The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-09

1eA22z1Az13E~-I
depots and their cultivation conducted on
commercial principles.
Judge Tillman has made the point that,
as, in refining, raw sugar has to be re-
verted to syrup again, therefore a refn
cry would prefer our domestic syrup to
raw sugar, because expense of this re
version would be saved If such a thing
as making our syrups uniform was posi-
bic there might be some force to this as
sumption; bat, as, in almost the next line,
Judge Tf4lman relates the difficulty attend
ing drawing samples of syrups for analy-
sis, the proposition is negatory of itself.
As the average percentage of juice eX-
tracted by the best farm mills is from 40
to 60 per cent. of weight of cane and in
| experiences is conspicuous in the conversion
of most of it into syrup, modern central
sugar plants would rapidly bring about
the abandonment of these plants just as
is occurring in Louisiana, where as much
as $l50O00 20 100000 have been expended
upon many of these plants. In this state
ment only draw upon the everyday his
tory in the sugar belt of louisiana which
would repeat itself with us.
Judge Tillman insists upon analyses of
syrup to demonstrate how profitable it
would be for refinery to buy the syrup
of his friends at 20 cents per gallon. Such
! analyses, / have already declared, in
| former letter, interest only dealers in such
| syrups No man acquainted with the man.
| ufacture of sugar would accept such de-
! Examinations as basis for an investment
| of $500 900 or more in a sugar plant The
| very wastefulness in extracting the juice
! from the cane and in ITS boiling, warns
! him that no commercial undertaking char
! acterized by such extravaganza in the
| manipulation of basic materials would be
safe foundation upon which to establish
any business undertaking.
The present investor wants the analysis
| of the cane before its valuable components
! have been wasted or deteriorated. Justice
! to our agriculture demands that no other
| analysis should be uttered as representing
! the value of that product for sugar pro-
| ducng. One or two analyses of cane could
| be taken as representing the sucrose value
| of that product for a section of country,
| while thousand analyses of syrups pro-
! duced by present farm processes from
| same cane would show as many varying
results, and reflect, in no manner, the
| value of the product from which derived,
| l have very high opinion of carefully
| boiled Georgia syrup as a syrup. con-
! slider ii superior in richness and flavor to
maple syrup, but until it is boiled with
more skill and uniformity, it will never
| command its value as a syrup for table
or remanufacture.
Only yesterday member of prominent
| grocery firm of Macon, Ca, handling ! 100
barrels of Georgia syrup last year, told
me that his firm had to practically reboil
| every barrel to get a uniform grade. That
| he was in New York on one occasion when
he saw barrel shipment of Georgia
syrup rejected because, upon resampling,
/ there was such variance from samples
that formed basis of sale and purchase.
| Quality probably changed in course or
transporta ton for went of that thorough
preparation crude methods cannot af-
| ford
Some syrup makers by present farm pro-
| Cesses do market a most excellent quality
of syrup, and 1 do not question Judge Till
mans statement that such syrup can be
| kept for two more years without de-
! terioratiug and becoming sour. But this
/ does not answer the other over-towering
J objection from strictly business stand
point, that the very best farm mills do nor
extract more than 90 per cent. of juice
! from cane and more of them frequently
! not exceeding 40 per cent.
To carry the extraction of juice 10 Sc per
| cent to IS per cent. in order to insure the
| proftableness of cane planting in Louisi-
! ana, single plants costing $3.50 900 are be-
| ing abandoned and 100000 invested in
modern ones to replace them, and with the
results of these latter the Georgia pro-
! ducers of both syrup and sugar must COM
! pete, rarely having more than a few thou
sand invested in the most pretentious sin
| gle plants in Georgia.
|
! antee of 20 cents per gallon for the syrup
produced by his neighbors. l am sails
| fed that on a commercial basis for sugar
contents no such price can be guaranteed;
| but if his friends had the faculties for get
| ting 80 per cent. in juice from cane q. g.
| SEQ pounds of juice from every LOCO pounds
| of cane, as against an extreme average of
/ 500 pounds by present processes) they
could make more money at a fess price
! for their syrups and be able to compete
with the syrup markets of the world
Cane growing is regarded profitable even
| at 10 cents per gallon for best grade of
syrups, put up in wood. Notwithstanding
| the startling fact, staring us in the face,
| that 80 10 30 Per cent. of its most valuable
| constituent is thrown away, and the ba-
| gassee. or cane fibre, des troyed thereby
| which (bagasse) in a modern plant affords
/ all the fuel required for grinding. boiling
and graduating, where formerly three
cords of wood were required for manipula-
| ton Of every ton of cane.
If the cotton planter left 30 per cent. of
| his lint cotton in the field unpicked to
| waste or rot he would very soon be n
bankrupt. And this applies equally TO ali
other crops grown; yet the grower OF cane
| claims that cane growing for syrup max
| ing is profitable, though he throws away
| 20 per cent. of natures bounteousness 10
| him.
Therefore, it is, that I have commended
| from the first, that what the cane-grover
wanted was the improved methods for
treating his cane, and not, so much a
market for his syrup to solve the problem
of sugar-cane cultivation in Georgia, be-
yond the small compressed areas that have
their origin in domestic demands and are
without contact with outside competition.
Entirely new conditions present than