SORGHUM AS A SOURCE OF SUGAR. 633 



The spirit of scientific investigation which has led the Department of Agri- 

 culture through its chemical and agronomic researches to results of such impor- 

 tance toward developing a new industry of national value has been liberally fos- 

 tered by the General Government, and to some extent also by certain of the 

 States. The fruits of this policy are already beginning to show themselves in 

 the decided success which has attended the production of sugar from sorghum 

 on a commercial scale in the few cases in which the rules of good practice, 

 evolved especially by the researches made at the laboratory of the Department 

 of Agriculture, have been intelligently followed. Sufficiently full returns from 

 the crop of 1882 have already come to hand to convince us that the industry is 

 probably destined to be a commercial success. 



The opinions of men so conservative as are the members of this 

 committee can not be lightly set aside or ridiculed as visionary. That 

 their predictions have, in a measure, been realized, will appear from 

 the returns from the crop of 1883. From a recent work upon sorghum, 

 by Professor Peter Collier, we extract the following : 



Sorghum- Sugar produced in 1883. 



According to the statement of the President of the Mississippi Yalley Cane- 

 Growers' Association, there were produced at the Champaign (Ilhnois) Sorghum- 

 Sugar Works, from 145 acres, 1,435 tons of cane ; and from 2,400 tons of cane 

 there were obtained 160,000 pounds of sugar and 40,000 gallons of molasses. 



The season is described as being the most unfavorable for thirty years. 



At Hutchinson, Kansas, some 200,000 pounds of sugar, besides a large quan- 

 tity of molasses. 



At Sterling, Kansas, some 200,000 pounds of sugar, besides the molasses. 



At Dundee, Kansas, 10,000 pounds of sugar, though their product was mainly 

 sirup, of which 50,000 gallons were made. 



At Kinsley, Kansas, 10,000 pounds of sugar, and a large quantity of sirup. 



At Lawrence, Kansas, some 10,000 pounds of sugar. 



At Eio Grande, New Jersey, 282,711 pounds of sugar and 55,000 gallons of 

 molasses — a large portion of their cane faihng to ripen, owing to the unusual 

 season. 



The Secretary of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture reports the follow- 

 ing summary of the year 1883 for Kansas: 



Acres planted in soi^hum 102,042 



Acres manufactured into sirup 48,271 



Acres planted for forage 53,771 



Tons of cane manufactured 447,859 



Gallons of sirup made 4,684,023 



Value of sirup made $2,058,127 60 



The entire number of counties reporting was eighty-one, and of these— 



32 grew from 50 to 500 acres. 

 20 " 500 to 1,000 " 



10 " 1,000 to 2,000 " 



10 " 2,000 to 3,000 " 



5 " 3,000 to 4,000 " 



4 " 4,000 to 8,000 " 



