American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-10-23
SORGHUM MOLAssEs.


Ga We take tho following extract
from private letter from New Con-
cord, Muskingum county, Ohio, dated
October Is, 1857:
"While in GAINESVILLE, few days
since. my eyes rested Gas l was passing
along the street, upon sign bearing
this inscription, "Chinese molasses for
sale here." l stepped in and examined
the article, which looked very much
like the best Boston Syrup" and on
tasting proved to be almost as good
Upon enquiry l learned that large
quantity was being made in our coun-
ty;--tdrye for the time the plant has
been known l went over into West
GAINESVILLE, to the factoryor sugar house
of Messrs. Douglass, Smith 4 Co. 1
found them grinding the cane in mill
! consisting of iron rollers, which they
had attached to tho steam powerof their
Railroad Car Factory. / was surprised
to sec what "A quantity Of juice the cane
yielded when property pressed. The
foreman told me that most Of the stalks
he was then grinding would Weld each
a pint of juice. And the next matter
of surprise was to see the number of
cattle and hogs which eagerly throne.
ed after the whceloarrow loads of pres
sed cane as it was taken from the mill.
They devour it greedily, and after be-
ing thoroughly pressed. By invitation
| next accompanied the foreman to his
furnace, where the juice was rapidly
turned to molasses. Here were three
huge kettles, or boilers, foaming with
the syrup, sweet and rich, and lots of
dirty boys scraping up with their fin
| gers what boiled over upon the furnace.
The operator informed me that their
experiments proved that FIVE gallons of
cane juice make l gallon of good thick
molasses. lie then gave me some sam
| pies to taste, and all Of them tasted
better than the common N. Q. molss-
ses, and better than most of the sugar
house. They had then turned out l5G
gallons, and had but just got started.
They retail at IS cents per gallon, and
cannot, as yet, Wholesale much cheap
erj but by another season it will cos
much less. They buy the cane, or take
tin or the shares, giving half of the
| molasses made. [ enquired if they had
made any sugar. They answered they
had not, but were corresponding on the
subject, ard wanted to get @t the best
method of granting.
Some fine samples of the molasses
have been exhibited at our County
Fairs. y gentleman at the Guernsey
/ County Fair told me that he had seen
a pretty white 'tqfy' made from the
Sorghum juice, and he had the fullest
confidence that it would make sugar.
Some of our farmers in Washington
tp. "got bit" last Spring, in trying to
buy Sorghum seed. a large quantity
of 1t was sold in GAINESVILLE, at rs cts.
per ounce. Many who paid that price
for their seed, and spent much time &
pains in its cultivation, to give it a fair
trial, have been deeply mortified to see
their crop turn out "chocolatc corn, -"
worthless article, which some people
try to use as q substitute for coffee. -
One man had .tonr acres of it. The
firm who sold the seed were ut also, &
will no doubt prosecute the original sell
Ter. But the pure Sorghum has turned
out satisfactorily hercabouts, and it's
cultivation will be Il great item next
year, if we may judge by the quantity
of seed being laid up.
a Northern sugar house is new
thing under the sun, but it can be seen
at GAINESVILLE. There is q 8weetey day
a-coming. W. d. S.