14 



development, as nothing but time can produce men of the requisite ex- 

 perience. The establishment of a school for training young men in this 

 work would be of inestimable value. Here they should receive thorough 

 technical training, which should be supplemented with a drill in the 

 factories while they are in operation. This would in a short time de- 

 velop a number of men capable not only of taking charge of a factory, 

 but also qualified to conduct independent research, which, in so fruit- 

 ful a field, could not but result in great good to the industry. 



The improvement of the sorghum cane is also one of the subjects 

 which should receive immediate attention. 



Although very little has been attempted in this line, enough has been 

 done to show that the cane sugar is greatly increased by good culture, 

 and that it is susceptible of very great improvement by the various 

 methods known to scientific agriculture there can be no doubt. The 

 idea that sorghum cane will grow anywhere and do well with any kind 

 of treatment is one of the main causes of poor cane. Instead of re- 

 ceiving thorough culture, it generally gets only such attention as can be 

 spared from the other crops. If the price paid for cane could be reg- 

 ulated by the actual amount of sugar it contained, the farmer would 

 soon find it to his advantage to devote more time to his cane field. 



The establishmeu t of a sugar refinery within easy reach of the sorghum- 

 sugar factories will be one of the imperative needs an the near future. 

 The demand for any kind of sugar but wbite granulated is compara- 

 tively limited. The sugar produced at Fort Scott averaged within 2J 

 per cent, of being as pure as the best granulated, while the selling price 

 has been about 1 J cents per pound less, or a difference of about 25 per 

 cent. The most feasible manner of conducting the refinery, at least in 

 the near future, will be to supply one or more factories with the addi- 

 tional appliances needed, and when the season's work is over the sugar 

 from a number of factories could be refined there during the balance of 

 the year. 



Before closing this report I wish to extend my thanks to Mr. W. !/ 

 Parkinson, manager of the Parkinson Sugar Company, for his hearty 

 co-operation. The successful handling, cutting, and cleaning the cane 

 were due to the results of his thought and labor. 



I also desire to express my appreciation of the faithful and valuable 

 services rendered by my assistants, Messrs. J. (J. Hart and J. N. Wil- 

 cox; and my thanks are due Dr. C. A. Crampton and Mr. K. J. Fake, 

 chemists of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, for aid and courtesies 

 extended. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



In reviewing the work the most important point suggested is the 

 complete success of the experiments in demonstrating the commercial 

 practicality of manufacturing sugar from sorghum cane. 



(2) That sugar was produced uniformly throughout the entire season. 



