The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-27
DIR. wILEY,s ADDRESS.
Chemist of Agricultural Department
 SPeaIks On Syrup and Cane.


 Chemist of Agricultural Department
 Speaks on Syrup and Cane.
 The distinct feature of the morning session was the address of Dr. H W. Wiley of the Bureau of Chemistry of the Agricultural Department. This address was in fact one of the events of the meeting pr. Wiley came all the way from Washington to make his talk before the cane growers. He has been especially prominent in the cam palgn for pure foo dand he has been active on furthering the various agri- cultural interests of the country.
 In beginning his address Dr. Wiley said that he had not come South to teach or show the cane growers any thing. He was before the convention to participate in it's deliberation and to listen to the discussion, to receive Information rather than to give it.
 He had told his doctors in Washing ton that he was going South to enjoy for a few days the sunshine and balmy hrsezes. The weather he had found was not exactly what he had expected, however" still when he got back to Washington he would not say a word about 1t to. his doctor.
 The members of the convention in solving the problem of their business. the production of sugar cane. were face
 
 were to be answered.
 The first problem for the cane grow CTS was the growing of the crop. bear ing in mind always that the syrup was to be grown in the fields.
 The second problem was to ascertain first if small syrup mills such as are used in Louisiana would pay in the other Gulf States.
 The third problem was to ascertain fIo 1f fv,4, the cane would deterlorate the syrup.
 Fine Cane Easily Gr0wn.
 The first problem had been settled. The cane could be grown and grown satisfactorily and profltably. The con- vention need give itself no concern in solving that problem.
 As to the second problem pr. Wiley endorsed the Idea of establishing mills such as are used in Louisiana These mills on the first pressure extracted sixty-hve pounds of juice from every hundred pounds of cane. By repress- ing. he said, 1t was possible to get an additional twelve or fifteen pounds This fact alone showed the marked ad- vantage of the Louisiana mills over the other mills that were in use.
 As to the disposal of begasse, the re- mains of the cane. after the juice had been crushed out of 1t, Dr. Wiley had
 
 proven that begasse could be used to great advantage as a fuel. To do so however, would require the use of a specially made boiler inasmuch as the heat given forth was too much for the average boiler.
 It has also been proposed to make paper out of begasse. This could be by, but 1t was out of the question, because the owners of the small mills could not erect paper mill. Begasse could also be carried back to the fields and used as a fertilizer.
 Dr. Wiley gave it as his opinion that the increased pressure in getting out the cane juice did have a deteriorating effect upon the syrup.
 Cane and Cotton.
 The speaker commented upon the great similarity between cotton and cane. the two great crops of the Gulf States. In their construction from a chemical standpoint they were prac- tically the same. Moreover. the cli- mate and the soil of this section were adapted to their growth as were no other climate or soil
 The speaker pointed out that syrup could be kept just as we'll In barrels as in glass bottles or other receptacies. if the barrels were properly sterilized. In the Department of Agriculture at Washington they had two barrels of syrup which they had kept in a closet for two years and the syru pwas just as good now as when the barrels were placed there. The barrels had been sterilized with steam. a sulphur match had been burned in them to kill the germs in the remote recesses and the bungs had been sterilized before they were put in place.
 Dr. Wiley alluded to the importance of widening the market for syrup. something which could be accom- plished by a continued campaign in bringing the merits of the fine food