424 , FAEMERS' INSTITUTES. 



ofl&cial, as well as a private citizen, I am under moral obligations to tell the 

 truth about every subject that comes under my investigation. 



In the failures which have attended the attempts to make sugar from 

 sorghum I have not lost hope nor faith. 



While I have never shared the extravagant belief of some, I certainly have 

 never cherished the pessimistic notions of others. I have said, on more than 

 one occasion, and I repeat it here, that the success of the sorghum sugar 

 industry is now rather a question for the agronomist than for the manufac- 

 turer. I am fully convinced, that had I had sorghum chips at Fort Scott, of 

 the same composition and quality as the chips of the sugar-cane worked there, 

 I would have made the same quantity of sugar per ton. I believe every 

 intelligent, informed and unbiased man will hold the same opinion. 



I have not discussed here the methods of manufacture, because such a 

 discussion is foreign to the object I had in view. I may say, 'however, that 

 there is pratical unanimity on one point, namely, that diffusion will take 

 the place of milling. In the case of sorghum, this implies some method 

 of economically cleaning the cane, for diffusion can never be a success until 

 the blades, sheaths and seed are carefully removed. The Department of 

 Agriculture is now conducting two sets of experiments on the manufacture of 

 sugar from sorghum, one at Rio Grande and one at Fort Scott, and at both 

 places we have high hopes of attaining success. Experience has taught me, 

 however, that it is not wise to predict success in such matters; but there are, 

 nevertheless. Just now, good reasons for being hopeful. These experiments, 

 however, have nothing to do with the great problem of producing a crop of 

 sorghum, rich in available sugar, and in a locality where a sufficiently long 

 season for manufacture can be secured. 



In these experiments, however, we hope to solve the chief mechanical 

 difficulties which have heretofore hindered success. 



I have carefully studied the data which I have here presented to you, and 

 compared them with the original authorities ; I believe you will find them full 

 and exact. The lessons which they teach should be accepted without the bias 

 of preconceived theory, and without the distortion of personal feeling. 



Our great hope of success, when the mechanical appliances already mentioned 

 ■are perfected, lies in the field. A series of experiments should be instituted 

 by our agricultural colleges looking to the development of the maximum per- 

 •centage of sucrose in sorghum, and to the study of the conditions best suited 

 to preserve this content of sugar reasonable constant. Such a series of ex- 

 periments carried on under uniform conditions over the whole country, would 

 do more in five years to determine this great agricultural problem than fifty 

 years of disjointed work could accomplish. Much of the success of the beet 

 sugar industry of Europe has been due to a wise selection and improvement 

 of the seed by which the sugar content of the beet, in some instances, has been 

 nearly doubled. There is no reason to doubt that a similar improvement, not, 

 however, to the same extent, could be secured in sorghum cane. Such a series 

 of experiments could be established at small cost, but, to be effective, should 

 be continued through a series of years. The seed of those canes, showing 

 the highest sugar content should be planted, and the selection continued until a 

 maximum of sugar is obtained. In this way it is possible that a variety of cane 

 may be produced which would give a reasonably high percentage of sucrose, 

 which could be relied upon over large areas under culture. 



