158 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



ferred to Stoplionson County in 1870 ; and one in Fond da Lac County, 

 Wisconsin, in 18G7. Thii superintendent of tbe last-named enterprise 

 was Mr. A. Otto, who had bad experience in the manufacture of beet- 

 sngar in Germany. In the spring of 1870, he, with tbe beet-sugar inter- 

 ests which he superintended, removed to Alameda County, California, 

 and became a constituent part of the Alvarado Beet-Sugar Company, 

 Mr. Otto being the superintendent. He was subsequently transferred 

 to the superintendency of the beet-sugar works now in successful oper- 

 ation at Soquel, Santa Cruz County. 



The State Agricultural Society of California reported, in 1874, that the 

 production of beet-sugar in the State amounted, in 1870, to 500,000 

 pounds; in 1871, to 800,000; in 1872, to 1,125,000; 1873, to 1,500,000. 



The product of beets reported for 1873 was 10,073 tons. Contracts for 

 1877 have been made for beets at $4 per ton. 



A beet-sugar enterprise was conducted for several years in Sacramento, 

 California, but its apparent success has not established the manufactory 

 as a permanency. Its machinery, costing in Germany $160,000, is for 

 sale, it is reported, at $45,000, and will probably be set up at some other 

 point in California. 



SOEGHUM. 



The value of sorghum is scarcely realized by the general public. It 

 has fluctuated in production, and the expectations of some concerning 

 sugar from it have not been met ; still it is increasing in area in many 

 of the States, while decreasing in others. In a State not in existence 

 w^hen sorghum was introduced into this country, Kansas, the production 

 of sirup has attained a volume equal to one-third of the entire yield 

 reported by the census of 1800. 



From small beginnings, with various local fluctuations, but with a 

 steady advance in the knowledge of its culture, soil required, and best 

 processes of manufacturing, its culture has extended over large portions 

 of the country and become one of our important industries. The aggre- 

 gate of sirup reported from the census of 1860 was 0,749,123 gallons. 

 The first State in production was Iowa. It reported 1,211,512 gallons. 



2,023,427 ; Illinois, 1,060,473 ; followed in the order of decrease by Ken- 

 tucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Iowa, and West Virginia. Iowa, the first 

 in production in 1850, but the seventh in 1860, returned 1,218,636 gal- 

 lons, an advance only of 7,124. Jtut the State census of 1867 gives for 

 1865 an area of 21,4o2 acres, producing 1,436,605 gallons; and for 1867, 

 25,796 acres, producing 2,094,557 gallons. The State census for 1875 

 gives, for 1874, 15,768 acres, yielding 1,386,908 gallons. 



The definite statistics for the State of Ohio, annvuilly published since 

 1861, afford a fair illustration of the gradual advance in production up 

 to about 1866 and the subsequent gradual decline tlirouglioui: the sec- 

 tion between the Ohio and the Missouri, and including the State of 

 Missouri. The production in Ohio for the years named was as follows : 



Years. 



18G-2 



186a 



18G4 



1865 



ItliO 



1807 



1868 



Acres. 



30, 87-2 

 31, 255 

 29, 392 

 37, 042 

 43, 101 

 17, 804 

 25,257 



Sugar. 



Pounds. 

 27, 48C 

 27, 359 

 41, 600 

 56, 066 

 102, 313 

 20, 034 

 28,668 



Sirup. 



Gallong. 

 2, 690, 159 

 2, 347, 578 

 2, 609, 728 

 4, 003, 754 

 4, 629, 570 

 1, 255, 807 

 2, 004, 055 



Years. 



1869 

 1870 

 1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 



Sirup. 



Gallons. 



1,683,042 



2, 187, 673 



1, 817, 042 



968, 130 



692, 314 



941,510 



928, 106 



