47 



ing sucli Jniec would lie f^radcd (irsl -class. If, liowovcr, tlic mixture 

 coutaiiied less tliaii (10 pounds of sugar i)i'r hundred, tbeu tbe cane 

 would grade low as lit only for molasses. 'Purity' is the technical 

 expression for the above standard. Sixty-six i)urity would re[)resenta 

 high grade sorghum, and 5!) jnirity a low grade. 



"Ranking with purity in importance, stands the percentage of sugar 

 in the cane juice. If 100 pounds of said juice contain less than 9 

 pounds of sugar, this cane is lit only for molasses. 



"The following tabular statement rests upon a number of assump- 

 tions, each of which is warranted by experience. 



"(1) During September, field sorghum will lose 30 per cent of its 

 weight by the removal of its leaves, sheaths and seed tops. One ton 

 of field sorghum, therefore, is equivalent to 3,400 pounds of cleaned 

 cane. 



"(2) Approximately 10 per cent of this cane is fiber and insoluble 

 matter; 90 per cent, therefore, may be roughly classified as cane juice. 

 On this basis 1 ton of field sorghum contains 1,260 pounds of 'juice.' 



" (3) Assuming that the purity of this juice is at least 66, then per 

 ton of cane averaging from 9 to 13 per cent the following quantities of 

 sugar and molasses may be secured, on a commercial scale, the extrac- 

 tion being 90 per cent and the crystallization 75 per cent : 



"This statement brings out the commercial difference between a 9 and 

 a 13 per cent cane. From the standpoint of to-day the possible prod- 

 ucts from the former have a wholesale market value of $G.07 per ton ; 

 those from the latter are worth $8.75 ; four per cent of sugar makes a 

 difference of $2.(18 jier ton of field cane. The total expenses of the 

 sugar-house, working oO tons daily, should average less than $2.25 per 

 ton. 



"A season of 70 working days is possible in this latitude. A crop of 

 3,500 tons of field cane would therefore beau ample supply; its products 

 would vary in value from $21,000 to $30,000, according as the cane 

 varied from 9 to 13 per cent of sugar. The running expenses of such a 

 house would not vary far from $8,000, and would not be noticeably af- 

 fected by the quality of the cane. Farmers can not afford to raise sor- 

 ghum for less than $2.50 per ton; the crude stock, therefore, would ap- 



