Vol. X. No. 2i2. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



243 



it is necessary for the supply of sulphur in cultivated 

 land to be maintained with the aid of manures. This 

 has been done unconsciously for many years, more espec- 

 ially by the application of superphosphate of lime (which 

 contains calcium sulphate), ammonium sulphate, potas- 

 sium sulphate and pen nianun', while gypsum has often 

 been used, with the idea that it was more in the nature 

 of a stimulrUit than an actual provider of plant food. 

 In this way, the methods are indicated which must be 

 employed if it is considered necessary tt) supplement 

 the supply of sulphur in the soil. The question has not 

 yet been completely answered, nor is it claimed that this 

 is the case by the authors of the work under considera- 

 tion, who state on the other hand that they: 'realize the 

 desirability of extreme caution and conservatism in 

 presenting the views outlined.' The importance of the 

 subject from the practical j)oint of view, the small 

 amount of attention that it has received in the past, 

 and the striking results that appear to be obtained when 

 it does receive attention, all point to the necessity for 

 further careful work which will supply definite knowl- 

 edge as to the requirements of plants for sulphur, and 

 the ability of the soil to supj^ly thetn with this element. 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY OF THE 



UNITED STATES, IN 1909. 



The following is taken from the Sugar Beet fur 

 July 1911, p. 214. The original article is a summary, 

 made for that paper, of the lesults of the cane and 

 beet sugar census in 1909, issued by the United States 

 Census Buri^au. 



The quantity of cane treated in sugar milLs in 1909 wa.s 

 4,628,200 tons, valued at 617, 605,000, an average of S3-ii() 

 per ton. The average i|uantity of cane treated per e.stablisli- 

 ment in Loiii.siana i.s 23,660 tons, compared with 26,0.50 ton.s 

 for Texas. Of the total quantity of cane treated, 57 per cent. 

 was returned as grown on fai'U)S and plantations under the 

 control of tlic manufacturer.*, and 4-3 per cent, was purchased. 



Of the value of products, that of sugar constituted 89 

 per cent, of the total, molasses 9 6 per cent, and syrup 14 

 per cent. The total production of c.me sugar was returned 

 as 334,100 tons of 2,000 B) , of which 32.5,500 tons, 

 valued at $26,017,000, were produced in Louisiana and 

 8,600 tons, valued at !?669,000 in Texas. The distinction 

 made in this investigation between molasses and syrup is 

 that the former includes the liquid product from which sugar 

 has been removed, while the latter includes the product from 

 which no sugar has been removed. 



Only It^ establishments were returned as manufacturing 

 brown sugar by the open kettle process, which metbod was 

 formerly very generally employed. These establishments 

 manufactured 3,700 tons of sugar, valued at $301,000, or 

 slightly more than 4c. per lb. 



The total area planted in beets in the United States, in 

 1909 was 416,000 acres, as compared with 135,300 and 

 240,800 acres in 1899 and 1904, respectively. From this 

 area, 3,965.300 tons of sugar was made: while the quantities 



for the above years, in the same order, were 794,600 and 

 2,175,400 tons. 



The quantity of granulated (beet) sugar increased from 

 57,900 tons in 1899, to 496,800 tons in 1909, and the value 

 from «5,581,000 to $45,646,000. Itaw (beet) sugar, sold as 

 such, decreased in quantity, which indicates that the manu- 

 facturers are now retining a larger percentage of their sugar 

 output than previously. 



Of the total value of beet products, that of granulated 

 and raw sugar constituted 95 per cent., and molasses 2 per 

 cent. Colorado leads the other States in the value of products, 

 its proportion amounting to 29 per cent, of the total, followed 

 by California with 25 per cent., and Michigan with 22 per cent. 



The total production of sugar in this country increased 

 from 90,800 tons in 1879 to 835,800 tons in 1909, or 820 

 per cent.; the increase in the quantity of cane sugar in the 

 40 years was 274 per cent., and the entire development of 

 the beet-sugar industry is measured by this period. 



The imports of sugar into the United States during 

 the period 1879 to 1909 increa.sed from 914,600 tons to 

 2,887,100 tons, or 216 per cent. In 1909, of the total im- 

 ports, 32 per cent, came from non-contiguous sections of the 

 United States, and 68 per cent, from other countries. Not 

 taking account of stocks on hand, the supply of sugar for the 

 United States in 1909 was 3,722,900 tons, made up of dome.s- 

 tic production amounting to 835,800 tons, and imports to 

 2,887,100 tons. If the 94,600 tons exported during the year 

 be deducted, the amount retained for consumption is found 

 to be 3,628,300 tons, indicating a per capita consumption of 

 79 ft., which compares with 5'J lb. in 1899, 51 lb. in 1889, 

 and 39 \h. in 1879. 



CHANGES IN SUGAR SOLUTIONS AT 



HIGH TEMPERATURES. 



The following are among the conclusions reached 

 in a bulletin on this subject, entitled The Effect of High 

 Temperatures un Cane-Siigar in Solution (Bulletin 

 36 ot the United States Department of Agriculture). 

 They are selected and given hero on account of their 

 more technical interest: — 



The system obtaining in cane juices is a very complex 

 one, consisting of very variable amounts of salts of both strong 

 and weak acids and of free alkali. Hence a temperature 

 which nuiy be safe with one juice may cause serious inversion 

 in another. With the conditions usually prevailing in local 

 factories, juices should suffer a half hour's heating at 120°C. 

 with no detectable loss of sugar. It would be conservative 

 to adopt this temperature as the highest to which cane juices 

 .should be subjected during the proce.ss of evaporation, though 

 under a careful .system of control and observation a tempera- 

 ture of 125' (or even 130' C lor shorter periods) might be 

 permissible. 



The sterilization of cane sugar products is iio.-isible since 

 it occurs almost instantaneously at 125° C, which is very 

 close to the thermal death point of the most heat-resistant 

 sugar-house bacteria, and since at this temperature in alka- 

 line solution the inversion of cane sugar is very slow. 



The efiect of high temperatures on clarification is very 

 small; the most that can be ho[)ed for is a juice from whick 

 the dirt might be separated with a little more ease. 



The use of high temperature evaporation and the pr«- 

 heater system of evaporation, and also the sterilization of all 

 cane sugar house products, is possible under a rational sys- 

 tem of control. 



