Feeding blackstrap molasses to fattening steers.

Use of Cane Molasses for Stock Feeding Follows Collapse of Molasses Market • Cane molasses, pn the other hand, being suitable for human food and used a great deal as a sugar substitute, was not used for stock feed- ing in America to any great extent until after 1890.By this time more sugar was being produced, and as more efficient methods were being developed for extracting sugar from sugar cane, there was a greater sur- plus of the lower grades of molasses.The Louisiana Planter and Sugar Manufacturer published in 1888 by John Dymond, a sugar planter near New Orleans, furnishes some information regarding the beginning of molasses feeding in Louisiana.The molasses market was seriously over- stocked in 1890-91, and the net value at the sugar mills was around 2 cents per gallon.John Dymond, who had fed molasses to work mules in 1882-1883, wrote in February 1891, "'Molasses has now fallen so low as to become practically valueless and unless some means of its disposal shall be made apparent the i medium and lower grades will have to be thrown away.In Eng- land a large amount of the lowest grades of molasses is used as food for animals."*^It was suggested that alcohol plants and distilleries should be established in the sugar cane area to make use of surplus molasses.Other suggestions were that molasses might be used as fuel in sugar mills or as fertilizer on cane fields.In 1892 Dymond wrote again, "Molasses is now as low or lower than ever-2 cents a gallon hardly being obtainable for it."*^Butthe situation become worse and in 1895 the Louisiana Planter reprinted an article from the Country Gentleman which stated, "Throughout the sugar districts of Louisiana molasses is emptied into the streams and skimming ditches to get rid of it, being of such little value it does not pay to barrel it for transportation.Molasses is worth in New Orleans l|f^t o 2^Z^per gallon.Thousands upon thousands of barrels of molasses are now wasted."^*'A writer from St. Louis advised that molasses be advertised amongTexas cattlemen to encourage them to use molasses for fattening cattle."In April 1895, at a meeting of the Louisiana Sugar Planters Association, * According to the Statistical Abstracts of the United States and other sources the estimated consumption of sugar in the United States has increased from 8.8 pounds per capita in 1823 to 24.4 pounds in 1866; 35.5 pounds in 1875; 60.8 pounds in 1890; 81.8 pounds in 1910; 110 pounds in 1925; and 115.1 pounds in 1941.This includes sugar used for all purposes as pastry, confectionery, soft drinks, etc., as well as table sugar.