J- J- W JLVX 
 
 AS A 
 
 SOURCE OF SUGAR. 
 
ALBERT R. MANN 
 LIBRARY 
 
 New York State Colleges 
 
 of 
 
 Agriculture and Home Economics 
 
 at 
 Cornell University 
 
Cornell University Library 
 SB 235.C69 
 Sorghum as a source of sugaring a 
 
 3 1924 003 378 266 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003378266 
 
SORGHUM 
 
 As a Source ok Sugar, 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 A REVIEW OP THE BULLETINS OF THE 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 BY 
 
 4 
 
 PETER COLLIER. 
 
 
 
se 
 
 316161 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 A sufficient explanation of this brief publication of certain of 
 the facts concerning sorghum and review of the several Bulletins 
 of Professor Wiley is found in the importance of the subject and 
 in the fact that these occasional bulletins are the only official 
 utterances upon which the public trust chiefly for information 
 which should be a full and careful statement of the facts as they 
 are developed in the progress of the work of investigation. 
 
 That, however, it is clear that these successive bulletins have 
 been far from full statements of fact, will, in the opinion of the 
 writer, appears from what follows, and it will be seen that there 
 have been frequent contradictions as also suppressions of such facts 
 as are of leading value in reaching any fair conclusion from the re- 
 sults obtained. 
 
 "Whether such contradictions, suppressions, misstatements and 
 misrepresentations have been the result of carelessness, ignorance or 
 willfulness will be the measure of actual turpitude involved, but 
 practically it is obvious that the result has been the same, and the 
 public have been mis-led, capital always ready for investment when 
 the returns appeared within reasonable expectation, has been made 
 timid, and the large sums of money appropriated and expended 
 ostensibly for the purpose of solving the numerous practical and 
 scientific problems which would render the results more certain 
 and lucrative to those entering upon this new industry, have been 
 almost wholly wasted, and those who have looked for information 
 and guidance have been bewildered and disconcerted by conflict- 
 ing directions. 
 
 In 1877 the writer was called to the Department of Agricul- 
 ture at Washington by General LeDuc, then Commissioner of 
 Agriculture and by him placed in charge of investigations looking 
 to the economical production of sugar from sorghum and maize 
 stalks. This investigation was entered upon and continued by the 
 writer for five years, and from the first gave results so promising 
 that there appeared no-good reason to doubt that sugar could be 
 produced from these plants at a cost not exceeding one cent a pound. 
 
Such a conclusion was naturally received with incredulity, and 
 yet six years of further investigation has not succeeded in even 
 modifying the facts upon which such conclusion was based, and 
 these facts have proved to others than the writer so conclusive 
 that they have not hesitated to place themselves upon record as 
 completely endorsing the conclusion already expressed, which was no 
 less startling than gratifying. Among those who have thuo ex- 
 pressed themselves, the following will suffice to at least secure for 
 the data upon which they have based their prediction the most 
 careful consideration, especially when they predict the economical 
 production for all time of our sugar supply. 
 
 Hon. W. D. Kelley, the veteran congressman from Pennsyl- 
 vania, in a recent address, said: " Sorghum is working a revolution 
 in the industries of the world as great as Napoleon wrought when 
 he prohibited the introduction of sugar and molasses, by putting a 
 tax of five francs a pound on sugar, and the equivalent on molasses. 
 I shall not live to see the results in their full bloom, but I see them 
 as clearly as Christopher Columbus when he turned his globe and 
 planned a Western voyage, saw that his prow would strike the land 
 and that he would give a new world to mankind. At Fort Scott, 
 in Kansas, they have made sorghum sugar that will, when the in- 
 dustry is fairly organized, yield a profit to the grower of sorghum 
 and the maker of the sugar if sold at one cent a pound." 
 
 S. S. Boyce, editor Chicago Jovrnal of Commerce, recently 
 said: " There is not the least doubt in the minds of those who have 
 taken the pains to inform themselves but that sugar, in every way 
 the equal of cane sugar, can be produced from sorghum at the 
 low cost of one cent per pound, and that this business is to furnish 
 a new industry to this country, saving the $150,000,000 of money 
 now paid for foreign sugar, give employment to land, capital and 
 labor, and employment to many millions of dollars' worth of ma- 
 chinery. 
 
 President Adams, of Cornell University, in a recent address, 
 said: "I regard it as demonstrated that sugar may be produced 
 from sorghum at a cost of not exceeding two cents per pound, and 
 I am not prepared to say that it may not be produced at a cost of 
 one cent per pound." 
 
 Governor Humphrey, of Kansas,, in his late biennial message, 
 says: "The manufacture of sugar from sorghum cane grown in 
 Kansas is no longer an experiment, but an assured success, requir- 
 ing only time and capital to develop it into a great industry. The 
 four plants in operation the past season make a showing that 
 leaves no room to longer question this fact. These four factories 
 
during the season of 1888, produced an aggregate of 701,941 pounds 
 of superior sugar, and 300,000 gallons of molasses, with satisfac- 
 tory results financially, notwithstanding the conditions were in some 
 cases unfavorable. 
 
 Those who have given this question critical investigation and 
 constant study for years, regard it as settled, and this opens up 
 the prospect of making Kansas, especially central and western 
 Kansas, a great sugar-producing district." 
 
 At a banquet given at Fort Scott in honor of tin success 
 achieved by Professor Swenson, the late Commissioner Colnian 
 said, among other things: " I know of no industry in vh.ch one 
 can invest capital with more certain assurance of profit." Again 
 he says: " Sorghum will pay for cultivation with the price of flic 
 seed. An acre will produce twelve tons of cane, and a ton will 
 yield two bushels of seed. The works (at Port Scott) are milking 
 100 pounds of fine sugar per ton of cane from the first run, and it 
 is certain that twenty pounds of sugar can be got from tlio second 
 run besides ten gallons of molasses. Still there is Foindlting 
 further to be done; there is 200 pounds of sugar in a ton of cane ; 
 so it has not reached the maximum of possibility." 
 
 And still again the Commissioner said : " The sorghum in- 
 dustry has come to stay. No flouring mill is more surely turning 
 out flour from wheat than is the factory (Parkinson Sugar Works 
 at Fort Scott) turning out sugar from sorghum cane." 
 
 And finally the late Commissioner says: " There is no plant to 
 compare with sorghum in making sugar. Those gentlemen who 
 have contributed so much to the success of this industry deserve as 
 highly of their country as did Eli Whitney when he invented the 
 cotton gin. Credit and honor are deserved by those who were its 
 friends when it needed friends." 
 
 Again in an address delivered at Spartansburg, S. C, the late 
 Commissioner of Agriculture reiterated hisfaith in sorghum in these 
 words: "No plant is more at home in this country than sorghum, 
 and it is one of the most vigorous and productive plants I can 
 mention. At Fort Scott, Kan., the experiments produced 235,000 
 pounds of pure white sugar, which was sold on the spot to sugar 
 merchants and experts at six cents per pound. The first yield re- 
 sulted in 100 pounds of sugar to the ton of cane, and the seconds 
 were twenty pounds more of sugar and about ten gallons of syrup. 
 There is no question that the seed of the sorghum is equal in value 
 in all respects to Indian corn for feeding stock. "In the experi- 
 ments upon which these figures are based," he adds, "there has 
 been no mistake." 
 
Finally he adds that " if this production of sugar from sorghum 
 holds out, and there is no doubt that it will, the farmers of the 
 country will laugh at the tariff." 
 
 In his official report to Commissioner Colman, Bulletin No. 
 17, page 14, Professor Swenson concludes as follows: 
 
 ' ' In reviewing the work the most important point suggested 
 is the complete success of the experiments in demonstrating the 
 commercial practicability of manufacturing sugar from sorghum 
 cane. 
 
 " 2. That sugar was produced uniformly throughout the en- 
 tire season. 
 
 " 3. That this was not due to any extraordinary content of 
 sugar in the cane, but, on the contrary the cane was much injured 
 by severe drought and chinch bugs. 
 
 "4. That the value of the sugar and molasses obtained this 
 year per ton of sorghum cane will compare favorably with that of 
 the highest yields obtained in Louisiana from sugar cane." 
 
 It is unnecessary for the writer to add that having been, as 
 the result of his personal investigations, in possession of the facts 
 for over a decade upon which these statements above quoted chiefly 
 depend, he has, although called to other work, retained his interest 
 in the matter and carefully perused the several bulletins of his 
 successor which he proposes to subject to review and criticism. 
 
 INTRODUCTION" OF SORGHUM IN" AMERICA. 
 
