STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 151 



Now, we have been ever grateful for that, and we have always 

 looked up in this direction for help and consolation, for we have 

 needed it sometimes. We started some experiments on the ex- 

 perimental farm. We have had a vacuum pan and an experi- 

 mental sugar house, and for two seasons we have made syrup 

 and sugar. Tlie second year we attempted to make sugar eco- 

 nomically, in a small way; that is, we wanted to see what we 

 could make sugar for, and we have kept an account of all our 

 expenses. In doing that, we found, not charging anything for 

 our outfit, simply counting the prices we paid for fuel, for grow- 

 ing and getting the sugar ready for market, but not barreled, it 

 cost us four and one-half cents a pound. The sugar would not be 

 worth hardly that to-day, but at that time there would be a fair 

 profit left. At that time I was careful to gather up the statistics 

 of our State in regard to the manufacture of syrup; for while 

 some have talked about sugar, I thought I would rather talk 

 about syrup; we must get our bread and ]>utter to-day from our 

 syrups. I found that we were manufacturing about 600,000 gal- 

 lons of syrup, in that neighborhood. I sent circulars all over 

 the State and gathered up the information. In 1882 there were 

 about 700,000 gallons produced in the State. Last year there 

 was nearly an entire failure. 



It may be asked what we have done this past year in Wiscon- 

 sin. The failure of the preceding year of course put us back 

 somewhat; yet we started in and have done magnificently both 

 for the amount and the quality of the article manufactured. 



I was at Mr. Powell's, at Eiver Falls, last Saturday and he told 

 me that they had manufactured 11,000 gallons. I sampled the 

 syruj) at the farmer's houses and it was simply number one. I 

 cannot imagine how it could be superior unless it was run through 

 bone charcoal to clarify it. The color was not as fine as some of 

 your samples, but the flavor was number one. 



We have one company maiiufacturing more than that. Wil- 

 liams & Flynn bought up a lot of land along the Wisconsin Eiver, 

 a very poor quality of land, which was considered as absolutely 

 worthless and which cost them about twenty-five cents to a dollar 

 and a quarter an acre, and which had reverted for taxes. They 

 put up large cane works and they planted on the fresh sod, but 

 the frost took them the first year. This year they continued their 

 efforts and they have made 17,000 gallons of syruj). Next year 

 I am confident they will largely increase that amount. 



Now you can see why we can afford to help them in the begin- 



