70 



labor and an increase of 20 per cent, of fuel, making the value per ton 

 of cane worked over cost of production 1.62 cents, or $243 per day. 



For working a 200-ton plant, costing perhaps 20 per cent, additional 

 above this one, labor and incidentals increased 10 per cent, and fuel 25 

 per cent., would show value of product over cost of production of 3.00 

 cents per ton, or $720 per day. These yields are based upon results of 

 this season's work, GO pounds of sugar and 1GJ gallons of molasses from 

 each ton, which certainly is 20 per cent, less than may reasonably be 

 expected by the use of good water. 



The average quality of sugar as placed upon the market from these 

 works was equal to the best in purity, but stained slightly by contact 

 with black molasses. It has a hard, firm, medium sized, well-cut grain, 

 was dried thoroughly, and unlike all fine grained sorghum sugars here- 

 tofore produced does not cake or become hard in the barrel. It stands 

 next to granulated in price and sweetening power, the jobber selling at 

 6J cents per pound more of this sugar than all yellow sugars combined. 

 Confectioners appreciate its sweetening power. The molasses was very 

 dark in color, sharp and bitter to the taste, classed but little better 

 than black-strap; with pure water the quality would be improved and 

 the selling price increased to 18 or 20 cents per gallon. 



Unless some means are devised for removing a larger per cent, of the 

 impurities in the juice or a less quantity of sugar is secured, enabling 

 the production of a molasses suitable for table use, the near future will 

 see enormous quantities of molasses produced fit only for mixing pur- 

 poses, for which the demand is necessarily limited. 



A plant working 200 tons per day will produce annually 250,000 gal- 

 lons of molasses, and unless suitable for table use it must be used for 

 fattening hogs and cattle or converted into alcohol. 



The Department of Agriculture, under the direction of Dr. H. W. 

 Wiley, who first advocated and practically applied the process of diffu- 

 sion to the manufacture of sugar from sorghum, has made it possible to 

 secure practically all the sugar in the juice, this being the first and 

 greatest step toward the establishment of the industry; the next great- 

 est and scarcely less important step still awaits a solution. I refer to 

 the clarification of sorghum juices. The methods now employed for 

 this purpose are borrowed from the sugar-cane work of Louisiana, being 

 merely, the addition of lime and removing what scums appear on the 

 surface. 



Analysis shows the amount of sugar in each ton of cane, averaging 

 the whole season, to be 249 pounds ; the glucose would hold in solution 

 06 pounds, leaving 183 pounds available, did not other solids, as gums, 

 starch, coloring matter, etc., also restrain J times their equal of sugar 

 from graining until a possible yield of 100 pounds or less from each ton 

 of cane is our best work. Must we stop here and permit the loss of 

 one-half or more of the sugar found in the cane ? The task is not an 

 easy one as the many know who have considered it even briefly, but its 

 importance and necessity demand that we sit not idly by. 