 The following is a brief history of the introduction of sorghum 
 into America, for this remarkable plant has been cultivated from 
 time immemorial, although a comparatively recent visitor to our 
 continent. It was in 1696 that a French missionary speaks of its 
 cultivation in Gaudaloupe, whence it had been brought, at an even 
 earlier date, from the west coast of Africa by the slave traders. 
 In 1803 a French officer mentions its extended culture in St. 
 Domingo, where, however, it was grown solely for seed and forage. 
 In 1850 the French Consul, Montigny, sent from Shanghai some 
 seeds of sorghum to France, and two years after, William E. 
 Prince, of Flushing, imported a small quantity into this countrv. 
 In 1850 or J 5 7, the "American Agriculturist" distributed some 
 25,000 parcels of seed to its subscribers. These were all of the 
 Chinese varieties, and, were extensively cultivated throughout the 
 country under the name of Chinese sugar cane, which was, how- 
 ever, succeeded by another group of sorghums known as Imphee, 
 which m 1857 wore imported from South Africa, by an English 
 merchant, Leonard Wray, and distributed for cultivation mainly 
 
in Georgia and South Carolina. It is quite remarkable that to-day 
 all the varieties of extensive cultivation in this country, so far as 
 is known, belong wholly to the Imphee group. 
 
 The writer has secured from various portions of Africa and 
 Asia seeds of other varieties still. For example, within six months 
 he has received nine named varieties of sorghum seed from Java, 12 
 from Burmah, several from China, Africa and India, and had pre- 
 viously obtained from a province in India, about the size of one of 
 our counties, some thirty named varieties ; from South Africa over 
 twenty, and in this way has added to the varieties grown in. this 
 country, numbering^probably at least 50 to 100, nearly or quite two 
 hundred new varieties. Thus it is seen how very generally this 
 plant is cultivated in Asia and Africa. Indeed, over immense tracts 
 of country sorghum is the main cereal, supplying nutritious food to 
 both men and animals. 
 
 The value of sorghum as a cereal crop must not be forgotten, 
 for it is as such that this remarkable plant has been cultivated for 
 several thousand years. 
 
 The following analysis show the practical identity in compo- 
 sition of the grain of sorghum and maize : 
 
 Albuminoids 
 
 r.83 p. 
 
 c. 12.02 p. f 
 73 70 •' 
 
 Fat 
 
 1.70 ' 
 
 1.82 ' 
 
 4.7G ' 
 
 2.43 '■ 
 2.45 " 
 6.13 " 
 
 Fibre 1.08 ' 
 
 1.57 " 
 
 Ash 
 
 1 88 ' 
 
 1 70 " 
 
 100 100 
 
 The first column is the average composition of sorghum seed};: 
 the second of Indian corn. Attention is directed to the great 
 agreement which exists between the two, and a glance is sufficient 
 to convince any that the nutritive value is practically the same for 
 each. There is a little over two per cent, more starch in sorghum 
 seed than in corn. There is a little less fat in sorghum than in the- 
 corn. The albuminoids are practically the same in each. It is. 
 obvious, then, that for every purpose for which corn is used, sor- 
 o-hum seed may be substituted ; and in fact there is abundant 
 testimony that sorghum seed has been so used. For example, at 
 Rio Grande, N. J., 500 head of hogs were fed and fattened upon 
 sorghum seed. The late Col. Aiken, of South Carolina, assured the 
 writer that for twenty-five years he had always grown sorghum 
 enough to furnish feed sufficient to fatten his swine, and that for 
 the seed alone he regarded sorghum as far superior to corn in his 
 section of the country. 
 
Our corn crop is the cereal of this country. The yield for 
 1888 is almost exactly two thousand millions of bushels. About 
 thirty-eight per cent, of all the cultivated land of the United 
 States, even including the grass land, is devoted to corn, As is well 
 known, while in the east much account is made of the stalks for 
 increasing the stock of rough fodder, it is probable that at least 
 ninety per cent, of these stalks are regarded throughout the prairie 
 states of the West, where the bulk of corn is grown, as a nuisance 
 to be got rid of the easiest way possible. Corn, therefore, is 
 grown, we may say, almost solely for the grain which it yields. 
 The average acreage yield of the United States for twenty-five 
 years has been about 27 bushels. It is interesting in this con- 
 nection also to observe that 95 per cent, of our corn crop is 
 consumed within the country, and for the several purposes for which 
 it is used, sorghum seed, were it produced, might be in every case 
 substituted. Again, while much yet remains to be determined in 
 regard to the character of the soil best adapted for the sorghum 
 plant, it is generally accepted that any land which is suitable for 
 corn is also adapted to the cultivation of sorghum : in fact, that 
 the demands upon climate and soil of the two crops are practically 
 the same. With this important difference, however, which is in 
 favor of sorghum, namely, that no crop will stand as severe 
 drought as sorghum. Indeed, a few years since, on the northern 
 Atlantic seaboard, the corn crop was practically a failure ; over 
 thousands of acres not a bushel of corn per acre was harvested ; 
 and yet that very season sorghum was found to be unusually rich 
 in sugar, and the only effect produced by this prolonged drought, 
 was to diminish the crop of cane to the extent of about twenty- 
 five per cent. 
 
 The cost of cultivation of the sorghum is practically identical 
 with that of corn, but if a quarter more labor was given to it, the 
 improved character of the crop would justify the additional ex- 
 pense. The grain of sorghum may be prepared for market or for 
 feeding at an expense no greater than attends the cost of harvest- 
 ing corn. The average of seven extended estimates as to the yield 
 of sorghum, and one of these estimates included returns from 
 twenty-one states, gives an average yield of 29£ bushels of seed 
 per acre. We may, then, safely conclude that inasmuch as it pays 
 to grow corn in this country for the seed alone, so too will the seed 
 of sorghum pay all the expense in the cultivation and harvesting 
 of the crop. Indeed, there is abundant testimony to prove that 
 such is the case. 
 
PROFESSOR WILEY ON SORGHUM— A REVIEW OF 
 BULLETIN NO. SO. 
 
 The first thing which strikes one in taking up one of Professor Wiley's 
 Bulletins upon sorghum is the evidence it presents that the Professor has en- 
 tirely forgotten all he has ever published before upon the subject-matter, or 
 presnmes that his readers have done so, and the latter assumption is ordinarily 
 a safe one, and would be in this case, but for the profound interest felt in the 
 subject by the country at large. 
 
 It is not surprising that the reiterated claims which have recently been so 
 persistently put forward in press dispatches and official reports by the late Com- 
 missioner Mr. Colman, for the purpose of concealing the failures and extrava- 
 gance of his chemist, should have led those unfamiliar with the facts to suppose 
 that it was to the late administration that the country was indebted for the 
 introduction of the Diffusion Process, which, as is claimed by them, has made 
 possible the profitable production of sugar in the future from both Sugar Cane 
 and Sorghum. 
 
 How utterly unfounded is this claim will appear if we turn to an early re- 
 port of Professor Wiley, Bulletin No. 2, page 18. where in a letter addressed to 
 him, in reply to a circular issued for information concerning " Diffusion,'' Mr. 
 R. Seig says under date New Orleans, Dec. 15, 1883: '• Dear Sir : — Before re- 
 plying to your questions in detail you will permit me to give you a short out- 
 line of the situation of the sugar industry in Louisiana, as we found it in 187S 
 when we introduced the Diffusion Process in this State." 
 
 Upon page 16 Professor Wiley gives the details of the first week's run when 
 987,945 pounds of sugar cane were worked up by Mr. Seig in 1873, and he shows 
 that the dilution of the juice by diffusion was equal to the addition of 23 gallons 
 of water to 100 gallons of mill juice ; that "of the 90 per cent, of juice in the 
 cane they sent 83 per cent, to the clarifiers ; " that "the diffusion juice had 
 rather gained than lost in purity by the process," and finally that "the excess 
 of diffusion products over mill products was equal to 42| per cent." 
 
 If Professor Wiley has in any particular improved upon these results se- 
 cured in 1873 by Mr. Seig, he has failed to record the fact in. any of his several 
 bulletins. 
 
 Indeed, concerning these very results of Mr. Seig, Professor Wiley upon p. 
 17 of this Bulletin No. 2 says: — " In spite of this most pronounced success of 
 the diffusion process, it has not been introduced into Louisiana, and so far as I 
 know, has not extended beyond these original experiments." 
 
 The above Bulletin was dated January 1 1884, and Professor Wiley admits 
 that he did not know of any further experiments in diffusion in this country. 
 
 This will account for the very favorable account he gives on p. 22 of 
 Bulletin No. 2 of experiments made in "Diffusion of Bagasse," where, after 
 presenting the results obtained by Biffard, he says: — "These are valuable re- 
 
10 
 
 suits. They show that it would pay to institute the process of diffusion in con- 
 nection with milling. One of the great objections to the introduction of diffu- 
 sion has always been that it would result in the practical loss of the milling 
 machinery already in operation. But from these experiments it appears that 
 the process can be established in connection with milling, and then when the 
 mills break ot wear out, the diffusion machinery will be ready to take their 
 place." 
 
