NORTHERN SXJGAR INDUSTRY. 



107 



THE FUTURE. 



I do uot believe that the manufacture of sugar from sorghum, as at 

 present carried on, will prove financially successful throughout the more 

 northern portions of our country. 



The process of manufacture is imperfect and wasteful. A large part 

 of the sugar is left in the bagasse and another larger part passes into 

 the molasses. 



^^ot one-half of the sucrose in the juice is usually obtained as crystal- 

 lized sugar. 



The future success of the industry depends on the following conditions, 

 viz: 



(1.) A careful selection and improvement of the seed with a view of 

 increasing the proportion of sucrose. 



(2.) A definition of geographical limits of successful culture and man- 

 ufacture. 



(3.) A better method of purifying the juices. 



(4.) A more complete separation of the sugar from the canes. 



(5.) A more complete separation of the sugar from the molasses. 



(6.) A systematic utilization of by-products. 



(7.) A careful nutrition and improvement of the soil. 



EMPEOVEMENT BY SEED SELECTION. 



I am fully convinced that the Government should undertake the ex- 

 periments which have in view the increase of the ratio of sucrose to the 

 other substances in the juice. These experiments, to be valuable, must 

 continue under proper scientific direction for a number of years. The 

 cost will be so great that a private citizen will hardly be willing to un- 

 dertake the expense. 



The history of the improvement in the sugar beet should be sufficient 

 to encourage all similar efforts with sorghum. 



The original forage beet, from which the sugar beet has been devel- 

 oped, contained only 5 or 6 i^er cent, of sucrose. The sugar beet now 

 will average 10 per cent, of sucrose. It seems to me that a few years 

 of careful selection may secure a similar improvement in sorghum. 



It would be a long step toward the solution of the problem to secure 

 a sorghum that would average, field with field, 12 per cent, sucrose and 

 only 2 per cent, of other sugars, and with such cane the great difficulty 

 would be to make sirup and not sugar. Those varieties and individuals 

 of each variety of cane which show the best analytical results should 

 DC carefully selected for seed, and this selection continued until acci- 

 dental variations become hereditar3' qualities in harmony with the well- 

 known principles of descent. 



If these experiments in selection could be made in different parts of 

 the country, and especially by the various agricultural stations and 

 colleges, they would have additional value and force. In a country 



