Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-12-17
SORGHUM SUGAR.
The Latest Results Of Experiments by
the Government Chemists.

The Latest Results Of Experiments by
the Government Chemists.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE annual report of
the chief Of the chemical division, department
of agriculture, contains an account of thespro-
cess recently perfected as the result of expert
ment in the chemical laboratory of the depart
ment, which must be of the greatest interest
to sorghum growers, and to the people gener-
ally.
1.-The recent discoveries made with reference
to the manufacture of sorghum sugar by Dr.
Wiley and his assistants Secretary Rusk
says. 'seem to practically settle the question
of the feasibility of the profitable manufac-
ture of sorghum sugar in this country The
department chemists claim substantially an
increase in the yield of sugar per 1000 gallons
of juice of an average of about 10000 pounds
to an average of over q .997, at an increase Of
cost of production of SS4 for the alcohol which
enters into the new process. According to
their figures, aad estimating the sugar at
cents per pounds. we have gain in profit of
1896, which is nearly 100 per cent increase per
1000 gallons of juice
DIR. Wileys report recites some of the var
ious difficulties which have been found hither-
to in economic manufacture of sugar from
sorghum and indicates that the solution of the
question was to be found in ''some process
which would separate as nearly as possible the
gummy amorphous bodies from the juice
without precipitating the sugar"
The known property of alcohol to produce
precipitation in the juice was made use of in
the further study of this problem. and expert
ments were undertaken and continued which
have finally secured the most satisfactory re-
suits 1.-The difficulties says the report,
(which have been encountered in manufacture
ing sugar from sorghum juices have been sole
ly due to the presence of these gums. Their
removal, therefore, if 1t can be accomplished
on manufacturing basis, would at once
place sorghum in a high rank as a sugar pro-
ducing plant
1t seems from the report that not only has
this desiderstum, the removal of the gums
been effected by. the process evolved during
these experiments, but it has been shown that
this can be effected at a cost comparatively
trif1ing in comparison with the results obtain
ed.
The article used in precipitation can almost
be wholly recovered by subsequent distilation.
The alcohol recovered by subsequent distilla-
ton is estimated at two-thirds of the quantity
used. The experiments made at the depart
ment show that the total loss of alcohol need
not exceed or at most 10 per cent.
Another encouraging feature is that the
gummy substance separated by the process is
itself fermentable, yielding almost half its
weight in alcohol. 1t appears that from the
gum itself, then. sufficient amount of alcohol
may possibly be derived to supply the whole
waste which would take place in the process
of manufacture, and any additional quantity
of alcohol needed could be obtained from the
molasses after the extrication of all the crys-
talizable sugar. In other words, a proper
stock of alcohol once provided, the wastage
therein in the process of manufacture could
be in great measure, if not entirely, supplied
by the refuse matter which would otherwise
be manufacturing waste.
Again, by the adoption of this process, DR..
Wiley says, the period of manufacture, the
shortness of which has always been one of the
troubles in making of sorghum sugar, can be
considerably heightened. The usual period
for the manufacture of sugar, now practically
confined to the months OF September and DC
tober, could be devoted exc usively to the ex-
traction of the juice and the making of the
syrup, which can be easily preserved and
worked into sugar subsequently either through
the winter months or in the spring. when the
factory could again be set in operation. The
means will be far more than Offset by the fact
the whole of the apparatus for manufacture
could be built on a smaller scale thanSif it were
necessary to treat all the syrup as soon as man
ufactured during September and October.
One factory could take care of much larg-
er crop of cane than where the whole manufac
turing operation had to be continued at once.
The report states that in order that this
method of production of sugar may become
possible, it will be necessary for the revenue
laws to be so modified as to allow the prepare
ton of the alcohol used in the process to be
carried on without tax, the alcohol to be made
under bond given by the manufacturer that it
should be used only in the work of manufac-
turing and should in no case enter commerce
for any purpose whatever. Attention is also
called to the fact that this process having been
discovered and operated by the chemical divi-
sion of this department, is unpatentable ex-
cept by the department for the common use of
the people. DIR. Wiley urges that the depart
ment should be at least permitted to carry on
the business, at experimental stations. of the
manufacture of sorghum from cane. To car
ry out these experiments in proper way he
estimates that grant of $4,000 would be en-
tirely sufficient, Secretary Rusk endores this
proposition, arguing that owing to the Daagni-
probable that any objection could be made to
this practicable method of demonstrating the
value of the process and the feasibility OF its
practicable application to the purpose of sug-
ar manufacture.