 Exactly ! It would almost appear that Professor Wiley had been reading 
 the report of Doctor Collier upon the experiments made by him in 1882 in 
 Diffusing Bagasse, for Doctor Collier had shown as the results of a large number 
 of carefully conducted experiments that 
 
 1st There was no trouble in completely extracting all the sugar left in the 
 bagasse. 
 
 2nd There was an entire absence of inversion of sugar during the oper- 
 ation. 
 
 3d The diffusion juice was equal in its content of sugar to the juice ex- 
 pressed from the cane by the mill. 
 
 But may it not have been that the fact that these results were such as to 
 cause Dr. Collier to recommend "further experiment in this direction," was 
 regarded as sufficient reason for their discontinuance? How otherwise can we 
 account for the remarkable change of front of Professor Wiley, who in Bulletin 
 No. 8, page 45, says, "My visit to Torre del Mar has caused me to modify some- 
 what the views I expressed in my preliminary report to you, written in Paris 
 on Dec. 13, 1885, in which I strongly discouraged the idea of erecting a battery 
 for the purpose of extracting the sugar from the bagasse. At that time I sup- 
 posed it would be necessary to erect in connection with such a battery a 
 complete carbonatation plant. 1 am now convinced that, while this is advisable, 
 it is not necessary, and that in view of the fact that such an installation would 
 involve the purchase of a small battery only, it might be recommended for trial 
 by the Louisiana planters." 
 
 And on page 42 he says: " Before I had seen the arrangement of the appa- 
 ratus at Torre del Mar, and learned from the resident director of the gratifying 
 success which had been secured, I was exceedingly skeptical in respect of the 
 advantage of attempting the diffusion of bagasse. This doubt was largely re- 
 moved by my visit." 
 
 It may interest Professor Wiley to learn that Mr. Larios, the owner of this 
 factory, had entered upon this work which resulted so successfully, after an ex- 
 tended correspondence with Doctor Collier concerning his experiments in Ba- 
 gasse Diffusion. 
 
 From this it would appear that within the short space of a year Professor 
 Wiley had twice radically changed his opinions concerning bagasse diffusion. 
 
 But the results obtained at Torre del Mar were such as to justify this 
 second conversion, since he says on page 44, Bulletin No. 8, that '■ the analyses 
 show the proportion of glucose in the diffusion juice of the bagasse was less 
 than in that of .the mills, a fact which is rather surprising when it is remembered 
 that the diffusion of bagasse is really a maceration and not a diffusion in the 
 proper sonse of the term." The fact testified to by Professor Wiley would ap- 
 pear to prove that it whs diffusion in the proper sense and not maceration, and 
 
11 
 
 nobody but Professor Wiley ever thought of calling it anything else than 
 diffusion. Professor Wiley should have said it is to be remembered that I 
 Professor Wiley, called this maceration, though the facts seem to prove it to be 
 diffusion. 
 
 But further Professor Wiley declares that "the results of the two seasons' 
 work at Torre del Jlar are convincing of the fact that the juice obtained from 
 the bagasse is fully equal in purity to that obtained from the mills." 
 
 In obedience to the dictation of his chief who has but recently immortal- 
 ized himself in investigating the Iowa cow, Professor Wiley principally sought 
 to cast discredit upon the results, the methods and the conclusions of Doctor 
 Collier, and in his attempts has done much to confirm many of the points estab- 
 lished. As illustration, he sought to overthrow the analytical methods of Dr. 
 Collier, and prove that the determinations by the polariscope were vitiated by the 
 glucose present in the juices, but after confirming what had already been 
 proven, that this glucose was optically inactive he sought to secure the honor of 
 the discovery by giving it a name. 
 
 The fact that the maximum crop of seed was to be secured along with a 
 maximum of sugar in the sorghum plant seemed to Professor Wiley contrary to 
 his preconceived views of nature, although the fact had been established beyond 
 question. 
 
 However, after having repeated the investigations of his predecessor he says ; 
 " The effect of cutting off the young heads in increasing the per cent, of sucrose 
 was not as marked as had been expected, being a little less than .3 of one per 
 cent. 
 
 The assurance exhibited in his expecting any other result than that he ob- 
 tained, after the mass of testimony by which the fact had been established, is 
 thoroughly characteristic of Professor Wiley, and we need hardly feel surprised 
 that he should single-handed take issue with the deliberate "conclusions of a 
 select committee of the National Academy of Science. " Fools rush in where 
 angels fear to tread." 
 
 Those, however, unacquainted with Professor Wiley, will be surprised to 
 find that the identical analyses by which he found practically no difference as he 
 says, are quoted by him to show that by cutting off the seed-heads he found a 
 remarkable increase in sugar, "over three per cent, in the juice." 
 
 In a letter published in Colman's Rural World, Professor Wiley says, in 
 reference to this very experiment, as follows : 
 
 " Twenty-nine analyses were made from September 12th to October 17th, 
 of each kind, i. e., both of the canes that were topped, and of those whose seed 
 was given an opportunity to ripen. The mean per centage of sucrose in the 
 juice for the twenty-nine samples from which the heads had been cut away 
 before flowering was 17.88, for the samples untopped 14.53. This result shows 
 that the removal of the heads produced an increase of over 3. per cent, in the 
 sucrose of the juice. " 
 
 Upon page 44, of Bulletin No. 3, Professor Wiley says: "Manufacturers 
 and intending manufacturers should not base their calculation upon the yield of 
 sugar on working canes containing 12 per cent, sucrose and only 1.5 to 2 per 
 cent, of other sugars. I doubt whether any field of sorghum of 10 acres extent 
 has ever been raised which would give such an average result. In the present 
 state of the industry it would be much safer to count on 9 per cent, sucrose, 8 
 per cent, of the other sugars and 2 per cent, solids not sugar as an average of 
 the crop from year to year." 
 
la 
 
 To one unfamiliar with the vagaries of Professor Wiley, it may appear sur- 
 prising to find upon page 144 of his next Bulletin, No. 5, 52 analyses of 6 
 varieties of sorghum, grown and analyzed by Professor Wiley, the juices of 
 which give the following average composition : 
 
 Sucrose percent 14.76 
 
 Glucose '■ J.Z7 
 
 Let me call attention to the following table — comparison of sugar canes 
 and sorghum— and 1 will explain the several terms used. "Sucrose" is the 
 ordinary sugar with which we are familiar — crystalized cane sugar. ' ' Glucose" 
 also, is a term with which we are familiar ; it is an uncrystallizable sugar, always 
 present to a certain extent in the juices of both sugar cane and sorghum, and 
 undesirable, if the production of sugar is aimed at, owing to the fact that it re- 
 tains in solution as molasses a certain portion, estimated to be equal to its own 
 weight, of sucrose. It is desirable, therefore, that glucose be as small as 
 po.-sible . If, however, the production of syrup is aimed at, the glucose unites 
 with the sucrose to increase the amount of syrup to be produced, which will de- 
 pend upon the amount of these two sugars. By ' 'other solids" is meant those 
 other constituents of the juice, several in number and of varying quantity, 
 which are undesirable constituents, and which it is the aim of defecation, one 
 of the operations in the process of manufacture, to remove from the juice as far 
 as possible. By "co-efficient of purity " is meant the percentage of sucrose, 
 or true sugar, present in the total solids. For example, in the first column, 
 13.05 plus .67 plus 2.82 equals 16.54, and 13.05 is 78.9 per cent, of 16.54; 
 78.9 is, hence, the co-efficient purity. Of course, it is desirable that this be as 
 large as possible. It is taken by sugar manufacturers as an estimate of the 
 amount of the sugar present which may be actually recovered during the pro- 
 cess of manufacture. The total sugar in a ton of cane depends, of course, upon 
 the analysis. Ninety per cent, of the cane may be estimated as juice, or 1.800 
 pounds in one ton of cane; 13.05 per cent, of 1,800 pounds is 235, the number 
 of pounds of sugar present in one ton of cane of this average composition. 78.9 
 per cent, of 235 is ltf5, or the available sugar present in one ton of cane of such 
 composition. 
 
 Let us now consider the table. 
 
