of insect enemies that prey upon
the aphis and we must rely upon their aid
to protect our crops. There are nine
species of beetles that destroy large NUM-
bers of the insects, among which are eight
species of our common lady bugs, which
both in their larval and mature forms prey
upon them. OF the diptera or two-wnged
flies there are several species that render us
great assistance. Several very small flies
are parasites of the wheat aphis, one of
W.,
very abundant for several seasons,
They lay an egg within the bodies of the
wingless forms of the aphides, and the
maggot that matches from the egg feeds
upon the fatty portions of the aphis,
thereby causing its death, and finally the
maggot or larva transforms to pupa
within the body of the dead aphis and
eventually the dead insect emerges through
the skin of the aphis. The parasitized
aphides are readily known by the dirty
brown color Of their body. The ravages
of the Hessian lily were alluded to and its
method, causing injury to growing plants,
was explained There are two broods of
this insect. Several parasites that destroy
large numbers of this insect were re
ferred to, but late seeding high culture
and the growing of the hardest varieties
: of wheat was considered the most practical
method Of combating this insect.
The wheat nudge, has for more than
a century caused immense injury to the
wheat in various localities by the larva
from the eggs laid within tile blossom,
feeding upon the berry, causing it to
shriYel. This insect was very abundant in
central New York in 1si9 In the year
1851 the damage to the wheat crop in that
state was estimated at over S9,000,d00. The
insect suddenly disappeared in 1859, and
for several years caused no damage. The
wheat straw or joint worm was spoken of,
and its injuries was described, rs was also
that of the wheat bulb worm or American
meromyZa.
DR., A, r Neale was next introduced to
speak ON the subject of the Progress Made
Last Season Towards a Domestic Sugar
Industry" This wassistened to with rapt
attention and created marked impression
on the farmers, many of whom believes
with the doctor that sugar cane raising
and sugar making is bound to become a
profitable industry for the Delaware
farmers. The address was so interesting
and of such Importance that it is here
given in full. Many slides were shown
which made clear the process of sugar
making by the diffusion battery, &C. He
said:
"our last census credits the United
States with population of $1,000, 600
Statistieians estimate that each man,
woman and child on this roll consumes on
an average 63 pounds of sugar per annrlm;
hence it will take in round numbers 2,000,-
: 600 tons of refined sugar TO meet the next
seasons demand Louisiana may produce
150, 600 tons, which would be Il fair crop
for that state. In this event we shall still
be obliged to import 93 per cent of the
necessary supply, and by so doing we will
be found to pay tribute to the land holders
Of nearly, every other civilized country of
the world.
1--WE all know that the farmers of this
Peninsula are looking for another money
making crop, and the question is, can we
compete in our own sugar market with
the European beet men and the tropical
cane planters. | believe that we can do it
now, and the only question is as to which
OF two methods of conducting the business
will i'll the long run prove best for the
FARMER Ill particular and the country in
general. say that | believe that we can
do it now, but admit that it will require
the very closest business management. |
base my claim in part on past crops at the
New Jersey sugar station, and in part
upon the efficiency of the machinery tested
lasted year at Rio Grande.
AN average ton of field sorghum in 1888
carriedS0 pounds Of merchanable sugar
and IL gallons of low grade moasses; in
cluding seed these products have market
value equivalent to $500. As the Rio
Grande house was equipped last October,
1t could have been made to work 80 tons of
cane IN - hours, at n total cost of Sll0, or
$50 per ton. This includes all expenses
for cutting and hauling cane, working off
the products, paying for barrels, &c. This
cane can be raised for S25 per acre, or
$3.50 per ton; hence the total cost of Sc
curing so pounds of sugar. 11.5 gallons of
molasses and 1.5 bushel seed should not
exceed s4,75 per ton, leaving balance of
S2.15 per ton for salary account of super
intendent, for interest on 800 acres of land
and on capital invested On this basis in
terest figures II per cent on one system
of management and 22per cent on another
''By the one system, mean that which
makes the farmer an equal partner in the
profits or losses of the business. BY the
other, mean that one which farmers gem
orally have followed in the west and else
where, viz, accepting $3.50 per ton for
their cane delivered at the sugar house,
and allowing those who manage the ma
chinery to run all the risks and reap all