STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 165 



and when they examine a piece of cane they will know some- 

 thing about how much sugar there is in it. The boy educated 

 in our schools should be able to tell about these things. It is 

 such information as this that is going to be utilized, and in due 

 time the business of making sugar will be a successful industry 

 in the State of Minnesota. 



A delegate inquired as to the difference in the cost of making 

 by the different processes described. 



Capt. Blakeley. I think Mr. Kenuey will make more money 

 by the process that he uses than Mr. Whipple will by his pro- 

 cess. The cost of refining is not very great, and is not over a 

 quarter of a cent a gallon. That does not amount to anything, 

 really. The knowledge consists mainly in knowing just when you 

 have to put the lime in and when you have enough of it in; you 

 may spoil it by overdoing. It is the practice of a little skill 

 which is required. 



Gen. Le Due. The process is very simple with the use of lit- 

 mus paper. 



Mr. Whipple. Mr. Kenney got about eight cents more a gal- 

 lon than I did. I make my syrup and sell it. Mr. Kenney was 

 an old schoolmate of mine. He used to get seventy cents for 

 his syrup while I got fifty-five cents for mine; but I think this 

 winter our sales are just about equal. We have had a good deal 

 of demand for the crude syrup. I may say this, that these syrups 

 will keep the year around, and I have never had any trouble. 

 There are people who have handled other syrups and have had 

 trouble with them. A syrup can be made a good deal cheaper 

 and sold for less money, but after they have had one or two bar- 

 rels burst in their cellars, they usually conclude they don't want 

 any more. I am satisfied that some of our wholesale dealers are 

 using the amber cane syrup and putting it into their "golden 

 drips." I made this year about 2,000 gallons of syrup in twenty- 

 six days, counting my time for stopping, cleaning pans, and 

 everything, with three men and a span of horses, and drew 

 most of the cane from the field during the time with the same 

 team. 



Mr. Smith. The expense would be about five cents per gal- 

 lon. 



President Smith. I bought some syrup from the Faribault 

 refinery and have some of it on hand now, and it is as good as 

 when I bought it. 



Mr. Smith. The syrup usually has sugar in the bottom after 

 it stands for a while. 