 The first four columns represent average analyses of a large number of 
 varieties of sugar cane grown in Louisiana. The fifth column is an average of 
 the four. One will observe that the first column represents an average of 72 
 analyses of four varieties of sugar cane, analyzed by Prof. Wiley of the De- 
 partment of Agriculture. These canes were grown upon the plantation of Ex- 
 Governor Warmouth, of Louisiana, one of the most intelligent and wealthy 
 planters of the state. It is fair to presume that the analyses are fully up to the 
 average of canes grown in Louisiana. The second column represents an average 
 of 68 analyses of four varieties of sugar cane grown on the plantation of John 
 Dymond in Louisiana, also analyzed by Professor Wiley. Mr. Dymond is the 
 President of the Sugar Planter's Association of Louisiana, numbering trom 
 1,200 to 1,400 members. It is fair to presume that the products of his planta- 
 tion are fully up to the average of those of his associates engaged in this im- 
 portant industry of the south. The third column is the average of 46 analyses 
 made two years later by Professor Wiley, of canes grown on Gov. Warmouth's 
 plantation. The fourth column is the average of 16 analyses of 6 varieties of 
 cane grown and analyzed by Prof. Stubbs, Director of the Sugar Cane Ex 
 
13 
 
 periment Station of Louisiana. I desire, also, in this connection, to call at- 
 tention to the following table by way of comparison. One will observe lhat the 
 first column U the average of 53 analyses of several varieties of sorghum made 
 by Professor Wiley in 1884, the second of 59 analyses of five varieties grown 
 and analyzed by Prof. Stubbs. The other two columns represent the average 
 of a largo number of analyses made by the writer in 1880 and 1882. it will 
 be seen that the last column on the first table represents the average of 202 
 analyses of several varieties of sugar canes and on the second table of 331 anal- 
 ses of many varieties of sorghums; also, that these results are not, except in 
 part, secured by the writer, nor, in fact, are his results to be regarded as ex- 
 ceptional. It will be seen that the average content of sugar in the juice of 
 sorghums is almost exactly two per cent, greater than that in the juices of the 
 sugar canes. The glucose is slightly more in the sorghums; so, too, are the 
 solids. The co-efficient of purity is, therefore, about three and one-half per 
 cent, less with the sorghums than with the sugar canes, but the total sugar of 
 the sorghums averages 261 pounds, while in the canes it is but 224 « pounds; 
 the available sugar 19S-J pounds in the sorghums, 17:J| pounds in the sugar 
 canes. 
 
 COMPARISON OF SUGAR CANE AND SORGHUM CANE JUICES. 
 
 SUGAR CANE. 
 
 A. B. C. D. Avr'ge. 
 
 Sucrose percent 13.65 10 63 1!.50 12.69 12.4,7 
 
 Glucose percent 67 1.36 .61 .66 
 
 Other Solids percent 2.S2 2.46 2.09 2.74 2.53 
 
 CoefT. of Purity 78°.9j 73°.56 *3°.33 82°.29 79 J .63 
 
 Total Sugar per ton cane pounds 235. 191. 243. 229. 224.5 
 
 Available Sugar per ion cane pounds 185 141. 2'Jil. 188. 179.5 
 
 A. Average .2 Analyses of 4 varieties on Ex- Gov. Warmouth's plantation, '84. Wiley. 
 
 B. Average 68 Analyses ol 4 varieties on John Dymond's plantation. Wiley. 
 
 C. Average 46 Analyses on Ex-Gov. Warmouth's plantation, '86. Wiley. 
 
 D. Average 16 Analyses of 6 varieties grown toy Professor Stubtos. 
 
 SORGHUMS. 
 
 E. F. G. H. Av'rge. 
 
 Sucrose percent 14.26 13.43 13.55 16 18 14.48 
 
 Glucose percent ... 1.27 1.15 1.8' 1.06 
 
 OtherSollds percent 3.65 1I.43 2. 9 308 3.49 
 
 Coeff. of Purity .... T.V. ^".lfi 17"AS 76°.33 76°.09 
 
 Total Sugar per ton cane pounds 266. 242. 244. 291. '261. 
 
 Avallatole Sugar per ton cane pounds 199. 182. 189, 224. 19S.5 
 
 E. Average 58 Analyses several varieties toy Wiley, 1884. 
 P. Average 59 Analyses 5 varieties by Stubbs. 
 
 G. Average 9i Analyses 14 varieties toy Collier, '82. 
 H. Average 122 Analyses, 35 varieties by Collier, 1880. 
 
 These results, to those who have not considered this matter, must be regarded 
 as astonishing, but they are confirmed, as may be seen, by a vast amount of 
 testimony, and cannot be set aside. The results embodied in those tables must 
 be accepted as among the facts which have been established in connection with 
 this important investigation. I wish now to call attention to the following 
 table which represents the actual results obtained in growing and analyzing six 
 well known varieties of sorghum. 
 
 They are selected because their average content of sugar is high and the 
 time required for them to reach maturity differs, the Early Amber maturing in 
 in approximately three months after planting, the Honduras requiring nearly 
 twice the time. It will be observed that, with the exception of the amount of 
 stalks grown to the acre, there is little difference in the several varieties in re- 
 gard to the results of an analysts of the juice, and that tlje amount of sugar 
 
OF SORGHUM. 
 
 
 
 Links 
 
 Or- 
 
 Libe- 
 
 Hon- 
 
 . Hybrid 
 
 ange. 
 
 rlaD. 
 
 duras. 
 
 101 
 
 117 
 
 152 
 
 163 
 
 8 MoO 
 
 49,0 
 
 40,000 
 
 47,250 
 
 14.24 
 
 13.18 
 
 14.24 
 
 12.98 
 
 .93 
 
 1.58 
 
 1,67 
 
 2.11 
 
 3.4'i 
 
 3,39 
 
 418 
 
 3.93 
 
 9.88 
 
 8.21 
 
 8.39 
 
 6.9.i 
 
 356 
 
 337 
 
 256 
 
 ;34 
 
 178 
 
 148 
 
 151 
 
 125 
 
 4,415 
 
 5,813 
 
 5,126 
 
 5, '15 
 
 3,163 
 
 3,621 
 
 3,02 
 
 2,956. 
 
 Hey savs : '■ 
 
 The re; 
 
 iult of 
 
 14 
 
 produced per acre is almost exactly proportional to the weight of crop grown. 
 Jt is desirable, therefore, to grow the largest crop possible on the one hand, 
 on the other to have a long working period for grinding the same and manu- 
 facturing the sugar. It is recommended, therefore, that a portion of the crop 
 be of an early maturing variety, in order that the mill may be started the 
 earliest moment in the season, and that the later maturing varieties be so se- 
 lected as to furnish well-matured stalks lo the mill during every period of the 
 work. 
 
 AVERAGE RESULTS FROM SIX KINDS 
 
 Early WMte 
 Amber. .Mammoth 
 
 DaystoKipen 85 102 
 
 Stripped Cane, pounds per acre . 28,01 '0 29,340 
 
 Sucrose, per cent. In juice 1.21 13,51 
 
 Glucose, per cent in juice 1.54 1.18 
 
 Other Solids, per cent, in juice 3.2R 3.45 
 
 Available Sugar, per cent. In juice S.39 8.88 
 
 Total Sugar, pounds per ton cane 238 243 
 
 Available Sugar, pounds per ton cane 151 159 
 
 Total Sugar, pounds per acre 3,329 .1,568 
 
 Available Sugar, pounds per acre 2,1 8 2,345 
 
 Dpon page 7 in Bulletin No. 20, Professor VV 
 the work at Rio Grande is disappointing in its nature." 
 
 But it was concerning these very results, so disappointing to Professor 
 Wiley, that l»r. George H. Cook, Director of the N. J. Ag. Station, on p. 134 
 of his 9th Annual Report, says : "Better results than ever before have been 
 obtained in extracting the sugar by the smallest quantity of water, and thus 
 saving time and expense in evaporating the diffusion juice, and the studies for- 
 economizing labor have shown where other savings can be made. The separa- 
 ting of seeds and leaves from the cane, has removed the causes for the 
 discoloration and peculiar taste of the sugar and molasses, so that they are not 
 distinguishable from the best of these articles made from sugar cane.'' 
 
 And again Dr. Cook, in conclusion, says : "The growing of sorghum and 
 the manufacture of sugar from it by farmers everywhere in our country, at 
 paying prices, appear to be assured. It is now ready for them to proceed in 
 acquiring, by practice, the skill and experience which is to make it one of the 
 great industries of the nation.'' 
 
 Again Professor Wiley says, p. 7: " For some reason the cane grown in 
 that locality (Rio Grande) has failed to improve." 
 
 Now perhaps Professor Wiley will be so good as to point out a single 
 instance during the past. 35 years in which we have had any, even the least, 
 evidence that sorghum has improved. That sorghum like every other crop, 
 shows a difference between good and poor cultivation, goes without, saying, but 
 the sorghums imported by Jjeonard Wray were as rich in sugar in 1854 as they 
 are at present. 
 
 Of the 15 varieties introduced by Mr. Wray, he makes mention of three, 
 the juice of which contained fifteen per cent, of sugar, three others the juice of 
 which contained fourteen per cent, of sugar, and concerning several others he 
 speaks of their juice as being " very sweet," etc. 
 
