300 



The present stiitiis of the ramie industry is also summed up, with 

 full consideration of past discouragements, present obstacles, and 

 future possibilities of the success of the industry in all its phases. 



The fact that an Eastern manufacturing firm has created a demand 

 for American ramie is encoui'aging. A perfectly satisfactory and 

 economical decorticator is only needed to put the industry on its 

 feet. The rejwrt closes with a short chaj^ter on jute. 



DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY. 



BULLETIN No. 26. 

 EeCORD or EXPERIMENTS I>' THE PRODUCTION OF SUGAR FROM SORGHUM 



IN 1889, H. W. lYiUEY (pp. 112). — The experiments on sorghum con- 

 ducted hy this Division during 1889 were divided into two classes: 

 (1) Culture experiments to imj^rove the sugar-producing qualities 

 of the cane. (2) Chemical control of the manufacture of sugar from 

 the cane. 



These were carried on, separately or together, at Cedar Falls, Iowa; 

 Rio Grande, N. J. ; ]Morrisville, Va. ; Kenner, La. ; College Station, 

 Md. ; and Conwaj^ Springs, Attica, Medicine Lodge, Ness City, Lib- 

 eral, Arkalon, Meade, Minneola. and Sterling, Kans. The experience 

 of two seasons has shown that manufacturing and culture experi- 

 ments should be carried on separately to insure the best results. The 

 report includes a summary of the work of the season of 1889 and of 

 the conclusions therefrom, by the chief of the Division; the report 

 .of the special agent, ^y. ^y. Cook, who visited various factories and 

 cane groAvers in Kansas and collated information regarding the cost 

 of buildings and x^lant, amount paid for cane, amount of sugar and 

 sirup manufactured, and other details: and abstracts from the re- 

 ports of officers having the work in charge at the various places where 

 experiments were made. The results of manufacturing were, in gen- 

 eral, unsuccessful. Among the causes of failure were the poor quality 

 of the cane, lack of water, certain difficulties inseparable from the 

 use, of the new buildings and machinery, and the inexperience of the 

 emplo^^es. It also does not seem as yet to be understood that only 

 v,dth large capital and the most approved machinery and methods is 

 there an}' reasonable hope of financial success in making sugar from 

 sorghum cane. 



Among the conclusions reached from the culture experiments are 

 the folloAving: 



(1) AVhen the proper amount of moisture is furnished, the sugar 

 content will depend on the total quantity of sunlight received by the 

 plant. 



(2) Sorghum as a sugar-producing crop can be grown successfully 

 in this country only south of the mean isotherm of 70° F. for the sum- 

 mer months and where the moisture is not excessive. The most 



