The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-22
Sugar Came TO the Front.

It seems likely that there will be a
revival Of interest in sugar cane cul-
ture something like it was in South
Georgia back in the seventies" when
nearly every farmer seemed to be per-
suaded that the real bonanza" was to
be found in sugar cane. No doubt
many of our readers will recall the
fact that for a year or two more
syrup was manufactured in Southwest
Georgia than had ever been known
any time in the then past or any time
in the past twenty years.
Under the circumstances existing il
might be considered a very reckless
proceeding. No market had been es-
tablished for such syrup and the only
reliance OF the growers and makers
was in that local market inside of the
limits of Georgia. Many thousands of
barrels of syrup of a most superior
quality of its kind sought a market in
the small towns of Waycross, Albany,
Dawson. Anericus and the still smaller
towns along the various South Geor-
gia railroads These small markets
We're simply glutted with syrup. There
was ten times more of il than could
be consumed in a year in all Georgia
and there seemed to be no demand or
sale for il anywhere else. F1rst-class
syrup sold anywhere from IA to IS
cents per gallon The writer bought
in Albany as good Georgia cane syrup
as could possibly be desired for 10
cents. The producers who realized as
much as - cents considered them
selves fortunate.
There could be only one result, unan-
imous disgust. and syrup producers be
came beautifully less" In recent
years there has been only a reasonable
production OF cane syrup in that Sec
ton comparatively and in the mean
time the market for it has evidenced
the public taste has been developed and
now such syrup as referred TO would
readily command a price ranging from
80 to so cents per gallon.
as there fair inducement for en-
larging the area of sugar cane culture
in Georgia." 1t is a question eXercis-
ing the minds of many Georgia and
Florida farmers. Quite naturally
every intelligent farmer is anxious TO
find something better, much better if
possible, than cotton and corn. They
have been told quite emphatically of
late that cotton and corn and sugar
cane is very much better than cotton
and corn. We believe it. We think it
would be a wise thing for our farmers
to plant some of the land heretofore
devoted to corn in sugar cane, but
they should go about it right. To a
certain extent they should cooperate
together In each neighborhood
number of farmers, 5, s, 10 or more
should come together, agree as to the
number of acres each shall plant, buy
their seed cane in a lump together,
each contribute proportionately, and
purchase the necessary mill and evap-
orator and have them properly put up
in a place most convenient to the
larger number and all ready for BUSH
ness by the time the cane is ready to
be worked up in November or Deem
Der as the case may be- This cooper
ative plant would certainly tend to the
most economical production of syrup
possible. Very few small farmers
could afford to own a mill and evapor-
ator in their own right.
Apropos of this promised revival of
cane growing farmers are being offer
ed something new in the way Of cane.
A recent issue of the Florida Agricul-
turist contains two articles and four
photographs of the growing crop of
THE japanese Sugar Cane" as grown
in Florida the. past season, Altogether
it affords very interesting reading 10
the would-be cane grower but 1t must
be admitted that il viii be necessary
TO have a little more information re-
garding the new variety before the
cane grower can safely discard the
well-proven varieties altogether for it.
There is some little testimony that 1t
may prove a desirable thing, but not
enough to warrant any recommended
ton beyond that of giving 1T trial in
a small way whenever it can be done.
The writer of the article referred to
and who has seed cane to sell, says of
the japanese sugar cane: 1T is
neither a sorghum nor a Cuba cane.
The canes are green in color, with long
joints. When peeled with a knife will
break like piece of candy. CThis is a
characteristic of sorghum). 1.-The cane
should be planted in rows seven to
eight feet apart using pieces twelve to
fifteen inches long dropped every eight
or ten inches apart in the row. l have
made SIS gallons of syrup to the acre
and sold it for so cents per gallon" 1t
is to be hoped that an experiment
station will proceed at once 10 decide
the question of the real value Of Jap
anese sugar cane.