Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-09-17
SORGHUM IN KANSAS.

Louisiana Planter: Good news
comes from Kansas in the matter of the
manufacture of sugar from sorghum
cane. The sad news of the loss of the
splendid sugar house at Ness City is off
set IN some degree by the fact that the
sugar houses at Medicine Lodge, Fort
Scott, and Topeka are all doing we'll.
Special Agent Cook, of Kansas, gives
the following account of what is doing:
He gives very encouraging account of the
improvements made in the sorghum sugar
factory at Medicine Lodge, in that state, and
of the good results already shown in handling
this seasons crop. About 2,300 acres of cane
are contracted for at this place, of which 325
acres of EARLY Amber and Tennessee" va
rieties have been worked, yielding about four
tons to the acre; 1900 acres planted of the
early Orange are estimated to yield about
seven tons to the acre. The extreme dry
weather has reduced the yield, nor is the sugar
quite as good as last year.
However, it is, perhaps, In better condition
at Medicine Lodge than any other place visit
ed by the special agent. with the exception of
Fort Scott and Topeka, where it averages
about as well as at Medicine Lodge The fac
tory at this place started work on the 18th ult,
and with the exception of two nights and one
day, when it had to lay of. owing to the farm
ers being unable to get cane to the factory, it
had run continuously up to the date of the
special agents report, making altogether ten
days running, during which time it had run
off the early cane grown on the 325 acres refer
red to, and which yield 1850 tons, making
nf al DIV ,cn h.,
the state inspector, while that in tanks and
sugar wagons yet to throw out were estimated
to make 1O0,0O pounds in ALL or about eighty
pounds of first sugar per ton of cane.
The syrup was in tanks in the hot room, and
il was estimated that there would be twenty
pounds to the ton of cane of second sugars,
altogether a total of 100 pounds per ton, which
| is about thirty pounds to the ton more than
was obtained last year. The improvements in
the working mill are very noticeable, especial
| y in the matter of minimizing the waste and
| saving. There is better extraction of juice.
the cane is cleaned hetler and cut finer, and
the work has all the advantage of more exper-
fenced labor in all departments of the factory.
Special Agent Cook reports the best of feel
ing between the farmers. laborers, and pro-
prietors of the factory. and everything seems
| to be working smoothly. 1t was expected that
| the factory would start work again Wednes-
| day, September 8, and as the cane will be re-
ceiyed from farms. and no delays is anticipat.
ed from want of cane, and the proprietors con-
| fdently expect to average 200 tons of cane
every twenty-tour hours. making altogether
| 100000 pounds of sugar this season at this
factory. and this notwithstanding the shortage
of season and crop. The report concludes as
| follows:
I'm short, the prospect looks very eneourag-
ing at this place. Everything is being conduct
ed with system and business management, and
| the proprietors Of thu sugar factory as well as
others who are familiar with the workings
here, feel more confident than ever of the
| financial success OF the manufacture of sor-
ghum cane and beets in this section
1t should be stated that there are about eigh-
| ty acres of beets at Medicine Lodge that are
looking well and growing nicely, the yield of
which it is expected win be worked up at the
factory in question