10 



NORTHERN SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



By taking the isotherm for each mouth next north of Cape May, and 

 following it westward, a line will be traced south of which, as far as ther- 

 mal conditions are concerned, the cultivation of sorghum for sugar can 

 be carried on with reasonable hope of success. Several years of experi- 

 ment, however, must be awaited before the geographical limits of success- 

 ful sorghum culture can be accurately defined. 



As a further contribution to the climatic literature of this problem, I 

 give also a record, taken from the official figures of the Signal Office, of 

 the mean temperature for each month, winter excepted, of the years 1880, 

 1881, 1882, and 1883, as observed at the principal stations of that office; * 

 also, in a separate table, the mean temperature for a series of years at 

 Cape May, IS". J. ; Champaign, 111., and Dodge Cit^^, Kans. These are lo- 

 calities at or near which sorghum-sugar factories are already in operation. 



Statement showing the mean annual temperature at Cape May, N. J.; Champaign, 111., and 



Dodge City, Kans. 



[Compiled from the records on file at the Signal Office.] 



Station. 



No. of 

 years. 



Mean an- 

 nual temp. 



Cape May, N. J 



11 







53.6 





2 



51.5 



Dodge City, Kans 



8 



53.3 



In order to hasten the determinations of the climatic conditions af- 

 fecting sorghum culture I call attention to my report to you published 

 in the annual for 1883: 



EXPERIMENTS IN CULTIVATION.t 



Equally as important as the above is the question, " What parts of the country are 

 most favorable to the growth of sugar-producing plants f" 



With the tropical cane this question is already answered ; but with sorghum and 

 the sugar-beet it is still undecided. Only systematic experiments, conducted under 

 the direction of the Department of Agriculture, can give a satisfactory answer. 



Following are the points which take precedence in the investigation : 



1. Kind of climatic conditions. 



2. Kind of soil. 



3. Kind of fertilizers. 



4. Varieties of cane or beet. 



5. Effect on soil. 



I recommend that you make arrangements with the agricultural college of each 

 State, or other reliable institution or citizen, to carry on experiments in the directions 

 indicated above. For this purpose it will be necessary for Congress to make an ap- 

 propriation of $1,000, or other sufficient amount, to be paid by you to the proper 

 authorities of each State or private institution* undertaking the work. 



At first ^periraents should be undertaken with a few kinds of the best approved 

 varieties of the beet and cane. Two acres of land will be enough for each State. This 

 should be divided into ten plats. Five of these should be planted with sorghum, four 

 with beets, and one with Indian corn. The yield of corn will serve as a measure to 



*P.3l et seq. 



t Annual Report Dept. Agr., 1883, page 443. 



