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- \ REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. Magic 
‘The products give market values as follows: 
"750 pounds sugar, abasam, BS GaMtSt. Cs so ele kee Bate tag ghee he cami ie CRT: 
1,000 pounds molasses, at, say, 1} cents*........ So CER Cr toh: VEO 
Bee Te IO Ub SHY AORN oo See woe tis ee ce eS bg My eet ae oo 4,50 
Total value of sorghum, TESS: TOWER AT SoM s Roe Ae OE ce Sy et 59.50 
‘ine corn crop gives 1.680 pounds, at't cent. . 2 2.5.26 ose de cele eee. 7.40 
The wheat crop gives 900 pounds; at 1 Cent... 2. oo ek cc dd c ccc n cee ccs 9.00 
Thus it will be seen that the sorghum yields to the farmer more 
than twice as much per acre as either of the leading cereals, and as 
a gross product of agriculture and manufacture on our own soil more 
than six times as much per acre as is usually realized from either of 
these standard crops. e 
LENGTH OF THE SEASON FOR WORKING SORGHUM. 
The season for harvesting sorghum is limited to the months during 
whichit may be worked. At present this dates in our southern coun- 
ties from about the last of July to the middle or last of October, if a 
proper selection of varieties of cane has:'been made. Without doubt 
this season may and will be lengthened. On this point I can do no 
better than quote from my report to this Department in 1884: 
As shown by the reports of the sugar factories of Kansas for the last two years, 
the working season is confined almost exclusively tothe months of September and 
October. When the great cost of sugar-works, the expense of keeping them in re- 
_ pair, and the salaries of the specialists are considered the importance of lengthen- 
ing the working season becomes painfully apparent. That a $100,000 factory should 
hie idle for ten months every year implies that it must be run at an enormous profit 
during the two months or fail to pay interest on the investment. 
_ Several plans have been proposed for extending the time during which the works 
mayrun. Oneof theseis the development of earlier varieties of cane by systematic 
selection of seed, cultivation, and breeding. Theresearches of modern physiclogical 
botanists give reason to hope for good results in this direction. 
Another plan proposed is to reduce the juice toa semi-sirup in small auxiliary fac- 
tories, store the semi-sirup, and make it into sugar during thé winter months. This 
has much to commend it. 
CENTRAL AND AUXILIARY FACTORIES—SIZE OF FACTORIES, 
The complete sugar factory is an expensive establishment, and while 
most of the work of operating it can be performed by laboring men 
of ordinary intelligence, there will be required in each of such facto- 
ries, whether large or small, at least two men whose attainments will 
command liberal compensation. These are the chemist, or the super- 
intendent, with a cheaper chemist for an assistant, and the sugar- 
boiler. Good business management is of course also necessary to 
success. The chemist and the sugar-boiler can preside over a large as 
well as over a small factory. Moreover, many of the labors of the 
factory can be performed with no fewer men ina small than ina large 
factory. It will therefore be cheaper to work a given amount of cane 
and to turn out a given amount of product in jJarge than in small 
factories. The limit, however, beyond which experience so far does 
not warrant manufacturers to go is believed to be at a capacity of 
about 270 tons of cleaned cane per day. 
‘ 
- *The sugar sold this year at 52 cents per pound, the molasses at 20 cents per gal- 
Jon, and the seed at —— per bushel of 56 pounds. The seed is of about equal value 
with corn for feeding stock. 
AG 8? 16 
