New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-19


laid the blame for the 1889 failure upon the
nautous speculation In and monopoly OF null
berry trees.
All of these writer's were remarkably hopeful
for the future, however. and the first published
note on the other side seems to have been struck
In 1880. when writer remarked that the SILK
worm industry in America had been merely
series Of attempts and failures and that it was
suitable only to densely populated countries
where labor was cheap
But the pursuit which had undergone so many
alternate REVEALS and hardships was destined TO
experience one more flicker of the spark or us
life. In 1886 the Agricultural Department estab-
lishcd filature at Washington for the Keeling
OF silk from American cocoOns. Associations
for silk raising were formed In Kansas and Call
fornia and there a Womans SILK Culture
Association in Philadelphia. In the same year.
1SS(; Congress voted an annual appropriation OF
$4,000 to enable the associations to buy the
cocoons direct from the farmers. reel them and
sell them to the manufacturers But the project
could not be made to give any promise OF great
success. and in 1892 the appropriation was dis
continued. Silk culture once more dropped gen
tly into oblivion. and up to date it has not
emerged for another term Of activity.
USE FOR SORGHUM.
The history OF sorghum, Wnue IL HluSt pc w"
sidcrcd another record OF failure nevertheless
has n redceming feature in these latter days IL
people made wry faces and declined to take a
! fancy to sorghum sugar and molasscs. their cat
tie and horses at least did not refuse to eat the
sorghum stalks The plant. whore it still -four
ishcs is now used almost exclusively as fodder
for live stock But in the early days OF its
career in this country it was destined to turn the
sugar market completely upside down. Ordl-
nary cane sugar would become an unconsidered
| triile when compared to the new kind. and the
| Louisiana sugar-cane plantations would pale
/ into insgniicance beside the great sorghum
/ fields OF the North and West Ii was In 1904
that the first seeds Of the Chinese sorgho plant.
/ twenty-o varieties In all. were received at
! the United States Patent Office, and distributed
thence throughout the country. The plant
which strongly resembles Indian corn. was
| found to grow admirably wherever corn dld. ana
farmers took up its cultivation with cagerness.
| By 1850 the industry had increased so greatly
/ that over seven million gallons OF sorghum
/ molasscs were made that year. Iowa being the
largest producer. with Illinois and Indiana next.
/ IL was easier. however. to make the molasses
| than to crystalline the juice into sugar. and
much literature was published at this time advo-
/ eating various methods for accomplishing the
, "sugaring" to the best advantage Another ana
more serious trouble. referred TO above. was the
/ fact that the sorghum products had peculiar
| and. to most persons. an extremely unpleasant
/ taste During tn" war the South cultivated
I sorghum to a considerable extent. General
/ sherman mentioned that the destruction OF
sorghum products which he accomplished in
/ the course of his march To the sea Was an Ell
/ f.,iIyc means of distressing the enemy.
! Sorghum continued to figure prominently in
! IN. agricultural reports for several years and
/ from, time To time experts came forward with
/ advice as 10 how the disagrccable sorghum
| taste might be- eliminated from the sugar. The
/ enthusiasm was still on in $3.50. when IT was
/ predicted that within five years from that time
| all the sugar needed In the United States would
| be- raised by American farmers. Furthermore.
sorn. people thought it likely that within ten
years more would be- exported annually IMAM
/ had ever been Imported In ia" fac" OF this
/ sanCuinc forecast thu figures II the last Agrl-
cultural Report. that ~ 1896. are Interesting.
In that year the United Statcs imported 3N~.-
:,;N 30 pounds OF sugar. over one billion pounds
! Of which came from cuba. Tn" American farm
crs had fallen about four billion pounds short 81
their duty In supplying the country. not to men
ton the matter Of export Not even ii reference
/ 70 sorghum appears in tho report
TEA CULTURE.
Tea culture in The United States deserves
word in closing though it never had the cx-
tended trials which were granted 10 silk and
sorghum. The idea first preached in lSIi
or lSJJ and in 1874 tn" Government commits
stoned Robert Fortune, the English author and
| botanst, who had spent many years In emma.
to send to the United States Patent Office from
! that country specimens of tea seeds and young