6 MANUFACTURE OF TABLE SIRUPS FROM SUCIAR CANE. 



market is the fact that our grocery stores are stocked with artificial 

 sirups; that is, those made of mixtures of various kinds in Avhich glu- 

 cose is one of the essential ingredients. There should, be no restric- 

 tion of the legitimate trade in mixed articles of wholesome food, but 

 when they are sold under names which are misleading, an injury of a 

 serious character is done to products which are truly representative 

 in name and character. There can be no valid objection to the sale 

 of mixed table sirups of any kind, provided they contain no injui'ious 

 ingi-edient, but theii- sale as maple, sugar-cane, or sorghum sirup 

 manifestly works an injury to a legitimate trade in the genuine 

 articles. 



Cliiefly tlirough the representations of Capt. D. G. I*urse, president 

 of the Savannah Board of Trade, the U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 has become intere.sted. in tlie develoimient of the table-sirup industry in 

 the Soutli. In Noveml)er, 1901, the wi-iter made a visit to some of the 

 principal centers of this industry to study the conditions existing and 

 to confer with manufacturers in regard to the im^jrovements and tlie 

 investigations which the Department of Agriculture might undertake 

 to the advantage not only of tlie pi-oducers but of the consumers of 

 this important product as well. Starting from Savannah on Novem- 

 ber 18, visits were made to various points on the Central Railroad 

 of Georgia. Tlie morning was cold and frosty, and the cane Avhich 

 had been exposed was found frozen. Icicles Avere noticed in many 

 localities. The excursion was conducted by the land and industrial 

 agent of the Georgia Central Railroad. 



'J'he first visit was made to the steam factory of Mr. J. G. Wells, of 

 Guj^ton, which was found well equipped and conveniently arranged 

 for economy in handling thc^ raw material and the finished product. 

 The character of the cane grown by Mr. Wells is shown in PI. I, fig. 1, 

 representing one of tlie fields near the factory. The arrangement of 

 the ev^aporating apjiaratus, which was a self-skimmer, is shown in PI. 

 I, fig. 2. 



The ingenious arrangement of this skimming appliance secured a 

 very pure and bright finished article, and at the same time the scums 

 were i-emoved without an^^ notable loss of sirup. A general view of 

 the factory, from which can be seen the neatness and strength of the 

 structure, is shown in PL II, fig. 1. 



The next locality visited was the factory of Mr. E. E. Foy, at 

 Egypt. A general view of Mr. Foy's factory is given in 1*1. II, fig. 2. 

 Mr. Foy makes a specialty of feeding the skimmings and other 

 waste j)roducts to pigs. The arrangement of his pigpens is shown 

 in PI. Ill, fig. 1. The well-known fattening properties of skimmings 

 was illustrated in a striking manner l)y the sleek and rot und condi- 

 tion of the pigs being fed. 



The next factory visited was that of Capt. Thomas J. James, of 

 Adrian. Captain James had one of the most extensive cane fields 



