L56 ANNUAL HEPORT. 



cane. He has made money every year; 1883 was not as profitable 

 as some years, but still he made a j^rotit that year. His crop of 

 last year I presume is the most profitable he has ever grown, and 

 I may say that he is very enthusiastic. 



Now, it seems to me, here is one great disadvantage that the am- 

 ber cane industry is laboring under. Here is where this asso- 

 ciation needs to put in some work. Too many men are growing 

 amber cane and manufacturing it into a very inferior grade of 

 syrup. People who buy that low grade of syrup become preju- 

 diced, from the fact that they only know of it in this crude, 

 green, raw state. Now, then, if you can educate every man that 

 is making amber cane syrup to make such syrup as Mr. Kenney 

 and these other men here are making, then the increased demand 

 for it will more than equal any quantity that you can produce. 

 That is my judgment and that is Mr. Kenney' s. 



Prof. Henry. The gentleman's last thought I would like to 

 enlarge upon for one moment. In our State we published the 

 results of our work in pamphlet form, and published 5,000 

 copies. The second year we published 6,000. Farmers wrote 

 for those reports; we sent them into your State to a slight ex- 

 tent. I had one letter from the rear admiral of the British navy 

 at the Sandwich Islands, asking for a copj^ We printed direc- 

 tions for defecating. We had a great deal of fighting to do. 

 One man says: ''I don't intend to adulterate my syrup by put- 

 ting lime into it." One may ask what per cent of those mak- 

 ing syrup were defecating. In 1881 not more than one per cent 

 used lime. In 1882 the number increased. I think now that 

 seventy-five per cent of the smaller manufacturers have begun 

 the use of lime. Now, it seems to me that if your society is go- 

 ing to get out a report, that some simple directions that Prof. 

 Porter or Mr. Kenney could give, which could be placed in your 

 report, would be of great value. If you could assist the smaller 

 manufacturers you should do so, and the main point to be secured 

 is to drive out the jjoorer quality of goods, and if you make a 

 move in that direction your society can do a world of good in the 

 immediate future. 



Mr. Smith. Have you ever made any experiments by satu- 

 rating your lime M'ith sulphuric acid? 



Prof. Henry. No, sir; I have not. 



Mr. Smith. Have you, Prof. Porter"? 



Prof. Porter. I have not. It promises good results. I don't 

 see anything against it. It bleaches the syrup. 



