u 



has a practical knowledge, and is qualified to instruct operators of the auxil- 

 iary works how to make the semi-syrup and leave it in proper condition for 

 the central works. 



Suitable buildings and machinery to work up 500 acres of cane, and rework 

 the semi-gyrup made by the auxiliary works, from 3 500 acres, into sugars 

 and syrups, taking eight months in the year, would cost fl!25,0C0, all fitted up 

 ready for business. 



It is not practicable to haul the cane more than three miles to mill, and ta 

 obtain a sufficient amount of raw syrups for a central works of such a char- 

 acter requires many auxiliary works, large and small, operated by steam or 

 open fire train (steam being the cheapest and best, and destroys less sucrose, 

 is preferable), to make the semi-syrup, which an intelligent and careful ope- 

 rator can do successfully by working under instructions from a competent 

 manager of a central works. 



To fit up a steam train so all the machinery will be properly proportioned, 

 to insure the least expense in manufacturing, and produce an acceptable ar- 

 ticle, requires the aid of some one who has sufficient practical knowledge to 

 determine, when informed of the number of acres designed to be worked, the 

 size of mill required, the amount of steam-generating power required, beyond 

 the motive power, to evaporate the amount of juice expressed by the mill 

 in less than an hour, and the number of square feet of heating surface it takes, 

 ■with a given quantity of steam under a certain pressure, to evaporate the 

 juice of a minimum strength down to semi-syrup, in the required time to 

 produce the best results. 



The lack of knowledge on these very essential points has been the means 

 of causing some losses and discouragements to the owners of the works, and 

 the growers of the cane also. 



In conclusion, I beg leave to say in behalf of many farmers who have 

 raised the cane, and many more who desire to do so, that I have conversed 

 with on this subject in many diff'erent parts of our state, that they hope our re- 

 presentatives at Madison will realize what great interest it will be to the iarmers 

 and to the wealth of the state for ihem to make a special appropriation suf- 

 ficent to enable you and your very able assistant, jMr; Swenson, the depart- 

 ment chemist, to continue the valuable experiments you have commenced 

 and that have produced such splendid results, as to justify the belief that this 

 new and valuable crop will be extensively raised by the farmers of this state 

 in the near future. 



They feel they have a right to ask for an appropriation for their agri- 

 cultural department to make intelligent and systematic experiments (which 

 the farmers are unable to do), to determine for them the best soils, fertilizers, 

 etc., to use in developing fortbemacrop that gives such good promise of 

 being of so great a value to them and the whole state. They also feel that they 

 are behind the times in this matter, as other states have realized the impor- 

 tance of this crop to such an extent that they not only pay a premium on 

 every pound of sugar that is made from the native cane raised in the state, 



