64 



In respect of the character of the cane, Dr. Collier makes the follow- 

 ing reports: 1 



THE WORK OF THE LARGE SUGAR MILL. 



Mention has already been made of the several plots of sorghum of different varie- 

 ties upon the lands of Mr. Patterson, Mr. Golden, and Dr. Dean, which were intended 

 for working upon a scale of sufficient magnitude to afford a practical demonstration 

 of the economical production of sugar upon a commercial scale. 



Owing to the backward spring and the ravages of wire and cut worms, two succes- 

 sive plantings of seed almost entirely failed, and it was only after thoroughly coat- 

 ing the seed with coal-tar that a final stand of cane was secured. This third planting 

 was concluded June 18, fully seven weeks after the planting of the plot upon the 

 Department grounds, the examination and working of which has already been dis- 

 cussed in the preceding pages. To any one who has carefully perused this report 

 thus far, or either of the reports of the preceding years, giving the results of our ex- 

 amination of sorghum, it is entirely useless to say that this delay was fatal to suc- 

 cess in the production of sugar, and that failure was inevitable unless all our pre- 

 vious experience was to be falsified. 



The failure of the crop to mature, as had been confidently predicted during the 

 summer, was fully realized, and at last, with the assurance that the frosts would 

 soon render the crop unfit even for sirup, owing to its immature state, it was resolved 

 to begin work, since, with the limited capacity of the mill, it would require at least 

 two mouths to work up the entire crop of 135 acres. Accordingly the work of cut- 

 ting the cane began September 19, and grinding began September 26, and was con- 

 tinued without any serious interruption until October 28. At this time the cane still 

 remaining upon the field, through the effect of frosts and succeeding warm weather, 

 had become worthless, and the cane from only 93 acres in all was brought to the 

 mill, the last portions of which had already become sour and offensive. 



ANALYSES IN 1882. 3 



Beginning with the stage when the seed was in the milk, I give be- 

 low the mean results of Dr. Collier's analyses of many different varieties 

 of sorghum in 1882 : 



1 Op. cit., p. 504. 



2 Sorghum as a Sugar-producing Plant, by Peter Collier, Special Report, 1833, p. 17. 



