838 
THE TROPICAL 
AQRICULTURfST. [May 2, 1892. 
Fort Scott. Foreign countries had sent ambas- 
sadors to investigate and report upon this strange 
plant which under the influence of diffusion was to 
revolutionize the sugar world, add the name of Port 
Scott to the commercial sugar marts upon the black- 
boards of sugar exchanges, and make all Kansas rich 
and happy. It is a pity to say failure to all these 
high hopes and bright anticipations, but the truthful 
chronicler of history has so recorded, and the chemist 
in_ charge has officially announced "the absolute 
failure of the experiments to demonstrate the com- 
mercial practicability of manufacturing sorghum 
sugar " which fell upon our intelligent Commissioner 
of Agriculture " like a wet blanket," to say nothing 
of the chagrin and grief, amounting to almost dis- 
couragement which followed. 
"Human fortitude is equal to human calamity" 
was one of the impressive sentences contained in the 
" farewell address " of Lee to his anny at Appomattox, 
and its truth has been fully verified in the history of 
the Parkerson Sugar Works. Undaunted by failure, 
and urged to renewed exertions by the unjust attacks 
of carping ^critics, the courageous managers calmly 
surveyed the field of disaster, reviewed the causes as 
far as known, and calmly resolved upon another 
trial. Defective and superfluous machinery was re- 
moved, uncertain or useless processes were eliminated, 
pet theories were abandoned and simplicity and pure 
science left to conduct a campaign, which has at- 
tained a success that finally places sorghum sugar 
making among the profitable industries of this 
country. The success of '87 at Fort Scott is due 1st, 
to the almost complete extraction of the sugars 
from the cane by diffusion. 2nd. The prompt and 
proper treatment of the juice in defecating and eva- 
porating. 3rd. The efficient manner in which the 
sugar was boiled to grain in the strike pan. 
According to the report of General Manager Par- 
kerson, the cost of labour and fuel per ton of cleaned 
cane was $1. The estimated cost of salaries, wear 
and tear of machinery etc., another dollar, making a 
total of two dollars per ton for manufacture. Upon 
this basis with the same yield of cane and product 
secm-ed this year, it requires but little figuring to 
show that we have developed a business of great in- 
terest and profit to our State and nation," is the 
conclusion of Mr. Parkerson. 
The total cane worked into sugar 2,643 tons ; the 
total sugar made 235,826 lb. ; or per ton of cane 
worked 89 2 lb. 
No second sugars were made — 
The sugar sold for 5| cents and netted .. $13,559 98 
The State bounty was 2 cents per pound 4,716 52 
Total 17,276 50 
There wsre also 51,000 gallons (estimated) 
molasses at 20 cents 10,200 00 
Seed valued at 7,000 00 
Value of total product $34,476 50 
EXPENSES. 
Paid for cane and seed $ 9,614 00 
Labor .5,7.37 16 
Fuel 1,395 77 
Salaries 3,500 GO 
Insurance, etc 1,.500 00 
Total expenses $21,746 00 
Total value $34,476 50 
Total expenses 21,246 93 
Net $13,229 57 
Had the factory been in the South, and made the 
sanie yields, the account would have been different 
in the following: No State bounty; an increase 
of cost of fuel, and a probable decrease in the price 
of molasses. 
There is however one feature of the above account 
which it is hard to realize: 
The cane with seed cost $9,614 00 
The Hccd is valued at 7,000 00 
Making 2,643 tons cano cost only $2,614, or not 
quite $1 per ton. 
1'hc financial success of tlie above, wbiU; highly 
close examination. The molasses and seed remain, 
and are estimated at . $17,000. 
Since the company, as we learn, has closed its 
works for the coming season, it is fair to presume 
that some of its stockholders do not regard the 
enterprise as profitable. However, the problem of 
makizig sugar from sorghum is solved, and the 
question is now only a commercial one. 
THE CLOVE CEOP. 
In a circular recently issued by a well known Rotter- 
dam firm of spice dealers appears the following 
regarding the outlook for cloves :— 
" Zanzibar reports, under dafe February 2 last, 
state that the total crop this season is by far the 
largest on record, and is estimated at 800,000 frazileh, 
or about the double yield of former abundant crops. 
A frazileh is equal to 351b., and the total yield, there- 
fore, will be about 28,000,000 lb., while the average 
requirements of the whole world are estimated at 
only just over 11,000,000 lb. Prior to 1871 ths price 
of fair Zanzibar cloves in London averaged from 
3|d to 3|d per lb., and although since then an 
export duty of 15 per cent, of the value has been es- 
tablished, the difference between the prices mentioned 
and the actual quotation of, say, 4fd to 4|d is 
much larger. The large yield is undoubtedly a con- 
sequence of the replanting which has been going on 
in Zanzibar after the hiu-ricane in 1872, the trees 
having now attained their full gi-owth. The fact that 
the tree bears fruit every second year oiily leads 
to the supposition that the next crop will be a small 
one, bur it is said that a much larger number of 
trees has been planted since the hurricane than ever 
existed before. At any rate, the cui-rent crop is 
much in excess of the requirements, and conciuTently 
with this exceptional Zanzibar crop the yield of cloves 
in the island of Amboina (Netherlands Indies), though 
of much less importance commercially than Zanzibar, 
has also been greatly in excess of the average." In 
reply to these alarming statements, it is said, accord- 
ing to the Chemist and Druggist, that no European 
house can possibly have any means of correctly esti- 
mating the crop of Zanzibar cloves, as the bulk of this 
article is produced on the small island of Pemba, 
north of Zanzibar, which is entirely in the hands of 
the natives, who do not allow any foreign traders to 
obtain accurate news of the crop; but the estimate 
given by the Dutch firm is thought to be muc ex- 
aggerated.— Ot'Z, Faiut aud Drv/j Reporter. 
THE OUTLOOK FOR INDIAN AND 
CEYLON TEA PLANTERS. 
TO THE EDITOR OP THE "HOME AND COLONIAL MAIL." 
Sir, — Indian and Oeylon planters are undoubtedly 
coming face to face with and every' day drawing 
nearer to a crisis in the hietory of the tea industry, 
unless they take steps, which I believe they can, to 
prevent it. 
When we consider there is certainly not less than 
£20,000,000 of British capital sunk in tea property, 
the subject, from its magnitude alone, is deserving of 
more than a passing attention. 
I would first desire to explain how I arrive at thip 
immense sum of twenty millions sterling. 
India and Oeylon last year produced in round 
figures 180 million lb. of tea, and the average yield 
per acre may be taken at 360 lb. We thna 
have an area of 500,000 acres under tea, and the 
average cost of tea estates in ludia and Ceylon may 
be taken at £40 per acre, the result being a capital 
outlay of twenty millions sterling. 
This sum does not inclr)de the outlay on railways, 
roads, and public works constructed for the purpose 
of serving this enterprise, which must amount to a 
few millions more. 
Year after year there has been a steady fall in 
the price of tea, and 1991 resulted in a gross prieo 
of lUd. per lb. being realised for the teas of India 
and Coylou. 
