72 



A slight frost occurred October 25, and a heavier one November 4, doing no damage. 

 A freeze occurred November 9, and again on the llth. 



The unfortunate burning of the boilers November 4, when machinery was working 

 well, with cane in its best condition, and the prospect good for working the whole 

 crop, is indeed to be regretted. 



The farmers are to be congratulated on their readiness to grow cane, disposition to 

 aid the enterprise by taking stock, paying therefor in cane, and their success in pro- 

 ducing a crop of cane never before equaled in its sugar-making properties. 



A very remarkable fact developed by the factory work was the canes' unusually 

 high content of sugar and its disposition to not only maintain but increase its sugar 

 content, at the same time decreasing its invert sugar. The fact that this cane had 

 matured its seed nearly two months previous, some having been frozen and thawed 

 twice by November 12, date of last analysis, indicates that this section, by its high 

 elevation, dry atmosphere, absence of early frosts, and peculiar soil, has, so far as my 

 knowledge extends, advantages not possessed by other localities. 



The last analysis of field cane was made November 12, 13.85 sucrose and 1.01 glu- 

 cose. August 15 cane was in condition for making sugar, and remained so until 

 November 15, providing a three months' working season, nearly one month longer 

 than at Fort Scott. Sixty-three analyses of cane chips, fully representative of the 

 crop and the season, averaged 12.45 per cent, of sucrose (true sugar), and 2.37 per 

 cent, of glucose (reducing sugars.) The average of fifty-three analyses taken at Fort 

 Scott last season was 9. 54 sucrose, and 3.40 glucose. Admitting these juices contained 

 no other solids not sugar, except the glucose (which is not true), yet granting an 

 equal per cent., the cane grown here has 182.8 pounds available sugar per ton, against 

 95.6 pounds at Fort Scott. 



As further evidence of the phenomenal conditions prevailing here I would call your 

 attention to the averages of analyses from which the above was taken : 



Note the increase of sucrose and the corresponding decrease of glucose. Such rela- 

 tions of the two sugars in sorghum, existing for a period of two months, are without 

 precedent in the whole history of the industry, and suggest that possibly the area over 

 which this business may be conducted with the greatest success is not limitless, as 

 some suppose. 



The cane worked produced about 6, 000 bushels of seed ; 2,163 tons of cleaned cane 

 were worked for molasses, producing 36,000 gallons, or 16,6 gallons per ton, in addi- 

 tion to the sugar ; 1,673 tons of cleaned cane were worked for cugar, producing 100,000 

 pounds, or 60 pounds per ton ; 240 tons were lost in the fans, 3 ; not drawn from bat- 

 tery, 117 ; soured in battery, '20 ; soured semi sirup, 40 ; left as semi-sirup when work 

 ended, 60. 



A supply of water sufficient for the water-works also was obtained at considerable 

 cost. 



The well furnishing the supply being 15 inches in diameter and 50 feet deep through 

 a substance known as keel, an 8-inch drill-hole was carried 15 feet below ; into this 

 was placed a 5-inch suction-pipe. 



The maximum supply of water was equal to the discharge, under slight pressure, of 

 a 3-inch pipe, inadequate for factory work; 500 feet distant was formed a pond from 

 which a 3-inch discharge pump supplied the boilers, diffusion battery, and double 



