^December i, 1889,] THE TROPICAL AQ'R1t313lTOft1ST. 
39i 
SORGHUM SUGAR. 
While in Canada and the United States they have 
for some years been trying to solve the problem as to 
whether the common Sorghum is likely to produce 
sugar. Here iu India the plant has been utilised for the 
production of a fine quality of sugar for generations. 
The facts, however, in this connection, as in most other 
instances, have only now been brought to notice. At 
the meeting of the Agri-Horticultural Society of India, 
held on the 22nd ultimo, a letter was read from Cap- 
tain Fred. Pogson, in which he says : — " I sent you 
from Dehra Dun a tin containing sugarcandy made 
from the sugar Sorghum of Ajmere. This was the 
Kowar Jainarain Singh's reply to the fiction that no 
sugar Sorghum was known to the Ajmere Durbar. In 
one of my letters I mentioned that this sugar Sorghum 
was grown for its sugar in the Hariana district as well 
as in Ajmere, and had been grown for ages. Pray 
address the Kowar, Didwary, vid Moradnugger, zillah 
Meerut, and I daresay he will obtain the seed for you. 
But mention the A-l sugarcandy to all concerned." 
Thakur Jainarain Singh, on being addressed, sent 
the following interesting reply : — ■" As far as I have 
been able to ascertain, there are several varieties of 
Sorghum that are sown in the parts of the country 
called Hariana, to the borders of the Bikanir State, 
and is styled ' Alapur Joar.' It is of two kinds — one 
yielding white and the other red seeds, This is largely 
cultivated, and is the sole saccharine produce of those 
parts. You are perhaps aware that Bikanir produces 
the famous crystal white sugarcandy . which has no 
parallel in India. Some years ago I myself cultivated 
a field of Sorghum. It yields two crops in one season, 
and is sown in rows in May, in well -manured ground, 
which requiros irrigation till the commencement of 
the rains. It becomes ripe for pressing in November. 
After being cut the shoots come up, and the second 
crop is ready by the beginning of February. As far as 
I have been able to learn, the cultivation of this 
Alapur Joar is limited, and serves only for purposes 
of local consumption, for people do not cultivate it 
largely owing to the scanty means of irrigation they 
possess." So far as we are aware this is the 
first time that this particular Sorghum has been brought 
to public notice, and it appears to be desirable that 
the several agricultural departments should experiment 
with the plant. — Pioneer. 
♦ 
A FEW TOBACCO NOTES. 
The high prices paid for the much-prized " wrap- 
pet" tobacco grown in Sumatra are stimulating 
production in all parts of the world. Not only are 
attempts beiDg made to grow similar leaf in Borneo 
and in other islands of the Malay Archipelago, but 
American planters are turning their attention to the 
subject seriously, and are demanding of their Govern- 
ment an increase in the import duties, notwithstanding 
the large amount of protection they already enjoy. 
This, of course, is the outcome of the belief that 
they can themselves grow leaf of equally high quality 
to that now produced in Sumatra, and also of the 
rapidly increasing consumption of cigars in the States. 
That an addition made to the ruling rates of import 
duty on tobacco in America will effectually shut out 
the Sumatra " wrapper " tobacco is very probable, but, 
whether American tobacco planters have the necessary 
climate and soil to raise such leaf themselves, of course 
remains to be seen. If they can, we may be quite 
sure that the present prices paid for this much-valued 
tobacco will fall, for the acreage now under this 
plant in the States is enormous. Tobacco, a jurnal 
devoted to the interests of those who deal in the 
article, raw or manufactured, published in London, 
says : — 
It is difficult, on this side of the water, to tho- 
roughly realize the magnitude of tobacco production 
in the States; and its growth, instead of as formerly, 
being confined to a few of the more eastern ones, is 
being cultivated gradually throughout the entire Union. 
