134 ANNUAL BEPOBT 



in the manufacture of sugar, which required expensive machinery. 

 The only way for the farmer to get pure syrup in Minnesota was ta 

 grow it on his own farm, take the cane to his neighbor's mill, and sit 

 on the barrel till it was manufactured into syrup, for if left out of 

 sight a single hour the barrel might be filled with glucose, since that 

 article could be furnished at about one-fourth the cost of pure syrup 

 from the cane. Here was the principal cause for a decline in the 

 Amber cane industry in Minnesota for the past three or four years. 

 Those most deeply interested in the business had been turning their 

 attention to the manufacture of sugar. There was no question about 

 our ability to make sugar, as it had been done by two persons in the 

 room, who had made a success of its manufacture in a commercial 

 way; but it was not worth while for farmers generally to undertake 

 to raise their own sugar till they had succeeded in producing all the 

 syrup that was needed. Half a dozen farmers could club together and 

 grow Amber cane in sufficient quantities to make the manufacture of 

 molasses profitable. 



Mr. J. F. Porter of Red Wing was called upon to report as to hia 

 success with Amber cane. He said he had but few remarks to make on. 

 the subject. He had made about 4,000 gallons of syrup the past sea- 

 son, of which amount about four hundred gallons was of his own 

 raising. He had made no effort to manufacture sugar. 



Mr. Kenney was called upon for a report and a paper. 



AMBER CANE INDUSTRY. 

 By Seth H Kenney of Morristown. 



Gentlemen of the Minnesota Amber Cane Association: 



I have to state that some little time ago I received from an editor in 

 the East, through Prof. Porter, a request for a statement of this year's 

 work on Amber cane. Although I was a good deal hurried at the 

 time, I sat down and wrote a brief statement. A.s I had been pressed 

 for time I requested the report to be returned to me, and here it is: 



Morristown, Rice Co., Minn., Dec, 1, 1887. 



Dear Sir: — Prof. E. D. Porter, of the State University, has sent 

 me your letter which is full of practical questions, requiring, to be cor- 

 rect in answers, a first-class chemist, however I will give you some 

 facts, using your questions as a basis for replies. 



First — As to sorghum sugar. It has not been produced at a practi- 

 cal profit till the fall of 1885. This has been brought about by the in- 



