86 



The obstacles to this change, met at the very beginning, have at last been overcome, 

 and 70 per cent, of the sugar in the cane has this year been extracted and sold. In- 

 formation has also been gained which shows how 90 per cent, of the total sugar may 

 be secured in the future. 



It still remains to be demonstrated that this industry can be made a financial suc- 

 cess. 



The chemical analysis of cane, showing its percentage of sugar only, is far from re- 

 liable information on this question if unaccompanied by the actual weight of crop 

 per acre. l A normal evaporation of water from a crop, for instance, may cause an 

 apparent improvement in its quality, but as this evaporation is accompanied by a 

 corresponding loss of weight, it leaves the absolute amount of sugar per acre un- 

 changed. Again, the percentage of sugar in the juice may remain constant while the 

 quantity of juice to be secured from an acre of cane may be steadily decreasing, in- 

 volving thereby a loss in the absolute amount of sugar. 



During the period October 9-23, 728 tons of unstripped and untopped sorghum were 

 diffused, and an average yield per ton of 80 pounds of 100 test sugar thereby se- 

 cured. Of this 80 pounds, 55.7 pounds crystallized and 24.3 pounds remained in the 

 molasses. This cane was grown principally upon banked meadows, and although it 

 may have passed its best stage as regards sugar production, it was not considered 

 u dried up " or pithy. 



On the 1st, 2d, and 3d of November 241 tons of unstripped and untopped cane were 

 diffused, and an average yield per ton of 50 pounds of 100 test sugar thereby se. 

 cured, of which 30 pounds crystallized and 20 pounds remained in the molasses- 

 This cane was grown upon upland which had been heavily dressed with stable ma- 

 nure. Early in the fall it was considered a first-class crop, and, as it was within easy 

 reach of the sugar-house, it was held in reserve to be used in case any emergency 

 made it difficult to secure the necessary supply from more distant fields. This sor- 

 ghum affords an unusual example of an over-ripe, pithy crop. 



The green cane yielded 80 pounds and the pithy cane 50 pounds of 100 test sugar 

 per ton. If, therefore, this loss of sugar was accompanied by losses in tonnage as 

 heavy as farmers claim, then milling wastes at once siuk into comparative insignifi- 

 cance. For if one-half of the tonnage disappears, and if at the same time that por- 

 tion of the crop which remained depreciates 40 per cent, in value to the sugar boiler, 

 it follows that two-thirds of the sugar formed in the plant may be wasted by delays 

 in field-work. 



This reasoning rests upon claims and assumptions which can be easily and thor- 

 oughly investigated ; it indicates that the most important question now awaiting 

 solution is, "At what stage in its growth should sorghum be harvested?" 



MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR. 



EXPERIMENTAL. 



The first sorghum sugar made in this country appear's to have been 

 in an experiment by Dr. Battey. of Rome, Ga., in the laboratory of 

 Dr. Booth in Philadelphia. 2 



We will give further results of experiments made at the South, and quote from the 

 Southern Cultivator for October, 1856: " In the winter of 1844-'45 3 the junior editor 

 of this journal obtained from Boston a few ounces of seed of this plant (Chinese 

 sugar-cane), then newly imported from France. It came very highly recommended 

 as a sugar-producing and forage plant ; but, having a vivid recollection of many pre- 



1 Op.cii.,pp. Ittetseq. 



3 The Chinese Sugar-Cane, by James F. C. Hyde, New York, 1857, pp. 46 el seq. 



3 This is probably a mistake and means 1854-'55. 