 Nor is there any evidence to-day that sorghums have improved since those- 
 four varieties were grown upon the grounds of the Dept. of Agric. in 
 Washington in 1879. 
 
15 
 
 Professor Wiley appears to be at a loss to account for the failure of Early 
 Amber and other varieties grown at Rio Grande in 1888. For his information 
 we would refer him to his Bulletin No. 20, pp. 29 to 36, where he will find the 
 causes very fully explained by Mr. Hughes. As evidence also that Early 
 Amber can be grown at Rio Grande as rich as ever in sugar we refer him to p. 
 33 where a sample of this variety contained, (Sept. 7th, 1887,) 13.55 per cent, 
 of sugar in its juice and had a co-efficient of purity of 78. 
 
 In reference to the valuable results obtained by Mr. Hughes, and we may 
 say here that it was due to his ingenuity that Professor Wiley was able to secure 
 any degree of success in his diffusion experiments, after the dismal failure of 
 his grooved chip, horizontal cutter and centrifugal shredder ; but, indebted as 
 he is for a solution of this problem to Mr. Hughes, he says as to the commer- 
 cial success in manufacture of sugar : " I do not see any favorable result in 
 this direction from the two years' trial at Rio Grande. Mr. Hughes does not 
 give the total amount of sugar made except from » portion of the crop, and 
 this is no evidence whatever that its cost has been sufficiently low to enable it 
 to be put upon the market in competition with other sugars." 
 
 The ordinary reader 1 think, will fail to understand why, from the actual 
 expense in working a portion of a crop, an estimate may not safely be made of 
 the probable cost of working the whole crop. Certainly Professor Wiley did 
 not object to this method when from the actual cost of diffusion of less than 
 50 tons of cane, he calculates that " it might have been done in half the time,'' 
 and "in this case half the coal might have been saved.'' Also he calculates 
 that "with slight changes in the battery it will be an easy matter to reduce, the 
 actual cost of $38. 13 to $20 ;'' and again, "if the cells are made twice as large 
 the cost will be stiil less." Finally, Professor Wiley says : " With apparatus 
 properly arranged the cost of diffusing a ton of cane will not be greater than 
 thirty cents." As it actually did cost him seventy-eight cents it would seem 
 that Professor Wiley must have quite forgotten ever having published Bulletin 
 No. 6, upon p. 8 of which the above specimen of theorizing may be found. 
 
 Professor Wiley also upon p. 8 gives additional evidence that he has either 
 forgotten his previous bulletins or presumes that they are quite forgotten by his 
 readers. 
 
 How otherwise could he have the audacity to assert : "I have long been 
 convinced that for the extraction of sugar from cane of both kinds the greater 
 the degree of comminution of the chips the more successful the process will be." 
 
 How long has he been convinced of this ? Certainly not when in Bulletin 
 No. 6, p. 5, where he says : " The cutter was found to give good satisfaction 
 giving a nicely grooved chip well suited for diffusion." 
 
 Again in Bulletin No. 8, p. 31, he says : "In concluding this study of 
 cutters I desire to insist on the importance of having a grooved chip." And 
 again, p. 70, where he says : " All the facts point to the grooved knife as the 
 one affording a chip best suited to diffusion. I have already pointed out in my 
 previous reports the theoretical grounds which make a grooved knife desirable, 
 and the Ottawa Experiments fully corroborated the predicates of theory " 
 
 In fact Professor Wiley clung to his " grooved chip " with a persistence only 
 surpassed by that with which he held on to his " Chang and Eng " process long 
 after his results had convinced everybody but himself of both its theoretical and 
 practical worthlessness. "This," says Professor Wiley, after telling of the 
 
16 
 
 success at Torre del Mar in the diffusion of bagasse, when for a time his eyes 
 were opened ; ''this is entirely in harmony with my own experience, and is the 
 result which led me long ago to declare (the Professor always antedates others 
 in his great discoveries, or perhaps we should call them inventions) to declare 
 that diffusion and carbonatation are the Chang and Eng of a rational extraction . 
 of sugar from cane.'' 
 
 It will be remembered that Professor Wiley in a public address in New 
 York declared that ' ' 20 pounds of sugar per ton of sorghum cane was all that 
 could be reasonably expected, also that this remarkable plant sorghum might 
 be rich in sugar in the morning and poor at night, and that while at a given 
 moment it might be rich in sugar no one could know when that moment had 
 arrived." Since, within a month after this remarkable statement was made, 
 there was produced 100 pounds of sugar per ton of cane at Rio Grande, the 
 Professor sought to escape from his embarrassing position by flat denial of hav- 
 ing ever made such a statement. But upon p. 126 Of Bulletin No. 18 he makes 
 a statement which is quite as misleading, despite his assertion upon p. 127; " I 
 have not hesitated to state the facts as they were disclosed during the progress of 
 the work, nor have I knowingly concealed any result which has had apparent 
 relation to the problem, whether of a favorahle or unfavorable nature." Upon 
 p. 1 26 he says : ' ' Sorghum canes manufactured at Fort Scott in 1887 gave a yield 
 of 21.6 pounds of sugar per ton." 
 
 Let us see whether he has not "knowingly concealed" a fact having a 
 most important bearing upon tnis point. 
 
 Upon p. 15, Bulletin 14, Professor Wiley gives the analyses of the juice of 
 
 the sorhgums grown at Port Soott in 1886. There were in all 21 analyses made 
 
 between Sept. 17th and Oct. 5th, and only one is excluded, since, as is stated, it 
 
 was of "cane which had been cut three days," and was therefore worthless. 
 
 The average of those 21 analyses gave : — 
 
 Sucrose '. percent 11.59 
 
 Glucose '• " 2.79 
 
 Solids not sugar " " 3.24 
 
 Coefficient ol purity " " 65.01 
 
 This average shows that each ton of cane contained 208.6 pounds of sugar 
 of which 135.8 pounds were available. 
 
 Prom much poorer cane Professor Wiley claims to have obtained at Ottawa 
 "95 pounds of washed and dried sugar " and in addition 16 gallons of molasses 
 per ton of cane. Bulletin No. 6, pp. 8 and 9. 
 
 Prom much poorer cane Professor Swenson obtained 130^ pounds of sugar 
 and 15| gallons of molasses per ton of cane. Bulletin No. 17, pp. 9 and 10. 
 
 And yet Professor Wiley says of this cane, containing, as his own analyses 
 show, from Sept. 17th to Oct. 5th, an average of 208.6 pounds of sugar per ton 
 of cane, of which 135 8 pounds were available, that " no known process, save 
 an act of creation, could have made sugar successfully out of such material." 
 
 Now in view of the facts which his own analyses prove, that for six weeks 
 this field of sorghum contained this high content of sugar, what shall be said of 
 his statement that " sorghum might be rich in sugar in the morning and poor at 
 night." 
 
 Professor Wiley " knowingly concealed " some very important information 
 which had a very direct bearing upon this point. The records at Fort Scott show 
 that up to Oct, 5th, 1886, there was delivered at the mill in cane stripped and 
 unstripped the equivalent of l,782i tons of unstripped cane. 
 
17 
 The analyses show that these l,782i tons of unstripped oane contain 269.950 
 pounds of sugar, of which 175.740 pounds were available. 
 
 This enormous quantity of sugar, nearly 90 tons besides at least 15,000 gal- 
 lons of molasses, Professor Wiley fails to tell us was all dumped into the river, 
 utterly wasted in his persistent effort to use a process which every sugar chemist 
 could have told him must result inevitably in failure, as it did ; and yet this 
 effort to accomplish the impossible cost the government at least $300,000, and 
 delayed results, which, since its abandonment, have been secured by both Pro- 
 fessors Swenson and Hughes, so soon as they could cast off the direction and con- 
 trol of Professor Wiley. 
 
 Professor Wiley refers to the " putrescent water supply" at Fort Scott as 
 though he would have the reader understand that it was this putrescent water 
 which was the cause of his failure to make sugar, when the fact was that this 
 putrescent water was the result of his complete failure and wasteful experi- 
 ments and not the cause. 
 
 It was due to his having dumped ninety tons of sugir and fifteen thousand 
 gallons of molasses into his water supply, which alone caused this putrescence. 
 
 Upon page 13 Professor Wiley says that " from a commercial point of view, 
 the results of the work at Conway Springs are wholly disappointing ; " and yet 
 he is forced to admit that " many points of encouragement will be found." 
 flow, we feel to ask, can the results be "wholly disappointing " and yet present 
 " many points of encouragement.'' 
 
 But what are these results at Conway Springs ? They are : 1st. "The 
 sorghum juices of the crop grown at Conway Springs show a higher content of 
 suci-ose than any large crop which has ever before been produced in the United 
 States." pp. 12, Bulletin 20. 
 
