The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-08
AID To SYRUP MEN
FOUR AGENTS TO CONDUCT Ex
PERIMENTs TO BE APPOINTED
IN GEORGIA.
FLORIDA GETS ONE STATION.
RESEARCHES TO BE MADE UNDER
DIRECTION DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.

Points for Location of Agents Sc
Iected by DIR. G. L. Spencer and
Capt. ID. G. Purse, but Not Yet Made
PubIic-Agents Are to Have Free
Access 10 Plants With Privilege OF
Installing Apparatus for Making
Expe rim ents-Dr Spencer Wants
Cane Growers to Make New Pro-
duct, Concrete-Secretary of AEri-
culture Wilson aud DIR. Wiley,
Chief Chemist, Expected i'm No
yember.
The syrup industry in Georgia is be-
ing closely looked into by the govern
-ment. Agents of the Department of Ag
riculture are to be located throughout
the cane growing sections of this state
and of Florida for the purpose of con-
Quoting, at the points where they are
stationed, such experiments in the
manufacture of syrup as the depart
ment may suggest.
Capt. D. G. Purse has just returned
tn Savannah from a trip with DIR. G.
l.. Spencer, of Washington, through
the cane growing territory for the pur-
pose of establishing these experiment
stations.
Points for four such stations in Geor-
gia and for one in Florida were Sc
lected, and report to Washington
recommending those places will be
made. Until this recommendation has
been passed on by the Department of
Agriculture Capt. Purse does not feel
at liberty to make public the places
recommended.
Experiments ON Large Scale.
The contemplated experiments in the
scientific manufacture of syrup are to
be made on a scale never before at
tempted in Georgia. At each of the
points selected the agent will have
free access to the most important
syrup making plant of the vicinity, and
will have the further right to install
therein and operate any apparatus
that the Department of Agriculture
may furnish him for the purpose of
making the more complicated or thor
ough experiments that may be deemed
necessary.
Arrangements have also been per-
fected whereby those agents will send
to Washington each day specimens of
cane, and samples of its product in the
various stages of manufacture. Means
f, have been found to assure the arrival
in Washington of such samples in ex-
actly the same condition as when
taken from the plant.
New Product From Cane.
The Department of Agriculture is
especially DESTROYS that the Georgia
syrup makers shall attempt the man
e. - l..
crete, which is obtained by boiling the
syrup to a sugar hardness but retain
ing in this mass all the flavor and
other properties of syrup, except its
fluidity. This product is readily re-
converted into syrup by the addition
of water.
The value of the process consists in
the fact that by the manufacture of
this product fermentation is prevented,
there is a distinct saving in the losses
that attend the boiling Of syrup in the
usual way. and because of it's con-
densed form transportation charges
are, of course, much less than they are
on syrup.
Concrete is manufactured largely by
the planters of South America. All
canes will not yield the product as
not all canes will make sugar, but 1t
is thought that Georgia cane will pro-
Quce concrete, ana 10 ueteTIT1ne WneLn-
er it will or not, will be one of the
special objects of the series of expert
nents that will be conducted this
winter.
Such other experiments as will be
made will be announced later, after
the agents have been appointed, and
the season for making syrup has be-
gun. DR.. Spencer, who is connected
with the Bureau of Chemistry of the
Department of Agriculture, is proba-
bly, one of the greatest experts in the
making of sugar, and syrup not only
In this country, but in the world.
Spencer a Sugar Expert.
In addition to his work in Washing
tor he is allowed a furlough of six
months of each year which he spends
in Nicaragua in charge of an immense
sugar-making plant that is operated by
English capitalists. Here he has I'M
excelled opportunities to experiment
and the result of these researches he
communicates to the Bureau of Agri-
culture and through that channel to
the cane growers of the whole coun-
try.
DIR. Spencer considers the syrup
making possibilities of Georgia to be
excellent and predicts that with the
expansion Of the industry which will
be brought about by the scientific
manufacture of the product Georgia
will be able to control the syrup trade
of the South and the Northwest. There
will be difficulty in capturing the trade
of New England, he thinks, because
of the Importation of Cuban syrup
which brings a low price and on which
the transportation charges are very
light.
The Places Visited.