NORTHERN SUGAR INDUSTRY. 

 PRECIPITATION. 



71 



Month. 



Lawrence. 



Topeka. 



January. .. 

 February. . 



March 



April 



May 



June - 



July.f 



August 



September 

 October 

 November . 

 December 



Totals . 



Inches. 

 0. 73 



12 

 1.25 

 6. 75 

 0. 73 

 0. 77 



Inches. 

 0. 50 

 3.10 

 0. 81 

 1.60 



6. 42 



7. 05 

 6. 52 

 4. 17 

 0. 88 

 6. 14 

 0. 81 



No record. 



The following historical notice of the development of the industry in 

 the West is a fitting appendix to the review of the present condition 

 of the sugar interest in Kansas, which has just been given : 



HISTORY OF SORGHUM CULTURE IN KANSAS. 



The following paper was read by Hon. F. G. Adams before the Kan- 

 .sas State Sorghum Growers' Association, Fel)ruary 14, 1884: 



The history of sorghum culture in the United States corresponds, in j)oint of time, 

 with the history of Kansas itself. The settlement of Kansas began in the year 1854. 

 Sorghum was first noticed by the agricultural division of the United States Patent 

 Office in the report of that Department for 1854. Just thirty years ago it was, this 

 winter, that our national seed hunter was studying sorghum in France, and during 

 the same month the people of this country were being excited over the discussion of 

 the question of opening Kansas to settlement. The people of the Southern States 

 were studying how they should add another slave State to the galaxy, while those 

 of the North were strongly opposing such project, and organizing to — 



" Cross the prairies as of old / 



The Pilgrims crossed the sea, 

 To make the West as they the East, 

 The homestead of the free." 



The population of the new States and Territories of the West have always been 

 large consumers of molasses ; this in the first years of settlement, by reason of the 

 lack of fruit and of other necessaries and luxuries, which only come with improved 

 circumstances and conditions of life. Before sorghum sirups came to be introduced 

 New Orleans molasses was in almost universal use throughout the Western States. 



When sorghum came to be known as a valuable home-made substitute, it immedi- 

 ately became popular. Every early settler in Kansas remembers that at the first, 

 sugar and molasses were articles of prime necessity here ; molasses more than sugar. 

 In the pioneer wagon, tent, or cabin life, molasses served the purposes of butter, of 

 milk, of fruit, and of sundry other condiments. We all came to Kansas by the way 

 of the Missouri Eiver, and all outfitted more or less at Saint Louis. No one failed to 

 bring along a jug, ten gallon keg, or half barrel of molasses ; and whatever was the 

 quantity, it was one of the first articles of the supplies to fail. 