 An average of 46 analyses of juices gave the following : 
 
 Sucrose per cent ]2.U 
 
 Glucose " " 2.35 
 
 Total Solids " " 18.38 
 
 Coefficient of Purity " " 65.78 
 
 This shows an average of 218 pounds of sugar per ton of cane, of which 
 143.8 pounds were available. This averages a little more, only 8 pounds of 
 sugar per ton more, than was present in the 1,782-J tons of cane from which 
 Professor Wiley in 1886 at Port Scott failed to obtain a pound of sugar ; and 
 yet Professor Wiley admits that from this Conway Springs cane from 80 to 90 
 pounds of sugar may be expected. P p. 14. 
 
 Professor Swenson obtained from cane containing 180 pounds of sugar to 
 the ton, of which, according to the usual method of calculation, 108| pounds- 
 were available, an actual yield of 130J pounds of sugar. Bulletin No. 17 p. 9- 
 and 10. We may easily believe that he would, from such cane as was grown at 
 Conway Springs, have secured more nearly 150 pounds of sugar than the 80 or- 
 90 pounds estimated by Professor Wiley as likely to be obtained. 
 
 In fact Professor Wiley claims in Bulletin No. 6 p. 9, to have obtained " 95 
 pounds of washed and dried sugar per ton of cane,'' which according to his. 
 analyses contained 118^ pounds available. 
 
 If therefore from such cane he obtained 95 pounds of sugar per ton, even 
 he might expect from the Conway Springs cane at least 115 pounds of sugar 
 per ton. 
 
18 
 
 2nd. The next point of importance concerning the results at Conway- 
 Springs is (and the very particular attention of Professor Wiley is called to this 
 point, since it fully confirms the results obtained at the Department of Agri- 
 culture in 1879-80-81 and '82, which results have been urged ever since, and 
 which results should have sufficed to prevent Professor Wiley from stating that 
 " sorghum might be rich in sugar in the morning and poor at night,'' a state- 
 ment so absurd as to make him the laughing-stock of scientific men.) 
 
 But now hear Professor Wiley, p. 12 : " This high content of sucrose 
 which appeared in the crop after the middle of September, as indicated by the 
 .analysis of the juices, was continued until the close of the working season in 
 November." 
 
 Again he says, p. 13 : " Another important fact developed by a study of 
 the data obtained at Conway Springs is the persistence of the sugar content in 
 the juice after the cane was fully ripened." 
 
 Air. Deming, who had charge of the work at Conway Springs, states, p. 70, 
 that ' Analysis shows the amount of sugar in each ton of cane, averaging the 
 whole season, to be 249 pounds." 
 
 Again he states, p. 72, that "sixty-three analyses of cane chips, fully 
 representative of the crop and the season, averaged 12.45 per cent, of sucrose, 
 and 2.37 per cent, of glucose." 
 
 Again Mr. Deming says : " As further evidence of the phenomenal 
 ■conditions prevailing here, 1 would call attention to the average of analyses 
 made from Sept. 12 to 30, Oct. 2 to 30 and JS'ov. 1 to 4;' and he adds, li Xote 
 the increase of sucrose and the corresponding decrease of glucose. Such 
 relations of the two sugars in sorghum, existing for a period of two months, 
 aie without precedent in the whole history of the industry." 
 
 Now these are very important points, but when Professor Wiley or Mr. 
 Deming declare them to be either phenomenal or without precedent, they give 
 abundant and conclusive evidence that they do not know what they are talking 
 about. This is a statement easily proven. 
 
 Indeed no fact has been more clearly established year after year than these 
 which appear to Messrs. Wi'ey and Deming as phenomenal and unprecedented. 
 
 In the Annual Heport of the Department of Agriculture for 1879. p. 51, 
 this 'phenomenal and unprecedented condition" is fully set forth as follows : 
 " It will be observed how closely the Early Amber and Liberian correspond in 
 their development, being almost identical, and yet being clearly distinct 
 varieties. It will also be seen that while these two varieties attain a content of 
 sugar in their juices equal to the average content in the juice of sugar cane by 
 the middle of August, the Chinese does not reach this condition until the last 
 of September, while the Honduras does not reach this point until the middle of 
 October." 
 
 " It will lie seen also that after having attained approximately the maximum 
 content of sugar, this condition is maintained for a long period, affording 
 ample time to work up the crop." 
 
 '• The converse of what is found true of the sucrose is clearly shown as to 
 the development of the glucose, and it is seen that a minimum quantity once 
 attained is continued a long time, and t lull this minimum is quite as low as the 
 average amount found present in the sugar canes.' 
 
19 
 
 "The average of all the analyses made of these four varieties (grown in 
 1879) during the period when they were suitable for cutting gives the following 
 results : 
 
 Early Amber, from Aug. 13 to Oct. 29 inclusive, 15 analyses extending 
 over 78 days 14.6 per cent, sucrose. 
 
 Liberian, from Aug. 13th to Oct. 29 inclusive, 13 analyses extending over 
 78 days, 13.8 per cent, sucrose. 
 
 Chinese, from Sept. 13th to Oct. 29 inclusive, 7 analyses extending over 46 
 days, 13.8 per cent, sucrose. 
 
 Honduras, from Oct. 14th to Oct. 29 inclusive, 3 analyses, extending over 
 16 days, 14.6 per cent, sucrose." 
 
 The glucose averaged for the Early Amber 1.08 per cent. ; Liberian 1.11 
 per cent.; Chinese 1.66 percent.; Honduras 1.40 percent, during the above 
 periods. 
 
 It will be seen therefore that Professor Wiley and Mr. Deming are at last 
 right in regard to these important points concerning the development of 
 sorghum, only they are just ten years behind hand in this as in many other 
 matters. 
 
 But Professor Wiley appears to have quite forgotten the results he published 
 inB ulletin No. 5 p. 141 where he shows as the average analysis of five differ- 
 ent varieties of sorghum, the following : 
 
 « 
 
 Sucrose per cent 14.48 
 
 Glucose " " 1.73 
 
 Coefficient of Purity " " 73.11 
 
 and these same varieties a month later gave him the following average : 
 
 Sucrose per cent 15.65 
 
 Glucose " " 1.17 
 
 Coefficient ol Purity " " ...77.41 
 
 There is not a shadow of doubt that quite as good results would have been 
 obtained a month later, but in view of the results which were obtained, there 
 appears no good reason for the surprise which the results at Conway Springs 
 caused Professor Wiley and Mr. Deming. 
 
 That is the way with, sorghum, but they appear to have but just found it 
 out. 
 
 But what does Professor Wiley have to say as to his own results by which 
 he shows that five varieties of sorghum contained upon the average 261. pounds 
 of sugar per ton of cane of which 191. pounds were available, and that a month 
 later these same varieties contained upon the average 282. pounds of sugar per 
 ton of cane of which 218. pounds were available? 
 
 Professor Wiley, although vainly protesting that he had been incorrectly 
 reported as declaring that " sorghum might be rich in sugar in the morning and 
 poor at night, and that no one could tell the exact moment when it was suitable 
 for working," although allowing this correct report of his address which appear- 
 ed the next day to remain unchallenged for months, still lapses into the same 
 strain as where, upon p. 21, he says that "the vagaries of the sorghum plant 
 are so pronounced as to require the careful supervision of the chemist at all 
 times." Now, as a matter of fact, there is no crop grown in the country which 
 is more free from vagaries than is sorghum. There is not an iota of proof 
 which will sustain this statement of Professor Wiley. It is put forth simply to 
 furnish an excuse for his repeated and persistent failures, and yet these vagaries 
 
20 
 
 have never prevented Professors Swenson and Hughes from at once succeeding 
 immediately after Professor Wiley had given up in despair, both at Port Scott 
 and Bio Grande, and meeting with such a degree of success that the results 
 were wired all over the country as the grand triumphs of the Dept. of Agri- 
 culture and its Chemist. 
 
 Vagaries indeed ! It is always easy to invent a reason for failure without 
 admitting incompetence, and Professor Wiley has had a most fertile imagination. 
 At Port Scott it was poor cane, poor lime, chlorophyl, etc , etc., and yet 
 Professor Swenson succeeded. At Conway Springs the cane was never so good, 
 but failure was inevitable with the process which Professor Hughes had made a 
 pronounced success, and then too, there was so much gypsum in the water! 
 Perhaps no one besides Professor Wiley would have discovered or invented this 
 as a cause of failure, but some reason must be assigned, and gypsum would 
 serve the purpose and had also the merit of novelty. 
 
