98 



8 cents per pound, and the year before 15,000 pounds that sold for 8 cents per pound. 

 I raised this year on my own farm 85 acres, which was all worked without stripping. 



The introduction contains all there is in this report concerning the 

 production of sugar. 



The results of the experiments just abstracted are appropriately pre- 

 ceded by a summary made by the Commissioner of Agriculture of the 

 experiments which had been made up to that time by the Department 

 of Agriculture in the production of sugar from sorghum. He says : l 



On assuming the duties of my office in 1881 I found 135 acres of sorghum, contain- 

 ing fifty-two varieties, which had been planted in Washington for the use of the De- 

 partment. On being informed that the time had arrived for manufacturing sirup 

 and sugar, I engaged the services of an expert in sugar-making who had been highly 

 recommended for the position of superintendent, and operations were commenced on 

 September 26 at the mill erected by my predecessor on the grounds. These opera- 

 tions were continued with slight interruptions until the latter part of October, at 

 which time the supply of cane became exhausted. Forty-two acres of the crop were 

 overtaken by frost before being sufficiently ripe for use, and this portion of the crop 

 was so badly damaged as to be unfit for manufacture. The yield of cane per acre on 

 the 93 acres gathered was 2 tons ; the number of gallons of sirup obtained was 

 2,1)77, and the number of pounds of sugar was 165. The expense of raising the cane was 

 $6,589.45. and the expense of converting the cane into sirup and sugar was $1,667.69 

 an aggregate of $8,557.04. 



To recapitulate the results of the ten experiments I give the follow- 

 ing table : 



Amount of premium given, $12,000. Amount per pound (nearly), 10.3 cents. 



BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PRACTICAL. 



Attempts were made in 1881 by the Department of Agriculture to 

 manufacture sugar at Washington. Cane from 93.5 acres was crushed. 

 From the official report it does not appear that any success attended 

 these efforts. 



The causes of failure are thus set forth by Dr. Collier : 2 



Briefly stated, the several chief sources of failure are as follows : 

 (1) The immaturity of the sorghum at the period when it is cut and worked. This 

 may be due to late planting, as in our experience the past season, or to the selection 



1 Op. eit., p. 3. 



3 Agricultural Report, 1881-2, pp. 509 et seq. 



