6 



NORTHERN SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



this belt should be bordered by lines of isothermacy and not by paral- 

 lels of latitude. 



In discussing the geographical limits of sorghum culture it has been 

 usual to say that they are the same as for maize. This is both true and 

 false — true in that the early varieties of sorghum will grow as far north 

 as our corn, and the late ones as far south ; false in the assumption that 

 the mere growing of sorghum is enough to insure success in making 

 sugar from it. ^ot only must there be time for growth but also for 

 manufacture. The effect of cold weather on sorghum cane may be 

 summarized as follows : 



(1.) A frost severe enough to kill the blades of immature cane will 

 spoil it for sugar-making. 



(2.) Such a frost on ripe cane will not do it any notable injury. 



(3.) A frost severe enough to congeal the water in the cells of the 

 cane will render it unfit for sugar-making immediately on the accession 

 of thawing weather. To determine the length of the working season, 

 therefore, is to know (1) the time of ripening of the cane, i. e., when the 

 seed is hard, and (2) the time when the first severe frost is likely to 

 take place. 



I have often seen it stated that Early Amber cane in the North ripened 

 its seed in 90 days, and I do not wish to place myself in the attitude of 

 doubting these statements. 



They are, however, not in harmony with my own observations. How 

 many in latitude above 42° have ever seen whole fields of Amber cane 

 with hard seed in 90 days after planting? Single heads, doubtless, 

 often, but whole fields seldom. I am inclined to think, then, 100 or 110 

 days are more likely to be the proper time for beginning operations at 

 the mill. 



It is wrong to take a few extreme instances and make a general law 

 from them. Such generalizations always lead to harm and often cause 

 the innocent to sufler. I will not try to fix the other limit of the work- 

 ing season, i. e., the time of the first freezing of the cells. In the lati- 

 tude of Chicago it will probably be found not far from the middle of 

 October, taking a series of years into calculation. Thus, I find the 

 working season in these latitudes limited to four or six weeks, and this 

 is a j)oint which must be taken carefully into consideration. 



In leugth of working season the beet appears to have a great advan- 

 tage over sorghum. As is well known, the beet is harvested before any 

 freezing weather and put in silos. Here it is kept during the winter 

 months, or until it is sent to the mill. If the temperature of the silos 

 is kept low enough the beets will retain their sugar until the following 

 spring. Beet-sugar factories in Europe sometimes keep running until 

 March or April. 



The advantage of keeping the machinery in use for as long a time as 

 possible is one which will be keenly appreciated by every manufacturer. 

 The cost of a sugar-factory plant is very great. Machinery is injured 