Not only is it the staple, par excellence, of the country, 
but it is being rapidly cultivated in place of cotton 
The vast difference in the return to the farmer be- 
tween the two crops is sufficient to account for this 
In Talahassee, it is stated, an average of 170 dols. 
per acre was obtained from tobacco, as against a ra- 
ther less sum for the whole of fifty acres under cot- 
ton. Another grower realized 189 dols. per acre for 
his tobacco, and one only 12'40 dols. per acre for his 
cotton. The danger of this state of things, of course, 
is that the production will be overdone ; and increased 
production in tobacco invariably leads to decreased 
quality, for the simple reason that it is a crop re- 
quiring close cultivation. On the other hand, European 
manufacturers may anticipate a fall in prices, for 
moderate grades at all events. 
In these days of keen competition, no large profit 
can be made long anywhere or in any undertaking, 
commercial, financial, or agricultural ; and the Sumatra 
planters may make up their minds to be compelled 
to accept much lower prices later on for their leaf. 
But any considerable reduction of the area planted 
with cotton in America— which, however, we do not 
anticipate — would inevitably benefit cotton growers 
in other parts of the world. The area under this 
shrub, however, in the States, is so enormous that 
it is most improbable that any likely extension of 
tobacco in preference to cotton would seriously affect 
the output or enhance the price of cotton. The ex- 
tent, however, of the trade in "wrapper" leaf to- 
bacco may be judged from the fact that 144,401 bales 
were shipped from Sumatra alone to Europe in 1887. 
Taking the average weight of a bale^ net at 120 lb., 
this represents a total out-put of 17,328,120 lb., This 
certainly is a large quantity, when it is remembered 
that the greater proportion of this tobacco is leaf 
specially prepared for use as wrappers. The following 
statistics taken from the publication already alluded 
to are of great interest, showing as they do the 
rapid extension of tobacco cultivation in Sumatra : — 
Total Quantity and Value of the Sumatea 
Crop since the Beginning oe the Culture. 
Number of 
Approximate 
Approximate 
Crop. 
bales. 
average sale price 
total value. 
in cts. per lb. 
Dols. 
1865 
189 
54 
16,000 
1866 
174 
41 
12,000 
1867 
224 
25 2-5th 
8,000 
1868 
890 
51 2-5th 
30,000 
1869 
1,381 
46 4-5 th 
100,000 
1870 
3,114 
44 
200,000 
1871 
3,922 
491-5th 
300,000 
1872 
6,409 
47 4-5th 
400,000 
1873 
9,238 
66 
1,000,000 
1874 
12,895 
54 l-5th 
1,140,000 
1875 
15,355 
61 4.5th 
1,560,000 
1876 
29.030 
55^ 
2,580,000 
1877 
36,520 
... , 45| ... 
2,676,000 
1878 
48,550 
... 45 
3,648,000 
1879 
57,553 
42| •• 
4,120,000 
1880 
64,964 
40 3-5 th 
4,536,000 
1881 
82,356 
41| ... 
49| .. 
5,792,000 
1882 
... 102,050 
8,566,000 
1883 
93,530 
48 
7,620,000 
1884 
... 125,264 
52 3-5th 
10,900,000 
1885 
... 124,718 
51 2-5th 
10,720,000 
1886 
... 139,512 
56 
13,080,000 
1887 
... 144,401 
44 
10,600,00 
Here we have evidence of very considerable pro» 
gress year by year, the average price obtained show, 
ing little or no reduction in spite of an enormously 
increased production. Whether Ceylon will be able 
in the near future to share with Sumatra the profits 
ari sing from the supply of this valuable leaf remains 
to be seen. But this canonly be settled by a series 
of experiments carried on in different parts of the 
country, by men who really understand the work of 
preparation. Of course , if it were ascertained, as we 
believe it will be, that in many parts of the island 
the finest varieties of " wrapper " leaf can be success- 
fully grown and cured, then we may fully expect a 
considerable reduction in prices. That is the inevitable 
cousequoncu of increased production, But vast as is 
