gARDEKJ^
VOL. XIX.
IT—
10
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JAN 12, 1884
NO. 2.
<&mxz (&XQX0ZKi.
INDIANA CANE   GROWERS.
Poll Report of Proceedings at Second
Annual Session Held in this City,
• December iM, 27 ond 28.
Addresses by Members and Visitors. Discussions and Comments.—lVork
* of the Association.
[concluded.]
We this week  finish our  report of  the
proceedings of tho Indiana Cano Growers,
which was too long for publication entire
•In any one number.
W. L. ANDERSO-*,
of Ladoga, read a paper upon "Steam
Evaporators," explaining minutely the
construction of the one ln uso by himself.
The address was substantially as follows:
Consistency, flavor and color determine
the grade of any sorghum syrup. Tho
. consistency and flavor are easy to regulate.
For color we must have, "first, a good
bleacher; second, a good evaporator. As
far as tho evaporator is concerned, tlie
■'■"• --color-depends entirely on the rapidity with
which the UqtrtrHaredaeed from. Juice to
syrup, and therefore the best evaporator is
the one that will reduce cane . juice to sorghum molasses in the shortest time. The
reducing capacity of an evaporator depends
on three things,—first,theamountof beating surface; second, the amount of evaporating surface; third, on the finishing capacity. Tho first condition, i. e., largo
heating surface, I secure by having a large
nnmber of heating pipes in my ovapora-
tor; the second, bv Hanging tlie sides of
the pan, so as to allow a largo surface for
the bubbles and froth to spread over; and
the third, by having mv pipes as closo together as is possible, leaving very little
vacant space between tho pipes or lietween
them: aud tho ends, sides and bottom of
the pan, thus making it possible to finish
a reasonable quantity of syrup in very
quick time. With a pan" arranged as
above, I have been very successful in evaporating my syrup, and tho cost of construction is riot so great as to deter any
sorghum manufacturer from owning one.
Following Mr. Anderson's address was
a paper by
J. A. FIELD,
of St. Louis, upon the "Possibilities of the
Northern Sugar Cano."
Mr. Field's paper was too long for us to
give an adequate report of it now. Wo are
in possession of a complete copy of it,
however, and will mako extracts from it
ln tho future. In it, Mr. F. first rehearses
tho history of sugar cane and sorghum in
this country.   lie says:
Tho first sorghum seed brought to this
country for commercial purposes was a
I hogshead of Chinese sugar cane, black variety, Imported about thirty years ago by
Maj. Edward Henry, of Hushing, Long
Island, (now of Tennessee). This was sold
In small lots to .persons all over the coun-
ly, some of it selling as high as $10 per
pound.. The next year after this, Leonard
Wesy, an Englishman, imported what Is
known as Impiiee seed,aud started a plantation for its growth in South Carolina.
During the last thirty years tho cultivation of sorghum and the making of molasses therefrom has prevailed to a greater
. or less extent In practically everv portion
of the United Stau*., reaching in 1864, 3*30,-
070 acres, and according " to an estimate
made of its product by Lewis S. Waro it
amounted in lSOO to 511,565 pounds of
sugar and over 16,000,000 gallons of molasses. The cultivation of the sorghum
- plant rapidly declined for tho next ten
Tears, and was almost entirely abandoned,
but at length received fresh impetus, and
Is now tlourishinjj.
But,' says one, if you* make a success of
It and< get everybody  at It you will soon
* i oven-toot  tho   __i__r__6t.   Let" wis see   how
tliis is. Your own paper, tho Indiana
Kakmch, ono of tho best agricultural pallors in tho United Slates, says, regarding
tliis industry: "Tho most recent statlsticw
show Unit in 1S82 our consumption of raw
sugar amounted to 1,177,1'1'J tons of 2,210
pounds weight. Only ono-ciglith of this
was produced at home, tho remaining
seven-eighths being imported. The value
of our lmiKjrtatioiiH iu 1S.M1 was as follows:
Sugar and molasses, - - $ 88,4.-2,083
Unties on same,   ....     47,981,033
Total, $i;M.,_l.r.,lI(J
Tho gold and silver product of tho country in 18.S1 was $7*VSUO,000, showing that
we jiay out for sugar and molasses alouo
$o7,81o,110, moro than tho total amount of
our gold and silver production."
Because of tho fact that wc have not
been able to produce more than ono-eightli
of the sugar we consume, largo factories
have been established for the manufacture
of glucose, employing tho enormous capital of $15,000,000." Until this importation
from abroad can be stopped and tho capital Invested iu glucose factories can bo
turned to a better employment, we need
have no fear of tho overstocking of the
market.
