Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-19
the poin. of profitable production, and fer
tiliZerS are required.
Result of Exuerimenta.


Result of Experiments.
with regard to the ability of the United
States to produce sugar. the states north
of Virginia and including that common
wealth have demonstrated within the past
year that the conditions are all favorable
for profitable production. We intend, dur
ing the coming year, to ascertain where
the sugar beet can be profitably grown in
the states south of Virginia. Where 1t
may be ascertained that the sugar beet
will not grow profitably in the south, and
where ribbon cane will not succeed, we
will introduce the sorghum sugar-cane
seed. The Department of Agriculture has
been selecting and developing this plant
during the last seven years, until 1t con-
tains as high per cent OF sugar as is
found in the sugar beet The average sugar
content necessary to the profitable produc-
ton of the sugar beet is about Il per cent.
THE Lehi factory in Utah has been run
ming for several years profitably with an
average of sugar in the beet of y to IL
per cent. Our selected sugar cane gives
us an average of IA per cent, and runs as
high as 20 to - per cent in some cases.
The department has been using the same
method, of selection In developing sorghum
by the oolariscope that have been in vogue
in France and Germany for forty years
past in the selection of mother beets.
Wherever We find that sugar beets will
not grow probably in the southern states,
we propose to introduce this hish-heredity
sorghum seed. Sorghum molasses is made
extensively all over the United States.
The census of 1890 shows that in 1889 the
United States produced 4.235.210 gallons
of sorghum molasses, and in 1897 we made
900 tons of sorghum sugar. 1t is popular
with the people; 1t is made in small neigh
borhood mills, and the manufacture is
being greatly extended.
Needed for Forage.
IAN additional reason why the Depart
nent of Agriculture proposes to encourage
the growing of first-class sorghum In the
south Is that the farmers of that section
require a carbonaceous forage plant to feed
with their cotton-seed cake. The state OF
Georgia for example. produced 5000 tons
of cotton seed in 1897: if properly balanced
with carbonaceouS folders, the cake or
that one state would have finished the $780,
600 cattle exported from this country last
year. Tie sorghum plant is highly car
bonaceous and will answer this purpose
admirably. 1t grows Vigorously in dry
soils where maize and other grasses do not
thrive. Whether sugar is prCduced from
teets CT cane. it is done most proftably in
connection with farms having all the de-
partments properly balanced. The northern
states have the dairy and feed yard, the
southern states may have them as We'll
The production of sugar can be incidental
in both sections of the country to the feed
ing of animals. Hawaii has nothing Of this
kind. The care is grown; it is hauled to
the mills; the bagasse is not returned to
the soil; the available plant food is reduced.
and the planters must search to the ends
of the earth for fertilizers. This Is ex-
pensive, and they cannot permanently COM
pete with farmers who make the growing
of a few acres of sugar beets or sorghum
Incidental to other agricultural operations
on the farm.
Sugar production in Hawaii is carried on
with cooie labor under contract systems.
That will vanish if the islands become sub
ject to our laws. when the laborer there
will receive the same wages he now gets in
California.
In What Hawaii Excels.
Hawaii then will not seriously compete
with sugar producers in the states. When
the people of those islands come to con-
slider, with scientific assistance, the posi-
bilities of coffee production that can be ex-
tended over much of the limited sugar belt,
have q monopoly with which no state in
fact that no scientific improvement OF the
coffee tree with regard to the excellence of
the berry an increased yield of the tree
through Intelligent selection has ever been
made The climate of these islands is ad-
mirably adapted to the production of many
fine fruits that cannot be grown in any of
our states. They can grow many c.4oice
subtropical and tropical fruits that have
never been scientifically developed, the i'm
provement of which would lead to very
profitable production. In these directions
the farmers of the states could not COM
pete with Hawaii