Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-09-16
TIFF CHINESE SUGAR CANE.


As the time for harvesting the Chinese Sugar
Cane il now at hand, we shall probably be do'hg
service to those of our readers who are experiment
ing with it, to give them some Information as 70 the
method of saving it. We have heard OF several
nlanters in this section who have been converting
their cane into syrup. A sample Of syrup made
bv Dr. Tunstall's manager, was sent Us few days
ago, the favor Of which was probably equal to that
of ordinary molasses it had not been boil
up by Thomas Croom,-but we received no infor-
nation to the construction of the mill or as to its
working. We would be glad to hear from Mr..
Groom these points, also as to the yield Of syrup
from given quantity of cane, &c. te....
From report published in the Southern Cuttt-
Gator by DR.. Robert Batey, of Rome, Ca of expert
ments made by him with this plant, and which was
published in our columns in February last, e make
the following extract:
"HARvEsT1Na.-Whe the stalk shall have attain
ed its full size, and the seed have passed from the
dough stage to q harder texture, the cane may be
considered sufficiently mature.
Prior to the harvesting, a set OF proper rollers
and kettles should be provided and well set up
ready for service. The mill made use OF BY Mr..
Peters, and which was gotten up by his d'rectloh
for the purpose is, in my opinion OF very unexcep-
tionable quality, for small apparatus, ana ~orks
admirably. 1t is of suitable size for small crop,
and no farmer should undertake to supply its place
by wooden rollers for a crop of even two acres
The loss of juice will more than counterbalance the
difference in expense. 1t is worked by two mules
Three kettles of from 60 to 100 gallons will be re-
ouired to keep pace fully with the mill. 1t is desl-
rable that these should be broad and shallow, that
they may present large evaporating surface, and
substantially set in brick for security and conve-
nience They should not be distant from the press,
and if upon ground lower than the latter an advant-
age is gained in running the expressed juice directly
into them, and thus saving the labor of transfer.
rSsINc-The canes located conveniently at
hand. are one by one doubled in the middle and
forced between the rollers, which are kept IN as
close proximity the strength of the mill and power
of the mules will warrant.
BOILING DowN.-One of the first things done in
commencing operations should be to start the lire
under the kettles, that they may be we'll warmed by
the time juice is ready for them. In regard to the
precise degree of concentration to which the syrup
shosld be brought, it is exceedingly difficult to lay
down any precise and simple rule which shall meet
every case.
Mr.. Peters states the yield of his best eighth Of
an acre in syrup at 524 gallonsthat of the poorest
eighth at 431 gallons. Taking the average, we
have the yield of entire acre 4O7 gallons, as
Stunning the yield of juice to correspond with the
average results obtained by experiment. say 80 per
cent. of entire weight, with proper machinery, e1.
pressing 70 per cent, we have yield of $40 gat-
Ions per acre."
Mr. Joseph G. Orta of Illinois, in a report made
to the Wabash Agricultural Society, thus speaks of
an experiment he made in converting the cane into
syrup:
ii cut six stalks, placed them successfully upon
fiat board, took rollingpi and well as this
simple machine enabled it to be done expressed
and saved the juice. The result was obtained two
:. tumblers-full but half was not saved. This was
then boiled down, and produced one of the same
tumblers half full of good pleasanttased molasses,
about as thick as the common molasses obtained in
the shops. But as my object was simply to ascer-
tain the quantity rather than the quality of saccha
rine matter contained this juice neither strain
ed nor clarified and therefore, its taste was not
equal to what it would be under careful treat
ment From all that I could observe concerning
this plant am fully convinced that Is per cent of
good clarified sugar could be obtained from the
Juice. Ny experiment produced about 25 per cent.
Of molasses."
Governor Hammond, of South. Carolina. in re-
port to the Beach Island Farmers Club thus speaks
of its yield of seed and forage:
81 measured the grain from a number of heads,
and the result was an average of gill from each.
1 weighed half peck of matured seed after
eral days exposure to the sun. 1t weighed A
pounds. equal to 3s pounds to the bushel. weigh
ed twenty of the best cut for forage. after it
was cured sufficiently to house. They weighed "a
pounds, equal to 10000 pounds for $1,000 canes
lper. acre which I think might be grown on land
that would make 25 bushels of corn with average
season. have triec horses. cattle, and hogs, and
find that they eat the cane its leaves aid Seed gree
Oily, and fowls and pigeons the last think, how
ever, when allowed to mature, the cane should be
cut up fine TO. animals as the outer crust is hard"
He also states that good sugarmill with three
wooden rollers, may be erected for less than $25;
and sugar boiler that will make 80 gallons of syrup
aday, may be purchased in Augusta fer es<than 500
Commodore Ap Catesby Jones thus speaks of it :
1.-The perfect heads being collected, all the stalks
were cut down to the ground, and few armfulls
thrown over into the lane, where cattle and swine
had free access. 1t was amazing to see with what
avidity both devo1red every part and parcel blade
and stalk, making clean sweep of the whole The
frosted mlet was fed to the same animals several
days in succession and without the least abatement
of their appetite for it., had not sufficient guam
tty to test its attenng value but from the avidity
with which the animals devoured it. and the large
amount of sacharine matter it is now known to con-
tain, it must be greatly superior to Indian for
fodder, and it is quite as easily cultivated"
In feeding the cane to cattle it is best to have it
cut up. Where one has no convenience for express
ing the juice, the most profitable use which can be
made of the plant we judge, is to the fodder,
and feed the stalk to hogs. The seed are said to be
very fine for poultry.
Since the foregoing was put in type, we have
found Gov Hammonds report, from which we made
tne foregoing extract in February last. And find.
ing IN 1t some information to the time for cutting
the cane, when it is intended to extract the syrup
from It, ana also as to the number Of times the cant
- Passed through the nnalL-the gieM, &c. which
will doubtless be Of especial interest to portion q
e our on readers we make from it the following add
tional extract: 2 : :
Finding that by the 22d July the most advanced
heads had passed the milk stage, had 10 cane;
cut that supposed was fair sample of the patch
The first three or four hundred were passed through
the mill twice, the remainder four times, and tn
yield was 1874 quarts of juice But 10 canes that
selected and passed seven times through the mill
yielded 8 quarts. Mr.. Clark, one of our members
was present when this was DONE The Juice wa
received in common tubs, and was tested by ther
raometer, and sacchrometer with scale of fort
degrees The thermometer stood in every ;nsto me-