After referring to tho profits from North
ern i_ane,Mr. Field inquires as to tho helps
required to bring it to a profitable and
universal cultivation, and says that State
appropriations for tho encouragement of
the growth of the Northern sugar cnuo,
either by a premium for certain results, or
by a. bounty ot a certain per cent on .tho
vatuo'of tho'prcKtu'ct Is cJaified by some as
tho best method of encouragement; others
argue ' for a protection tariff, and depend
upon that to give aid to the new enterprise, it soemed to him, however, that
the greatest help in this matter is a littlo
education, and an increase in faitli and a
little earnest work in the proper direction.
Our key to success in tho cultivation and
manufacture of sugar from the Northern
sugar cane, Is "Labor and Perseverance."
DIl. II. W. WILEY,
Chemist of the Department of Agriculture,
delivered two lectures: One on tho evening of December 20, on the "Polarlscope,
and its Tfses;" the other ou the next evening, on tho subject of the ".Sorghum
Sugar Industry of the United States."
Both lectures were handsomely illustrated
by projections on a screen, the lecturer illustrating almost everything spoken of.
Dr. Wiley began tho second lecture by
stating thattho'objeet of his investigations
on sorghum sugar cane had beon to get at
the truth as to tho feasibility of sugar and
syrup making. Tho sugar cane is composed of about 88 per cent! of water and 12
per cent, of cellulose. Tho latter makes an
excellent paper pulp. Each ton of cane
will make 150 pounds of paper as good as
that mado from wood pulp. The water
contains the sugar In solution. The lecturer projected on tho screen transverse
and longitudinal sections of the sugar cane
stalk, and gave a brief lesson on the endogenous structure of plants. The samo was
done with the leaf. Other projections
showed tho cano fields at Washington as
affected by storms. The amber cane, owing to its ripeness, was most affected by
tho winds.
Prof. Wiley next illustrated on the
screen the machinery used in cutting the
cano into pieces from an eighth to a sixteenth of an inch in thickness, to prepare
it for the diffusion process of extracting
the juice by pouring ' water over the fino
cut cane which is placed ln cells. The
same process Is used abroad In extracting
tho juice from beets, but has not before
l>een applied to sugarcane. By this method
Prof. Wiley got 01 per cent'of tho juice
without crushing between rollers.
Tlie lecturer next threw on the screen
the Champaign sugar works, In which tho
bagasse is used as furnace feed for evaporating. Prof. Weber complains that in
spite of the tall chimney there is little
economy in burning the wet bagasse.
The workings of the Rio Grande factory",
near Camden, N. J., wero shown in detail.
A long tramway runs over tho thousand
acre cano field and brings the cane fb the
sugar-house. The tram costs *frV) a mile,
but is a necessity in all  large plantations.
By tho system of defecation employed,
two boys can take entire charge of tho
evaporating works. Tho juice is collocted
in a ii,000 gallon tank. The vacuum pans,
crystallizing rooms and packing rooms
were shown iu detail. A half mil. of hog
pens, accommodating 1.000 hogs, was
shown, Tho hogs were 'fat and clean.
Their only food was cano st-cd, and their
bed is thi' bagasse. Ono man takes caro of
300 hogs. One aero of cano furnishes seed
enough for one hog, and tho hog iu return
yields manure enough for one acre.
At tho department cano fields, 300 tons
raised on fifty acres furnished 1,000 bushels of seed. A ton of cano will furnish 100
'K.unds of seed. Prof. Wiley regarded it
verv important that a cano bo selected
which will ripen its seed. It is better
economy to feed tho boiled seed to hogs
and make the bagasse into mauuro than to
burn the bagasse and seed. A lino Rnd
varied series of views was shown of the
department works at Washington, as well
as of those at Champaign, 111., and Rio
(irando, N. J.
Prof. Wiley is satisfied that by tho
crushing process, even with doublo rolling, less than IK) per cent of the juice is
saved. Tlie liagassu acts as a blotting paper, and takes up the juice again as soon
as it is crushed. Probably in the mills of
tho world not over GO per cent of the juice
is saved. Prof. Wiley is sanguine that by
the diffusion process, which removes tho
sugar from the unbroken cells, a much
larger per cent of the sugar can bo saved.
Samples of the exhausted cano were shown
which "had not "irpartk'lo'of cane sugar
when tested by the polariscope, although
traces of grajx* sugar were left. In tho
diffusion prows*, the cano is exhausted
with warm water. The diffusion juice
contains 40 per cent more water than the
natural juice got by crushing, and so requires more boiling and moro fuel. By
tne diffusion process Professor Wiley got
01 per cent of tbe total sugar, insteadnf CO
]KT cent by tho crushing process. It is a
question "of which is cheaper, coal or
sugar? The samo methods which apply-
to beet sugar, Professor Wiley is satisfied,
will apply to tho manufacture of cano
sugar.
Dr. Wiley cautioned his audience against
overstating the possibilities of the sugar
cano business. Although commonly reported that Champaign and Rio Grando
made each a million pounds, this is largely
overestimated. Kansas did not mako its
own sugar. Not a million pounds were
made last year in the United States—about
half enough for one breakfast.
