136 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Prof. Collier — No. These ears were picked off of the stalks and 

 the stalks were left standing, but they were immediately cut up and 

 put through the mill, soon after the ears were ripe. INIany think 

 that when an ear of corn is ripe the stalk is dry ; but as a matter of 

 fact*it is as juic}' as at any other time. There is no use trying to 

 make sugar from corn-stalks or sorghum if you can't press the 

 juice. If there is no juice, there is no sugar. There are ver}' few, 

 apparently, of good farmers, who seem aware of the fact that a 

 corn-stalk maj' be as juicy as though it was reality in the silk, and 

 yet have the ears perfectl}' ripe. 



Mr. Goioell — Would not the sweet corn-stalk be better than the 

 common yellow? 



Prof. Collier — I do not know. As I remember there is not much 

 difference, but the difference is not in favor of sweet corn. So far 

 as my experiments went they showed that the sweet corn was 

 not as good as the common corn. 



After these stalks, whether corn or sorghum, have gone through 

 the mill, and you have recovered all the sugar 3'ou can by your best 

 mill (and b}' all means get a good mill) the pressed stalks are, 

 weight for weight, as valuable for food as before pressing. 



Dr. Lajyham — Have any Western men made any sugar this j'ear? 



Prof. Collier — A man at Red Wing made five thousand pounds 

 out of sorghum-^merehantable sugar. They made seventy-five 

 thousand at Crystal Lake last j^ear, 1879. Here is another report 

 in regard to the profits of it from Ontario. A compan}- was estab- 

 lished there, and they declared a dividend the first year of 33 per 

 cent. The}' have increased their capital stock, and the}' sa}' they 

 see no reason why the}' should not double the dividend another 

 year. That was syrup. But here is a Mr. Richmond of New York. 

 He kept accurate account of several acres, and he made a profit of 

 $21.50 a year the first year, with a good man}- unusual expenses. 



