The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1842-04-16
Corn Oil, and Corn Stalk Sugar,

of oil and sugar from corn, which in the
language of the report is "destined, ii is
believed, to call forth increased enterprise
among the agricullurlsls of our country"
The method of extracting sugar from corn
stalks was Discovered we believe by Mr..
Webb of Wilmington, Delaware.
CoKN OIL is produced from corn meal,
by fermentation, with The aid OF barley
mali. 1t has been produced and used for
some time past in certain dlslllleres, by
skimming off the oil as 1t rises on the
meal in fermentation in the mash tub.
1t has, however, lately become the sub
lect OF particular attention, as an article OF
manufacture, and with success. The
meal, after it has been used for the pro-
duclon of this oil, it is said, will make
better and harder pork, when fed out to
swine; than before. The oll is of good
quality, of yellowiSh color and burns
well. Further Qualification, it is proba-
bic, may render it as colorless as the best
| spe m oil. Whether or not this may be
the case, the ease with which it is made
offers strong inducements 10 engage IN the
production of this article.
But more important object in the pro-
puclIon of Indian corn is doubtless the
manufacture OF SUGAR from the stalk. In
this point OF view, II possesses some very
decided advantages over the cane. The
juice of the cornslalk by Beaume's sac
char o meter reaches TO 100 of saccharne
matter, which, III qualify, is more than
three times that of beet, five times that OF
maple, and fully equals, if it does not eX-
coed. that of the ordinary sugar cane in
the United States. By pluckIng off the
ears of corn from the stalk as they begin
to form, the saccharine matter, which u
sually goes to the production OF the ears,
is retained in the STALK, so that the guam
lily it yields is thus greatly increased
One thousand pounds of sugar, it is he
Ileved, can easily be produced from an
acre of corn. Should this fact seem in
credible, reference need only be made to
the weight of fifty bushels of corn in the
ear, which the Juice so returned in the
stalk would have ripened, had not the car.
when usi forming, been plucked away.
Sixty pounds way be considered fair
estimate. in weight, of bushel of ripaned
corn, and, at this rate, 5000 pounds of ri
pened corn will be The weight of the pro-
duce of one acre. Nearly the whole OF
The saccharIne part Of this remains IN the
stalk, beside what would have existed
there without such removal of the ear
1t is plain, therefore, that the sauguine
concluions of experiments the past year
have not been drawn from insufficient
data. Besides, it has been asceriaImed.
by trial, that corn, on being sown bread
cast (and sor curing but i,le labor. com
| paratvely. in lis cullivaIon,) will produce
five pounds per square foot, equal to lOS
tons to the acre for fodder in green stale;
and it is highly probable that, when sub
jected to the treatment necessary to pre-
pare the stalk, as above described. in the
best manner for tie manufacture Of sugar.
a not less amount of crop may be produ-
ced. Should this prove to be the case.
one thousand weight of sugar per acre
m ght be far too low an estimate. EX-
perimenls on small scale have proved
that Si1 quarts of juice, obtained from the
cornslalk sown broadcast, yielded one
quart Of cryslalIized sirup, which is equal
to l6 per cent; while for one quart Of sir
up it takes lhirty-two quarts of the sap oil
maple.
Again, the cornsialk requires only ono
filth the pressure OF the sugar cane. anC
the mill or press for the purpose is very
simple and cheap in its construction, so
that quite an article of expense will there
by be saved, as the cost of machinery in
the manufacture of sugar from the cane is
great. Only small portion of the cane
also, in this country, where it is an exc
tic, ordinary yields saccharine matter
while the whole Of the cornsialk, the
very top only excepted, can be used
Further, while cane requires at least
eighteen months. and seduous cultivation
an much hard labor to bring it t" ma
turity, the sowing and ripening of the
cornstalk may be performed, for the pur-
pose of producing sugar, with ease, with
in 70 to 90 days; thus allowing not less
than two crops in season in many parts
of our country. The stalk remaining, az
ter being pressed, also furnishes a valua-
bic feed for cattle, enough, it IS said, with
the leaves, to pay for the whole expense
of its culture. Should it be proved, by
further experiments, that the stalk, alIel
being dried and laid up, can, by steaming
be subjected to the press without any es.
senlial loss of the saccharlne principle, as
is the case with the beet in France, sc
that the manufacture Of the sugar can b'