Not all localities can produce sugar. Almost any part of tho United States can
produce syrup profitably. The seed must
lie improved, taking advantage of accidental variations, as that which produced
tho amber cane, to secure the largest
amount of sucrose and tho smallest
amount of glucose. Tlie methods of expressing anil purifying tho juice must be
studied, with.every varioty of soil and
climate. Trot. Wiley felt assured that
American money, grit and inventive
genius would solve the problem, and tho
United States would yet mako its own
sugar instead of importing it.
Tho lecture commandedthe profoundest
attention, and went a long way towards
convincing Indiana cano growers that
lion. Geo. B. lairing was not so antagonistic to tho sorghum interests as he bas
been commonly reported to be. In fact,
Dr. Wiley stated" that Mr. Loring had mentioned in his letter of appointmont that
his selection was mainly due to tho fact
that ho was considered a proper person to
investigate tho cane interests. With such
an unqualified acknowledgment of tho
importance of the sorghum interests, Dr.
Loring certainly does not deserve tho censure he has received in that direction.
CONCLCDINO SESSION.
The following were elected honorary
members of the association: Enoch Carey,
Uurneyville, O., Thos. McQuiston. Morning Sun, O., Mr. Swart*, Edwardsvlllo, O.,
X. ,J. Colman. St. Louis, Mo., Marion
Roll, Wood Station. O., M. Day, Mansfield, O., I*. A. Cpp, fcdgerton, O.
, Remarks turned on the color of the
syrup.
Mr. Field: In tho St. Louis market, dark
syrup is worth livo cents per gallon moro ,
than light.
Mr. Anilonton: Can sell light colored
best, although it tastes of chemicals.
Peter Itaab: If the syrup Is properly
cooked, chemicals are "not necessary to
make it keep.
Dr. Furnas: Tho use of chemicals gives
a mellow, agreeable liavor.
IIKI-OKT OF COHMITTKE
on syrii'w and sugars:
Wiiekkab: Tho difljeulty of classifying
and grading tho syrup on'cxliibitlon is so
great that your committee is unable to
award the preference to any exhibitor;
Therefore, resolved
1. That no award of excellence bo mado
to any of tho exhibitors all of whoso samples possess many points of merit.
112. That it is the sense of this convention
that flavor, color, clearness and density are
all conditions that the manufacturer should
consider and that no ono*of them should
be sacrificed to the others.
Tlie time for the   next meeting was left
for tho executive committee to decide and
announco in due time.
notes.
Attention was called to the fact that tho
Mississippi Valley Cane Growers' Association meets at St. ixiuls, Mo.. January 10,17
and 18. Arrangements with railroads and
hotels will be announced as soon as made.
A vote of thanks for interest manifested
was tendered lo Prof. Wiley, .1. A. Field,
Col. Colman and others.
J. G. Kingsbury, of the Faii.mei*., addressed tho convention briefly, calling attention to the rapid growth of the sorghum
Industry in our Slate, and stating that a
department of the Iniiiana Fahmek is devoted to .the cane growers' business and
that tho association is welcome to a froo
uso of its columns.
Association adjourned, subject to call of
executive committee.
"Why go "West?
Editors Indiana Karnipr:
I see that there are a great many emigrants going west from Indiana. I wish to
ask them, whv not go south to North Alabama, where land is cheap and good, and
tho climate is all that could to asked.
I Winters are mild and no excessive heat in
j summer, where farmers can engage iu all
■ kinds of farming. This is a good stock
country, the best I know of when farmers
' preparo for it. The Bermuda grassexcels
tho blue grass hero. For summer pasturing we have clover and orchard grass.
These do as well hero as any-where. All
kinds of fruits do well in our climate,
es.iecially grapes, peaches, plums, strawberries, blackberries, and dewberries.
Our peaches begin to ripen in May so that
we havo them coming in all summer and
fall. Our valleys aro very fertile and
abound with plenty of good water and
the best of timber.. As to health we havo
as good health as will be found in tbo
West. We have no blizzards here to freezo
a man to death in winter, in this part of
tho valley we have but fow negroes, not
moro than ono to every tweuty whites.
A largo majority of our people are church
members. Politically the majority are
liberals or freo thinkers.
| Hoping to hear from you all who wish
to emigrate to a new country. V. T. . .
Morgan county, Ala.
The Southern cotton factories consumed
last year 331,000 bales, being an increaseover
the previous year of '.HI.OOO bales. They
have doubled' tho consumption in tho last
four years.
The exports of wheat from New York to
Europe, from July 23 to December 21,1882,
were 22,707,000 bushels, and for the samo
period in 1883 but '.i,3SS,000 bushels, a decrease of nearly 00 per cent.
        * m* .	
It Is estimated that Canada will want at
least 10,000,000 bushels of American wheat
before another harvest. One miller is
taking from Chicago about 10,000 busbels
wsekly.
I