 Professor Wiley remarks, upon p. 21, that " it is to be regretted that at least 
 one company, who through the courtesy of the Commissioner of Agriculture 
 was permitted to use a large amount of machinery belonging to the Department, 
 has so far forgotten its obligations tj the public as to refuse permission for a 
 technical study and report on its operations during the past year. Public 
 property is devoted to a poor purpose when used in such a manner. " 
 
 Of course he refers to the Parkinson Sugar Co. at Port Scott, Kansas, and 
 it is a matter of sincere regret that the country cannot be in possession of all 
 the details of the successful operations which have been there conducted under 
 Professor Swenson . 
 
 Professor Wiley's statement that "public property is devoted to a poor 
 purpose when used in such a manner" comes with poor grace from one who 
 declared that he had used public money "to help a private company out of a 
 serious financial difficulty," when he knew, as he said, that the money thus 
 expended could not in any way advance the interest for which it had been 
 appropriated. 
 
 Professor Wiley cannot have forgotten that he had amply justified his 
 exclusion from the Port Scott Sugar House, when, to the warm remonstrance of 
 Mr. Deming against dumping a cart load of quick-lime into the water supply as 
 had been directed, since it would interfere with the experiments Professor 
 Swenson was to make, and would endanger the safety of the steam boilers, 
 Professor Wiley very brutally replied "d — n Swenson's experiments," and 
 "d — n the boilers!" 
 
 Certainly Professor Wiley cannot wonder that those whose investigations 
 he thus interrupted, and whose lives and property he was willing to imperil, 
 should have notified the Commissioner that the factory would be closed rather 
 than permit Professor Wiley to again have anything to do with their work. , 
 
 He can hardly feel surprise at being excluded from a factory after having 
 sought to claim credit for the success which Professor Swenson secured during 
 his temporary absence, and after his own continued failure. Mr. Parkinson 
 very tersely stated the case to Commissioner Colman when he said that •• it was 
 fortunate Professor Wiley was called to Washington as otherwise we should not 
 have had any sugar to have shown you Mr. Commissioner." 
 
 The papers announce that they are now returning to the line of investiga- 
 tion which was interrupted in 1883, and that many varieties of sorghum have 
 been planted in the immediate vicinity of Washington and tested. 
 
21 
 
 From this it would seem that Professor Wiley has again changed his mind 
 since he says, Bulletin No. 3, p. 44 : " The soil in the vicinity of Washington 
 is not suitable to the growth of sorghum cane." 
 
 it is to be hoped also that Secretary Rusk has such an appreciation of the 
 importance of this investigation of new varieties of cane, that he will not order 
 them to be cut down, as did that Brother Jasper of Agriculture, with the 
 remark that "such d — d nonsense must stop." 
 
 And in this connection it is interesting to remark that Mr. A. A. Denton, 
 upon p. 126 of Bulletin 20, gives among the best varieties of 250 tested by him, 
 several of those from seed furnished by Dr. Collier, and it should be remembered 
 that a high content of sucrose, a low content of glucose and a high coefficient 
 of purity, all most desirable qualities, are found present in canes grown for the 
 first time in the United States, and this fact coincides with what we have reason 
 to believe true of those varieties introduced a third of a century ago, which 
 appear to be to-day practically the same as then in their sugar content and other 
 peculiarities. 
 
 The results given by Messrs. Denton and Crampton upon p. 126 may be 
 profitably studied by those who are disposed to sneer at or even discredit the 
 statement that sorghum (at least several varieties of it) is fully the equal of 
 sugar cane as a source of sugar. 
 
 Ten varieties are given in which the sucrose averages 13.71 per cent. ; ten 
 varieties in which the glucose averages .83 per cent. ; and ten varieties in which 
 the coefficient of purity averages 73.94. 
 
 Four of these varieties average as follows : 
 
 Sucrose percent 13.54 
 
 Glucose .... .... " " 85 
 
 Coefficient of purity " " 71.47 
 
 This is an average of 244. pounds of sugar to the ton of cane of which 182. 
 pounds are available. 
 
 We might, in accordance with the methods used in discussing results 
 during the past few years at the Department of Agriculture, average the entire 
 250 varieties under investigation at Sterling, and we probably should find ■' 20 
 or 25 pounds of sugar per ton of cane as all which could be reasonably 
 expected," but such methods too much resemble those notorious statistics of 
 Mr. Dodge of the Statistical Bureau, who proved by figures, (and he can prove 
 anything by his figures), that the average sugar product from sorghum, in Ohio, 
 for ten years, was about one pound per acre. Such juggling with figures is 
 criminal, but it suited his master whose "most excellent statistician " he was. 
 
 It remains to be seen whether, under the present administration, this new 
 and most promising industry which may, and will, if only intelligently conduct- 
 ed, furnish us our supply of sugar and save to the country hundreds of millions 
 of dollars in the near future, and for the intelligent investigation and develop- 
 ment of -which, congress has already appropriated several hundred thousand 
 dollars, shall be longer retarded through either incompetence or corruption. 
 
 No severer criticism has been or can be made upon the work of Professor 
 Wiley than by simply comparing one of his bulletins with another. 
 
 Nothing tends more to destroy confidence than these continued contradic- 
 tions with which the bulletins of Professor Wiley abound. 
 
x To give one more example : He says in reference to his experiments in 
 Carbonatation, Bulletin No. 3, p. 108, "The results of these experiments were 
 most flattering." 
 
 It was this surprising statement, absolutely without justification, that led 
 the Parkinson Sugar Company to construct a series of costly carbonatation 
 tanks, to construct a large lime-kiln and minor other matters, expenses involved 
 in fhe introduction of this " Chang and Eng process," and the result was very 
 well described by Mr. Deming, in a letter to the Rural World, in which he 
 speaks of the molasses secured by this process as "necessitating a 
 new classification for this particular product, as neither sorghum, glucose, nor 
 sugar house goods bear any resemblance to it," and of that made from Louisiana 
 Sugar Cane that "it is quite valueless on the market." 
 
 " Most flattering results," indeed ! 
 
 In view of his continuous record of dismal failure which has more than 
 anything else tended to destroy confidence and render capital timid, the follow- 
 ing from p. 17 of his latest bulletin is commended to the attention of Professor 
 Wiley: " Failure is not only a personal calamity but a public one in that it 
 deters capital from an investment in an industry which properly pursued, gives 
 promise of a fair interest on the money invested." 
 
 In this we entirely agree with Professor Wiley. 
 
 In closing his report, the Professor, upon p. 29, says : "Since it is my 
 business to investigate rather than to theorize, I have contented myself chiefly 
 with reporting facts rather than expounding theories." 
 
 That sounds well, the only trouble is that it is untrue as we have shown. 
 That Professor Wiley should come to abandon theories would seem natural 
 enough in view of the repeated and confessed instances in which he has found 
 them to be contrary to facts, as, e. g. The grooved chip; bagasse diffusion; 
 Chang and Eng; the optical action of the glucose of sorghum juices; the effect 
 of cutting off seed-heads; the horizontal cutter; in fact nearly everything in 
 which he has attempted untried paths. 
 
 With all his assumed reverence for the facts concerning sorghum, Professor 
 Wiley has never scrupled to misrepresent the facts ascertained by himself or to 
 discredit those which have been discovered by others. Of the former we have 
 already given many instances. In proof of the latter statement he says, p. 127, 
 Bulletin No. 18 : "I am not one of those, however, who claim for sorghum a 
 position above the sugar cane either at present or remotely. All such claims 
 are based either purposely on a few selected analyses, or ignorantly on partial 
 evidence, or on no scientific evidence whatever." 
 
 That is simply uutrue and wilfully so. I wish to ask Professor Wiley if 
 other than by chemical analysis or the polariscope there is any method by which 
 the "content of sugar in the juices of sorghum, maize or sugar-cane may be 
 determined; and then whether it is or is not a fact that the average of 202 
 analyses of sugar-cane juices, grown upon different plantations and in different 
 years, did not in their juices show an average content of 22,") pounds of total 
 sugar of which 179 pounds were available in each ton of cane; also whether 331 
 analyses of many varieties of sorghum grown in different years and in different 
 states, and like the sugar canes analyzed by different chemists, Professor Wiley 
 among the number; whether the juices of these sorghums did not average a 
 content of 261 pounds of sugar of which 199 pounds were available in each ton 
 of cane ? Also is there any, even the least evidence that these were not average 
 
analyses in both cases, or, if in fact there was selection, whether Professor 
 Wiley more carefully selected his sorghums for analysis than his sugar-canes ? 
 
 Again Professor Wiley has the intolerable conceit to call in question the 
 conclusions of the Committee of the National Academy of Sciences, who in 
 their report say that " The only trial on a large scale for extracting sugar from 
 cornstalks of which we have record will be found in the statement of J. B. 
 Thorns, and was not a success. It is possible that if the maize had been allowed 
 to mature, in place of being cut when the ear was in an immature state fit for 
 canning, the result might have been different." 
 
