The National tribune., 1891-06-04

the importance OF Its sugar opportunities,
and the Department of Agriculture is now
in negotiation with the Experiment Station
Of that State, for the purpose of establish
ing sugar experiment station to help the
development of the sugar industry, espe-
eially in those lands lying along the lower
end of the Brazos River. Many thousands
Of acres Of land are found here suited to the
culture Of sugar-cane, and it is believed that
they will soon be devoted 10 that purpose.
In the matter of sorghum, too, the De-
partnent has not been idle. 1t has estab-
lished at Sterling, Kan, an experimental
station which is now in its fourth year, and
as direct result of the work of this station
the best varieties Of sorghum have been Sc
lected from more than 400 different yarie-
ties, and already these varieties have been
brought 10 high state of excellence, and
every year they are more fully established
in the rank Of sugar-prOducing plants. An
idea of the scope of the work Of this station
can best be obtained by reading Bulletin
No. % of the Chemical Division of the De-
partment of Agriculture, where the results
Of the last years work are fully described.
Supplemental to this culture-work the
Department has established a station for
sorghum sugar at Medicine Lodge, Kan,
where 1t is proposed to apply the newly
discovered process Of separating the gummy
matters from sorghum strip by alcohol.
Experiments in a small way have shown
that the yield Of sugar can be increased
fully 80 per cent by this method, and Con-
gress has voted credit of $4,000 for the
purpose Of demonstrating this in practical
way. Work is now in rapid progress at
this station, and all the machinery and APP
/ planes necessary for the conduct Of the
work will be ready for use by the 1st OF
August prOximO.
The output Of indigenous sugar in the
United States at the present time is scarcely
two hundred thousand tons while our con-
sumption is more than one million FIVE hun
dred thousand tons. The importance, there
| fore, OF the progress Of our own sugar in
dustry is at once manifest by comparing
these two figures.
American agriculture will not rest until il
produces all the sugar which is consumed at
home. 1t is not likely that the price Of
sugar will ever again be above five cents
| per pound in this country, unless it be due
TO some great decrease in the sugar crop OF
some complications with foreign powers
which would shut off from our markets ouI
present supply Of that commodity.
On the other hand, we must expect q
rapid increase in the consumption. 1t now
amounts TO nearly 50 pounds per head, and
this was reached with an average price o.
seven cents per pound for I-ined sugar
Now that this price has been reduced to five
cents per pound the consumption viii
rapidly increase, until in a short time it will
reach that of England, which is about a
pounds per head. 1t will not be many
years, therefore, until this country will re
quire two million tons of sugar for its an
nual supply. The practical importance o
the work which the Department of Agricul
ture has undertaken in this respect cannO
he overestimated, and the practical results
which it uas already obtained will commend
it TO every patriotic farmer in the country