The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-10-10
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, OCTOBER 10, 1857
Sugar from the Chinese Cane-The Question of
Capitalization Settled

The opportune introduction of the |
Chlnese sugar cane into this country, and !
the general success IN experimental plant |
Ing, stimulates our agricultural friends in |
all positions to an extent truly pleasing
and surprising. Already we have seen it |
stated that not less than hundred thous-
and acres have been devoted to the cult. |
vation of it in this country the present
season. The experiment of manufacture
ing sugar and molasses from it, therefore,
Will be tried ON scale sufficiently large
to determine the whole question of its
value Tor such purposes. There are fields
OF 1t IN every State and Territory of the
Union, and from various quarters, both at
the North and the South, and even in the
fsr sssestern prairies of Illinois, saws
Chicago paper, they are commencing its
cultivation. We hear that the crop is ap-
preaching maturity, and that preparations
are being made to manufacture sugar. 1t
has been extensively planted in our own
State, and some specimens which have
fallen under our notice exhibit an extraor-
dinary growth.
1t is estimated that these 100000 acres
of the Chinese cane will yield on an aver
age 300 gallons to the acre, of syrup, good
for the table use.
The manufacture of spirit from the
sorgho also may now be carried on by our
farmers in the winter season, when there
is no other occupation for them, at the
rate of gallon of proof spirit for each
gallon of fermented syrup. This will find
a ready sale at the rectifiers, who will turn
it into alcohol for camphene and other
purposes. The quantity of alcohol, saws
writer we'll versed on the subject, now
used for purposes of illumination alone, to
say nothing of yarnishes, chloroform, and
medicinal extracts, is enormous, and was
beginning to have serious effect on the
price of bread, owing to the wholesale de-
struetion of the cereals required to produce
it. Now, however, we have found sub
stitute, which, besides supplying syrup
and alcohol, will also yield from the
same crop large amount of forage and
grain for the fattening of stock.
But while the grand experiment of
sugar growing in the temperate latitudes
approaches its elimination, multitudes are
still in doubt whether pure, well crystal
lized sugar can be made from the juice of
the Chinese cane. For ourselves, the ev-
idence in the affirmative is entirely con-
elusive on this point Such is the verdict
of the best French chemists, whose testi-
mony has been recently communicated to
the Patent Office, and will be given to
the public in the forthcoming report Of
the Commissioner
| Opa olocc of oboroictc r,bo,1, &c
DIR. Jackson, of Boston, have assumed
as the result of their hasty experiments
that only glucose, or grape sugar, could be
made from the juice of the sorghum; but
more careful and thorough investigation.
show that the greater portion of its sac
eharine matter is crystallizable. Mr.
Herey, of France, contends that no un
crystallizable sugar pre-exists in the cane
and that the formation of glucose sugar i.
only owing to the action of the salts con
tanned in the liquid during the manufac
turing process. abe it as it may" contin
ues the report, ''it is certain that the great
er portion of the saccharine matter of tn,
Juice is crystallizable, and may be obtained
in the state of crystals, if, after rapid boil
ing and filtering, the clear fluid be quick
iy evaporated, the latter operation being
condition of absolute necessity in suga
making, as, by slow boiling, at tempera
; ture of 212 degrees, or even exposure TO
considerable time to a temperature below
the boiling point, glucose may be formed
from the purest crystallized sugar diSsolv
ed in water. On the contrary, if the con
centrated solution of sugar be heated be
yond $50 degrees of Fahrenheit, it un
dergoes alteration, and is changed, at leas
, in part, into uncrystallizable sugar, or sac
charine mucillage."
Mr.. Wray, of London, who is now il
attendance upon the the National Fair a
louisville, and who has, perhaps, NOR
!, experimental knowledge upon the subjec
!. than any other man in the world.
: quoted as good authority by the Commits
sioners on the question of crystalliza
: ton, and we presume that the expert
. ments which he is now making from da..
to day will be equally conclusive t
the public mind. He has devoted year
:, to the subject, pursuing his investigation
! in Africa and France, as well as thl
country during the present season, an
> has obtained patent for his process
= sugar making in England.
Assuming, then, that superior sugar ca
e be made from the juice of the sorghum
it is hardly possible to exaggerate its i'm
portance as an addition to the crops of tn
temperate latitudes. Its value was dis
covered at Just the period when the cuI
3 ture of the sugar cane at the South ha
S become failure, and when also the ger
eral consumption of sugar began to out
g run production.
;. The world demanded that by som
y means, if possible, the supply should b
. increased; and, in response to that demand
% as if by providential arrangement, th
70 country was supplied with the seed
,r the sorghum and the imphee, from whic
IS we are to have our first harvest OF frt
$ labor sugar. 1t is a great event in tt
.. political economy of this country, if not
the world. We pay out annually man
millions of dollars for foreign sugar, Il
crop of Louisiana at best meeting but
m fraction of the demand. Last year,
se was estimated that the nation consume
b. not less than 100000 pounds, AT
t. this amount, vast as it is, must continual
ID increase if a supply cannot be obtaine
of In the Chinese sugar cane, we are nc
i'll confident we have the source of an almC
a uRbounded supply. 1t will flourish ever
in where in the Union.-CdrolinG Times.
re ------------
Ia Of Our friend E. w. BENNETT W