158 ANNUAL REPORT 



Mr. Hughes states that he has succeeded by this process, which 

 is larg<^ly his owu invention, in extracting ninety percent of the 

 sucrose in the cane. He has not reached perfection yet, but 

 hopes to get everything to work satisfactorily this year. 



Prof. Porter. I would suggest, after a few bills are paid, that 

 perhaps the best use we could make of the fifty dollars we have 

 in the treasury of this Association would be to authorize some- 

 one to prepare a pamphlet setting forth the benefits of the Amber 

 cane industry to the agriculturists of Minnesota, and scatter it 

 broadcast through the state to see if an interest can not be 

 aroused in this industry during the ensuing year. Can we make 

 a better use of the funds that are lying idle in our treasury 1 



Col. Stevens. I don't understand that the Amber cane indus- 

 try is confined to one or two growers in this state. My experi- 

 ence is, in traveling through the different parts of Minnesota, 

 that in many neighborhoods, and in some communities, some 

 portion of every farm they are raising patches of Amber cane, 

 and many farmers are making their own syrups. They make 

 enough for all saccharine purposes of the family; they do not 

 buy New Orleans molasses any more. It seems to me the better 

 way would be to make the attempt at least to have all the small 

 farmers take some interest in this industry and to plant at least 

 a half acre of cane for their own use, as many farmers are now 

 doing in McLeod, Carver, Le Sueur, and many other coun- 

 ties of this state. It is attended with very little expense. It 

 don't cost any more than to raise half an aCre of corn, and |75 

 will buy the little mill and pans to m inufacture with. It 

 don't require any $12,000 or $15,000 for the purpose. I think 

 there must be 75,000 or 80,000 gallons of syrup manufactured in 

 Minnesota every year. One year there was reported to be 127,- 

 000 gallons. I found on investigating this matter that I was 

 mistaken in supposing the industry was confined to the opera- 

 tions of Mr. Kenney, Mr. Porter, and two or three others. 



Capt. Blakeley. There has been a good deal of manufacturing 

 done in the state in a small way, which amounts to considerable 

 in the aggregate. 



Sorghum manufacturing commenced with the use of the Cook 

 evaporator and it is still in use by some of our people. As in 

 times past there are those who are making syrup in a small way 

 for themselves and their neighbors. It is being sold to some ex- 

 tent in the stores and small towns. But that is not exactly such 

 an industry as the people of the state ought to have. There are 



