VOL. XXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JAN. 8,1887.
NO.2
Catue (§vbwzxs.
MEETING OF THE CAlfE OBO WEBB.
The morning session ot the first day,
Deo. 80th, began with the address of the
pre'ident, Dr. Furnas, who spoke of the
history of sorghum manufacture, Its present oondition and future prospects.
Speaking of the waste attending the
manufacture of the product the Doctor
says that the common process of rolling
with ordinary mills shows a loss of from
40 to 50 per cent of the juice of the cane,
and a consequent loss of that amount of
sucrose.
He then spoke of the probable cost of
motive power for grinding. Dr. Furnas
states that he has always been able to hire
a good engine and engineer for about $2
per day, while the cost of teams doing the
amount .of grinding would probably reach
twice that amount.
After the address the Association elected
the following officers for the ensuing year:
President—A. 8. Chapman, Madison.
Vice-president—Dr. A, Furnas, Danville.
Secretary—F.. W. Darning, West Point.
Treasurer—W. F. Leltzman, Clayton.
A. S. Chapman then took tho chair and
the question was submitted—"In what
way oan the cane be prepared to bring the
largest yield of juice?"
Prof. Wiley: The finer the oane the
more j alee can be obtained, and 10 per
cent gain of extraction can be made by
cutting the canes into fine chips before
putting into the mill—shredding or softening by steam will bring the same results. The process of diffusion is too expensive to be practicable in small manufactories. Preparing the cane by shredding is probably the easiest method, as
, about 70 per cent of the juice can be ex
traded in that way.
The next question raised was—"What
shall be done with the waste cane or bagasse?"
Mr. Porter rinds it an excellent thing
for manuring or mulching. For several
years he has mulched his grape vines with
it, and has been successful in preventing
grape rot with which he had previously
been troubled. His opinion was endorsed
by Mr. R*ab.
The best method by which the pans and
coils could be cleaned, was the next subject of discussion.
Mr. Tomkins stated that he obtains the
best results by the use of sorghum skimmings f it the pans and cider vinegar for
tha coils, and that in no case would he
recommend the use of acids.
Pres. Chapman gave an interesting talk
on the necessity and advantages of organization .
In the evening Professor Wiley delivered an address. He spoke chiefly of the
prospect of an indigenous sugar industry
that must be sufficient to meet the demands of thia great sugar raing Nation.
He said it has been demonstrated that the
sugar product of Louisiana can be doubled
without raising any more cane than is
now grown there, simply by the use of
proper care and recently-Improved processes. He said that not one-twentieth of
the land of that State suitable for sugarcane growing Is devoted to this crop, for
the reason that heretofore it has not been
considered profitable. It made profitable,
this area can be utilized, and that win
bring the sugar product'of Louisiana up
from one hundred millions of pounds to
five hundred millions annually within
ten years. This is about one-tenth of the
amount of sugar used in this country.
He said he had shown it was possible to
introduce the profitable cultivation of beet
sugar into California, Oregon and along
the borders of the great lakes, the sugar-
beet requiring an extremely mild summer.
The sugar beet cannot be cultivated with
the sulky-plow. The American farmer
will have to bend his back and use a hoe,
or have some one to do it for him. If he
will do this, vast areas can be profitably
given to the cultivation of the sugar-beet.
Five hundred million pounds of sugar
could readily be added to the sugar crop
in this way, which would bring the production up to half what is needed. Can
the sorghum cane produce the other half?
He claimed that if the manufacturing difficulties, which to him seemed simple,
oould be overcome, the other half oould be
furnished. The chief thing was to handle
the sorghum cane in a hurry. A few
hours alter cutting, the cane, unlike the
sugar beet or the sugar cane, would lose
all its saccharine virtue. He believed that
if the American mechanic would invent,
as he could, appliances for the prompt
handling and manufacture of the cane the
problem would be solved.
This forenoon, E. W. Deming, representing the Parkinson works, Fort Scott, Kan.,
where the government made its experiments in diffusion and carbonization, will
make a report.
At the morning session on the second
day Mr. E. W. Deming read a very satisfactory paper on the manufacture of sugar
at the Parkinson sugar factory, Ft. Scott,
Kan. The company worked up 2,600 tons
of cane, making 50,000 pounds of sugar
and 30,000 gallons of sirup. The latter
was of inferior quality. He explained
the process of diffusion, and said it was
very satisfactory, securing almost the entire amount of sugar in the cane. The
carbonization process of cleansing the
j uioe saved ten per oent more than had
been saved in any other way. .Ground
lignite and ground coal he said was used
for filtering in Germany. The carbonization process is mechanioal and is preferable to the chemical processes usually employed. It has proved very satisfactory
at the Parkinson works. He thought a
complete revolution in working cane
would soon be made and that it would
be done muoh more successfully than
hereto.'ore.
In answer to a query Prof. Wiley spoko
of the injurious effects of using cider,
fruits, etc, preseiwed by means of salicylic acid, and said that sulphurous acid
properly uBed, was equally effective without being injurious.
W. D. Clark, of Colfax, read a paper ln
which he referred to the value of by products. From the refuse of 125 gallons of
sirup, he had made 100 gallons of good
vinegar. He defecates by the use of lime
in cold juice, in three compartments, not
permitting the juice to quite boil in either
of them. Rev. J. R. Y. Miller explained
a quick method of making vinegar froit.
the refuse of the sugar faotory, by pat-sin,-?
the material through shavings In a well
ventilated band.