 Professor Wiley adds : "I have taken the liberty of italicizing the last 
 sentence since it is one of the most remarkable generalizations that has ever 
 met my view." 
 
 And satirically he adds : " Those of us who have been brought up upon a 
 farm, and know by experience the exceptionally juicy and saccharine charaeter 
 of the corn-stalk when the ears are fully ripe, can appreciate the explanation 
 which the committee makes of Mr. Thorns' failure to secure sugar from the 
 stalks." 
 
 It might be well for Professor Wiley to refer to the reports of work done in 
 the Dept. of Agric. before investigation of this important matter had given 
 way to theory and guess-work, and he will find that the lines will be few and 
 short which will be necessary to record every advance which has been made in 
 this industry through the Department of Agriculture, since the Committee of 
 the National Academy made their report. 
 
 He will find that 8 varieties of maize, only one of which was sweet corn, 
 gave as the result of every analysis, 46 in all, made after the grain was 
 thoroughly ripe, the following average of the juice expressed by mill from the 
 stalks : 
 
 Juice expressed percent 55.67 
 
 Sucrose " " 10.67 
 
 Glucose " " 1.01 
 
 Other solids '■ " 3.33 
 
 He will also find that Nelson Maltby, of Ohio, reported to the Commis- 
 sioner of Agriculture having obtained from 200 pounds of corn-stalks when the 
 ear was just fit for use, one gallon of syrup, from which he obtained 3£ pounds 
 of sugar, of which he sent a sample, and which sample was as unwelcome there 
 as it could be now to Professor Wiley in his present state of mind concerning 
 corn-stalk sugar. But it will be noted that Mr. Maltby obtained about twice as 
 much sugar from corn-stalks as Professor Wiley could obtain from the sorghum 
 at Fort Scott. 
 
 In conclusion we again express our regret that the relations have become so 
 strained between Professor Wiley and the officers of the Parkinson Sugar 
 Company that an inspection of the work and report of results could not be 
 secured for Bulletin No. 20, especially since the results secured the past season 
 appear to have been so satisfactory as to justify the remark of the manager 
 Mr. Parkinson, who in reply to a question as to the cost of producing sugar 
 from sorghum is reported in the Watchman and Journal, Vt., Dec. 26th, 1888, 
 as saying : "I cannot say at just what cost sorghum sugar can be made, but 
 Professor Collier's estimate of one cent per pound is much nearer the truth than 
 I formerly supposed. It is quite possible that the development of this new 
 industry will solve the question of tariff on sugar by giving sugar to consumers 
 here at a less price than foreign sugar can be imported, even with no tariff." 
 
u 
 
 In Bulletiir No. 18 Professor Wiley has taken pains to summarize the results 
 thus far obtained in the numerous attempts to produce sugar from sorghum, 
 and these results have been heralded far and wide as evidence of the hopeless- 
 ness of future efforts in this direction. Those who, with apparent glee, 
 welcome the evidence of failure, which these statistics present, will endeavor, I 
 hope, to recall a single industry, which, since the foundation of the world, has 
 beon successfully established and is at present profitably conducted, which has 
 not in its early periods of development met with similar reverses, the natural 
 result of early efforts which required only an increase of knowledge and ex- 
 perience to obviate and to bring these industries at last to perfection. The 
 history of the sugar beet industry is so closely allied to this of sorghum that it 
 becomes especially noteworthy in this connection. 
 
 And finally, I give a summary of some of the facts upon which I rely with 
 confidence that the production of good merchantable sugar at a cost not to 
 exceed one cent a pound is quite within the range of probability and that too in 
 the very near future. 
 
 Of course all will agree with me that such result will prove of almost 
 infinite material value to our country, and is worthy the fullest discussion. 
 
 I shall print only a very few of the well ascertained facts, but could 
 multiply them almost indefinitely, and shall be glad to furnish them at any 
 time, asking only that they receive the attention they certainly merit. 
 
 COST OF CULTIVATION. 
 
 I have the detailed items of expense of a man who grew 275 acres of sor- 
 ghum in Kansas. The total, which includes every detail of plowing, planting, 
 and cultivation, amounts to $608, or $2.21 per acre; another gentleman gives 
 jn his estimate as $2 for the same. Ten tons of cane is a fair average crop 
 per acre. 
 
 COST OP HARVESTING AND DELIVERY. 
 
 The gentleman who grew the 275 acres mentioned above, found the expense 
 for stripping, cutting up and delivery of the cane by wagons to the mill at a 
 half mile distance, to be 47J cents per ton of cane, and estimating the cost of 
 topping in the field as equal to the cost of stripping (a liberal estimate) the total 
 cost of harvesting and delivering the topped and stripped cane at the mill was 
 59 cents per ton. 
 
 Another' gentleman who grew 85 acres, found the cost of harvesting and 
 delivering unstripped cane to the mill to be 37 cents per ton. 
 
 COST OF MANUFACTURE. 
 
 John Dymond, President of the Louisiana Sugar Planters' Association, 
 who is one of the most extensive and intelligent planters and manufacturers, in 
 a late address before tho Association, estimated the cost of manufacture of the 
 sugar-cane at the following : 
 
 POST PER TON OF CANE. 
 
 Labor In and about the factory $ .as 
 
 Fuel consumed In manufacture in- 1 , 
 
 Oil, Tallow, Sulphur, Lime, &c 12 \ 
 
 Total 56 
 
25 
 
 COST OP GATHERING AND THRESHING SEED. 
 
 One grower of sorghum in Nebraska found the cost of gathering and 
 threshing the seed to be 8 cents per bushel, and this appears to be an excessive 
 estimate since it may be easily cured in the field and threshed as are oats and 
 wheat. 
 
 YrELD OF SEED PER ACRE. 
 
 The average report from twenty-one different states gave 30 bushels of 
 sorghum seed per acre. 
 
 YIELD OF SUGAR. 
 
 Professor Swenson in our experimental trial upon 133 tons of sorghum cane 
 obtained as follows per ton of cane : 
 
 FlrstSugars 113 pounds 
 
 Second " 17 5 " 
 
 Molasses 16.7 gallons 
 
 Upon a second trial with 86 tons of cane he obtained per Ion of cane as 
 
 follows : 
 
 First Sugars 108 pounds 
 
 Second " 23 *' 
 
 Molasses 17 gallons 
 
 The average polarization of the first sugars was 95°, of the second sugars 
 88°. 
 
 In regard to the above results Professor Swenson says that they were " not 
 due to any extraordinary content of sugar in the cane, but, on the contrary, the 
 cane was much injured by severe drought and chinch bugs;'' also that "sugar 
 was produced uniformly throughout the season.'' 
 
 We have then as the cost of growing and manufacture of the cane per ton 
 based on the results of actual experience as follows : 
 
 Cultivation 221 
 
 Harvesting and Delivery 473 
 
 Manufacture 56 
 
 Harvesting and Threshing Seed 21 
 
 1.494 
 
 We have also as the results of actual experience the following products per 
 ton of cane : 3 bushels seed, 131 pounds sugar, 17 gallons molasses. 
 
 There are also other expenses, as cooperage, which Mr. Dymond places at 
 30 cents per ton, the interest upon the land, the interest upon the manufactory 
 may as also the general wear and tear; but we may double the above items of 
 expense, for which 1 see no necessity or good reason, and we may halve the 
 above yield in products, for which course 1 see no reason or necessity, and 1 still 
 believe that with economy and any fair valuation of the seed and molasses the 
 sugar will be produced at a cost of so near a cent a pound as to fully justify 
 the claim now reiterated after an experience of ten years, for these results 
 secured by Professor Swenson, were, on a smaller scale, sui passed by the writer, 
 and confidently predicted more than ten years ago as the probabilities of this 
 industry whenever in the future it should be established on a large scale. 
 
 No one, I think, is more fully aware than the writer, that thus far the 
 records of success have been few and far between, but it is to the point to say 
 that the numerous failures thus far have been due to ignorance or disregard of 
 the fundamental principles of the business, or carelessness in their application. 
 
26 
 
 None are to-day more hopeful than they who have thus far failed of finan- 
 cial success in this new industry, and simply because none know so well as they 
 that their failure resulted not from any inevitable condition, but wholly from 
 preventible causes which in many cases even ordinary foresight would have 
 obviated. 
 
 The writer fails to recall any large industry which at the outset has not 
 had a similar if not so prolonged an- experience of partial failure, and the 
 prospects of future success are more clearly ascertained by considering the 
 cases of triumph, more or less complete, which have attended the earlier efforts, 
 than by a rough average of all the results good and bad alike, however such 
 results came about. 
 
 Peter Collier. 
 
 Geneva, N. Y., Aug. 1st.