25 



(2) The deterioration of the cane due to much of it becoming over-ripe, but chiefly 

 to the fact that much time would generally elapse after the canes were cut before 

 they reached the diffusion battery. The heavy frost which came the first of October 

 also injured the cane somewhat, but not until ten days or two weeks after it oc- 

 curred. 



(3) The deteriorated cane caused a considerable inversion of the sucrose in the bat- 

 tery, an inversion which was increased by the delay in furnishing chips, thus caus- 

 ing the chips in the battery to remain exposed under pressure for a much longer time 

 than was necessary. The mean time required for diffusing one cell was twenty-one 

 minutes, three times as long as it should have been. 



(4) The process of carbonatation, as employed, secured a maximum yield of sugar, 

 but failed to make a molasses which was marketable. This trouble arose from the 

 small Quantity of lime remaining in the filtered juices, causing a blackening of the 

 sirup on concentration, and the failure of the cleaning apparatus to properly pre- 

 pare the chips for diffusion. 



THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE DISCOURAGED. 



After the expenditure of so much money, and the publication of so 

 discouraging a report as that of 1886, the Commissioner-of Agriculture 

 declined to ask for further appropriations.* But Senator Plumb again 

 came to the rescue, and, by a faithful presentation of the possibilities 

 of the case, induced Congress to make an appropriation of $50,000, of 

 which $24,000 was apportioned to Louisiana, $6,000 to Rio Grande, IN". 

 J., and $20,000 to Fort Scott, Kans.t 



SUCCESS AT LAST. 



This year the Fort Scott management made careful selection of essen- 

 tial parts of the processes already used, omitted non-essential and cum- 

 brous processes, availed themselves of all the experience of the past in 

 this country, and secured a fresh infusion of experience from the beet- 

 sugar factories of Germany, and attained the success which finally 

 places sorghum sugar-making among the profitable industries of the 

 country. 



STATE ENCOURAGEMENT. 



The State of Kansas had, by all reports, been indicated as the center 

 of the sorghum -sugar industry, when it should be developed. Kansas 

 statesmen in the legislature, as early as 1885, conceded that the State 

 should assist in the development of the new industry. In that year 

 Hon. K. F. Bond, member of the house from Rice County, prepared and 

 introduced a bill providing for a bounty of 1J cents per pound, to be 

 paid out of the State treasury, on all sugar manufactured in the State 



* The non-action of the Commissioner is misunderstood by Mr. Cowgill. When the 

 House Committee on Agriculture made the appropriation of the preceding year it was 

 agreed that no subsequent grant should be demanded. It was in harmony with this 

 agreement and not for the reasons stated that the Commissioner did not ask for a 

 further appropriation. 



1 The distribution of the money to the various stations was left to the discretion of 

 the Commissioner, and was not mentioned in the bill. 



