50 



In the spring of 1881, Mr. H. went into Cape May county, New Jersey, and 

 induced a number of farmers to put in sorghum as a farni crop, and entered 

 into contracts covering about sixty acres, to take the crop of cane, stripped 

 of its leaves and top, ut two dollars per ton of 2,000 pounds, delivered at any 

 point on the West Jersey railroad, he paying the freight to his factory. The 

 estimate made for the farmers was in substance as follows: 



Average tons cane per acre, ten, at $3 per ton $20 00 



State bounty, $1 per acre 10 00 



35 bushels seed, worth, at lowest estimate, 50 cents per bushel 17 50 



Total UT 50 



Thus giving to the farmer $47.50 per acre for his crop, and leaving him the 

 leaves, etc., to use for fodder. 



The ssason being one of unusual drought, the average, as nearly as I can 

 estimate, was only 8 tons to the acre; but the seed seemed to be but slightly 

 afiected in yield, and gave S}4 bushels to the ton, selling for 75 cents per 

 bushel of CO pounds. It is considered for feeding purposes fully equal'to 

 Indian corn. 



Having thus contracted for his cane, Mr. H. proceeded in the spring to 

 erect a factory at Rio Grande, a station on the W. J. R. R., about 6 miles from 

 Cape May. The factory was filled up with the usual machinery for making 

 sugar from the juice: steam evaporators, defecators, vacuum pan, ccutrifu- 

 gals, etc. A large mill for crushing the cane was placed on the first floor, 

 the whole being run by an engine of 200-horse power. The total cost was 

 $65,000. During the busy season the mill was run twenty hours a day, and 

 used 200 tons cane, turning out 15 000 pounds good merchantable sugar, 

 worth 8 cents per pound in Philadelphia. 



The state has paid a bounty on 1,500 tons cane to the present, distributed 

 among 50 farmers. Applications for bounty are coming in every week, and 

 doubtless many who raised small amounts will never apply. With regard to 

 the number of pounds of sugar made, although Mr. Hitgerth is entitled to a 

 bounty of one cent per pound, he declines filing a certificate certifying to 

 the amount; therefore when I say it was not far from 20,000 pounds it is only 

 an estimate. What the farmers of New Jersey think about the cultivation of 

 sorghum as a crop, may be judged from the following quotations from their 

 letters : 



" I threshed about 1,500 bushels of seed, the yield of cane being 6 to 8 tons 

 per acre; it will yield from 3 to S^o bushels to the ton, and is selling here 

 for 70 cents per bushel. It is superior to corn for fattening hogs and chick- 

 ens, and is a first class feed for cattle as it makes plenty of milk." 



" It is no more expensive to cultivate than corn ; the harvesting may cost 

 about 10 per cent, more." 



"My experience has led me to believe that it is a profitable crop, conse- 

 quently I am going to plant 200 acres the coming year." 



I have thus given briefly and in haste the points named in your letter, and 



