GRASSES FOR MISCELLANEOUS PURPOSES 73 
states that in 1909 Louisiana produced 4,941,996 tons of 
sugar-cane, which was an increase of 57 per cent over 
that produced in 1899. 
Sugar is contained in the juice of the cane, this being 
extracted from the stalks by crushing between rollers. 
The juice is neutralized with lime, boiled and clarified, 
and concentrated in vacuum pans. The sugar separates 
in crystals. The remaining liquid is called molasses. Rum 
is made by distilling fermented molasses. The sugar-cane 
often flowers abundantly in the tropics, but rarely produces 
seed. It is propagated by cuttings of the stem. 
97. Sorgho, or sorghum.—As indicated in Par. 57 
there are several varieties of sorghum, some of which, the 
saccharine sorghums, have a sweet juice containing enough 
cane-sugar to make the extraction a commercial possibility. 
In the region from Kansas to North Carolina a small 
amount of sorghum is grown for the production of sugar, 
most of which appears on the market in the form of syrup. | 
The total amount of sorghum syrup produced in the United 
States in 1909 was 16,532,282 gallons.* The five leading 
states were Kentucky, 2,733,683; Tennessee, 2,076,339; 
Missouri, 1,788,391; Arkansas, 1,140,532; North Carolina, 
1,099,346. 
TEXTILE GRASSES 
98. The most important textile grass is esparto, the 
fiber of which is used for paper and cordage. It is grown 
chiefly in Spain and North Africa. In Algiers the grass is 
called alfa. Annually there are imported into England 
over 200,000 tons of esparto te be used for the manufacture 
of paper. Two species of grasses furnish the esparto of 
commerce—Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum sparteum. 
*13th Census, 
