Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1882 — Experiments With Sorghum [ARTICLE]

Experiments With Sorghum

The Wisconsin legislature of last year passed a law authorizing a series of experiment at the experimental the State university at Madison, the appropriation being limited to experiments in making sorghum sugar and practically demonstrating the utility of ensilage. Prof. W. A. Henry, of the university, has just submitted his report of the experiments to Gov, Rusk, and the pamphlet is full of valuable information touching the subject referred to. The varieties of cane grown for the various trials included amber, early amber, (Kansas orange, Hedge's early orange, and Honduras. Prof. Swenson, the college chemist, superintended the experiments, and to his untiring zeal is largely attributed the un?ualified success which followed. rof. Swenson in his report says: ‘‘The chief object of the experiments conducted during the past year has been to demonstrate the practicability of making sugar from cane grown in this state. For this reason the work has been carried on in a thoroughly practical manner. My results are not based on theory. They do not show what might be done, but what has been done. The amount of sugar obtained is not deducted from the amount present in the cane or syrup, but represents what has actually been crystalized and separated as sugar.” It will be seen from the foregoing that the experiments have proved conclusively that sorghum sugar can be made with profit in Wisconsin, and that the farmers in that state have an additional source of income asssured to them. After describing in detail the machinery used, and the process by which the results were attained, Prof Swinson says: ‘‘A good yield of sugar may be obtained if the following rules are strictly adhered to: “First—Do not cut the cane until the seed begins to harden. “Second—Do not allow the cane to stand stripped in the field. “Third—Work up the cane as soon as possible after being cut. - “Fourth—Defecate the juice as soon as possible after leaving the mill. “Fifth—Fnr defecation use milk of lime, freed from coarse particles by straining; add it gradually to the juice with vigorous stirring, until a piece of red litmus paper is turned to a pale purple. “Sixth—Heat the juice quickly to the boiling point, as shown by the swelling and breaking of the scum. “Seventh —Remove the scum after allowing the juice to remain quiet for five minutes. “Eighth—Draw off the clear juice through an aperture near the bottom of the defecator, into the evaporating pan.“Ninth—Add sulphuric acid to clear the juice until a piece of blue litmus paper is reddened. “Tenth —Evaporate down until it reaches a density of 45 degrees B, or, if boiled in an open pan, to a boiling temperature of 234 degrees F. “Eleventh—Place in a warm room to crystaline, and in about a week it will be ready to separate.” The question whether cane-sugar can be profitably manufactured from northern cane is one of immense importance to this country. That there is much evidence against it to overcome is evident. There are men to whom the bare idea seems ridiculous. In the face of these difficulties, however. Prof. Swinson ventures to state that if skillfully conducted the manufacture of sugar from this cane will certainly pay. He has been unable to give definite figures as to the cost of production, and advocate the system of large central factories. Prof. Swinson says in reply to the question, “Can the farmer make his own sugar?” “Most certainly not, if profit is to be considered. A farmer might have a mill and make his own patentErocess flour, but it would not pay im. His business is rather to grow the wheat, while skilled men attend to the milling.”