Upon enquiry of members present it appeared that a total of some 34,000 gallons
of sirup had been made by 17 of them, or
an average of 2,000 gallons each. The
yield per acre ranged widely from 50 gallons to 200. The price of the sirup ranged
from 35 to 50 cents per gallon, and the
charge for making was 20 cents per gallon
or one-half. But very little of the product
was left over. In general the local demand for the sirup is good aud future
prospects of the industry from fair to good.
The awarding committee reported as
follows:
First premium on chemically defecated
sirup to W. F. Leitzman; second to A. P.
Cleland, Birmingham; first on non-chem-
icaled sirup to Coffin Bros , Thorntown;
second to S Tobias Cana; Sweepstakes
premium of a $10 evaporator from A. S.
Chapman to Mr. Leitzman. Premium on
essay to W. D. Clark.
tennial anniversary of the founding of the
old Catholic Mission, which is also regarded as the birth of the city. A description of the festivities would require several columns of the Farmer. The old
original roof of the Mission Chapel is still
remaining, and bids fair to last until the
next centennial. Dei.os Wood.
Dec. 20,1886.
Letter from Santa Barbara, Cal
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I wonder if the reports that occasionally reach you from this coast, sound as curious to you and your readers, as do the
reports of the cold and dismal weather in
the old home papers to us? To-day as I
write I am sitting with coat off, and all
the doors and windows open. The bright
sun is shining with a warmth and sp'en-
dor seldom seen east of the mountains.
We have had two rainy nights, an 1 now
the bright green of spring is upon the
Hillsides and the village. Farmers are
busy with plowing and spring work generally. Crops of all kinds were good the
past season, except fruit, and although all
kinds of this was but a small crop, yet
there is n) la«'k of anything in the fruit
line in our fruit stores.
At present there seems to be an opening
here for some one in the poultry line,hens
being in demand at $6 per dozen and upwards, and eggs at 40 cents, with a prospect of a rise, as this is the beginning ef
the season when our town is crowded with
eastern tourists. There is scarcely a vacant house or room to be had in the city,
Hotels are crowded and still they come.
Every thing Is on a boom over the prospect of a railroad in the near future. Keal
estate has gone up 400 or 500 per cent and
new buildings are springing up in all directions. I have got the fever myself and
have sold my little place in Indiana, and
have got a small ranch of 40 acres here,
and am now building a house, and expect
to devote my time in future to the old
business of bee keeping and poultry raising, to which I shall add the culture of
small plants. The past season I rented a
little canyon and kept bees, and raised
strawberries. From 1-8 acre of plants, set
between September and March, I have
sold over $100 werth of berries. The first
were sold on New Years day, and there has
not been a day since that I have not had
ripe berries.
From 85 colonies of bees, I took four
tons of white honey, and two tons yellow,
and got 100 new swarms, and left both old
and new hives well filled with honey.
Bees are now bringing in pollen and have
begun brood rearing.
Our town has j ust had a lively time of
four day's  duration, celebrating the can-
Facts About Southern California.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
At this season of the year many people
want to know if there is any place on earth
where they can go and escape the storms
and severe cold of the east. They have all
heard there is such a place in Southern
California. Perhaps a few "facts and figures" may be of Interest to some of your
readers.
Today, (Dec. 23d) I have been writing
most of -the day, in a room without fire,
and have not felt the need of any and good
part of the day I have had the window
open at my side. For the week ending
Dec. 16th a record kept by a neighbor of
mine shows the following; Avearageteni-
pera'ure at 6 a. m. 53.3°; average temperature at 12 m. 72 7°; average temperature
at 6 p.m. 58°. Lowest temperature Dec.
10th 6 a. m. 40°; Highest temperature Dec.
13th and 14:h 12 m. 84°. Greatest range
in one day was Dec. 12.h and 16th on both
which days it rose from 52° at 6 a. m. to
80° at 12 m. Ou two days the range was
but 9° and oa one day it was but 3°.
Dacember 13th and 14th were unusually
warm even for California. While you and
your readers are muill*d in cloaks and
overcoats and furs or sitting by your base
burning stoves and listening to "the merry
jingle" of the sleigh bells,we sit with open
doors and windows, or walk out into the
sunshine, gather the flowers, and listen to
the song of the birds. People are coming
by hundres and thousands. The hotels in
Los Angeles often fail to meet the demand
for rooms. In our quiet village of Orange
two good hotds are now being built. One
of them will be ready for guests in a few
weeks. It is estimated that 60,000 people
will visit California this winter and that
35,000 of the number will come to Southern California. .
Speculations In real estate are running
very high in the city. One is reminded of
the old days in Indianapolis, when almost
every one was getting rich.
There have been some serious drawbacks to the agricultural prosperity of this
portion of the State. The red scale bug
has made fearful ravages with the orange
trees. A great many have given up all
hope of conquering it, and have dug np
their orange trws and planted the ground
to raise grapes. It seems that this Is to be
the chief Industry of this part of the State,
it is a good business, reasonable prices can
be secured. This year, most of the producers sold at 5 cents per pound, in sweat
boxes: i. e. the boxes into which they are
put when taken up from the drying
ground. As an aore of ground will produce from a ton to a ton and a half, if properly cared for, that is not a bad orop.
From $100 to $150 per acre may be called
good pay. One firm in this vicinity,
packed and shipped last year 90,000 boxes.
Tuere were four or five other firms at
work, but none so large as the first mentioned. Some day I may take the time
aDd space to give your readers some description of raisin, culture and making,
Alex. Parker.
Orange, Cal., Dec. 23d, 1886.