196 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



feet success, rendering the stalks in a hay-like form. He had tested the 

 sorgho juice, and found it to mark as high as 10| degrees Beaume, which 

 was richer than an average of the Louisiana cane. There was neither a 

 difficulty in making sugar from it, nor of getting a paying quantity per 

 acre. The best qualities of loaf sugar can be made directly from the cane. 

 All sorgho sugars have a finer flavor than cane sugar. This flavor is 

 entirely sui generis. He did not believe that large refineries would be 

 established for working up the crops of small farmers, because the sugar 

 niakins season is too short to warrant the necessary expenditure of capital, 

 $100,000 being the minimum cost of a large sugar refinery. It would also 

 be impracticable to maintain a large force of skilled sugar makers through- 

 out the entire year, for the sake of using them for the few weeks in the fall 

 when sugar could be made. But thousands and thousands of small farmers 

 could profitably make the sugar needed for their families, and this would 

 be done. By Kneller's " blast process" it was within the reach of small 

 farmers to become sugar makers. A set of small pans, with leaf filter and 

 all apparatus complete (except the mill), could be set up for about $100.- 



The vinegar made from sorgho would prove a great source of profit. 

 There are concerns in this city making several thousand gallons of vinegar 

 per day. He proceeded to describe the process of vinegar making at pre- 

 sent in vogue. 



He thought it would be necessary to concentrate the juice into a weak 

 molasses before making vinegar, as this would give it any desired strength, 

 The sorgho vinegar would be equal in quality to best cider vinegar. 



As to rum, that from sorgho will be as much better than Santa Cruz 

 rum, as the latter excels new England " thunder and lightning." It might 

 not be pleasing to the friends of temperance that this plant should be cul- 

 tivated for that purpose, but so long as people will drink alcoholic liquors, 

 we may as well give them unadulterated. 



Subjects for next Tuesday, by Prof. Mapes, " Root Feeding." " What 

 principle is involved in the disintegration of soils and the various imple- 

 ments for doing it." 



By Mr. Olcott, " The management of agricultural fairs." 



The Club adjourned. H. MEIGS, Secretary, 



December 2S, 185S. 



Present — Messrs. Professor Mapes, Lawton, Bruce, Chambers, Leon- 

 ard, Chilson, Pike, Doughty, Witt, Pardee, Johnson, and others — thirty- 

 seven members. 



William Lawton, of New Rochelle, in the chair. Henry Meigs, Secre- 

 tary. 



The Secretary read the following papers and translations made by him, 

 viz: 



