SUGAR-CANE CULTURE FOR SIRUP PRODUCTION. 43 



increase the profits. There is yet another phase of the industry that 

 merits consideration while striving to increase profits, viz, the utiliza- 

 tion of by-products. 



UTILIZATION OF BY-PRODUCTS. 



There are three by-products: (1) The leaves and tops, (2) the 

 bagasse (pomace, or mash), and (3) the skimmings, all three of 

 which are almost completely wasted under present practices. 



The leaves and tops, removed from the cane at harvesting, are 

 usually allowed to remain in the field until they become dry and are 

 then burned. The production of tops per acre, if weighed fresh, is 

 3 to 4 tons. To a small extent they afford pasturage to stock, but 

 as a rule they soon become weathered and worthless for feed. Some 

 attempts have been made at curing the tops to feed in the winter, 



Fig. 18. — A silo in Louisiana built especially for sugar-cane tops. 



but the weather conditions are usually unfavorable unless the farmer 

 has shelter in which to cure them. A more hopeful method of pre- 

 serving them is by making ensilage of them. (Fig. 18.) At the 

 experiment field at Cairo, Ga., experiments were conducted during 

 the last two years which indicate that siloing for feed is an excellent 

 way to utilize the tops. The cattle took the silage readily and 

 thrived on it. The chemical analysis showed it to be but little in- 

 ferior to silage from whole corn in nutritive value. A characteristic 

 sample upon analysis gave percentages as follows: Moisture, 75; 

 ash, 1.71; crude protein, 1.93; crude fiber, 9.23; ether extract, 0.17: 

 nitrogen-free extract, 11.66. The acidity, normal alkali per kilo, 

 was 124 c. c. The shortage of available roughage for winter feeding 

 in the cane-sirup sections makes this silage more valuable than its 

 chemical composition would indicate. To assure good silage from 

 the cane tops the silo should be filled before the cane is frosted. In 



