The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-10-03
SOreh0.

"Sofgho and lmphee, the Chinese and Ami
rican Sugar Canes" we extract the follow.
Z. ing directions for cutting and grinding the
il stalks, and boiling down the juice into syr.
q up or even into sugar. These drectio are
! so simple and clear, and the machinery they
require so easily procured or constructed,
, that we trust every one who has raised q
+ patch of Sorgho this season will try to make
; at least few gallons of syrup. They vii,
of course understand that the canes are Sh-
! ly sweet when fully or very nearly ripe, spd
that such as do not perfect their seed VII
afford but little or no sugar. Still, We
would urge even those whose plants are kill
ed by frost before perfecting their seeds 30
give them a trial and report their successor
failure for the guidance of others. Thy
can easily tell by cutting a stalk and tasting
its pith, whether it will afford sugar or not
the mere killing of the leaves by frost will
not, we presume, destroy the saccharine
properties Of the stalk. But let us hear Mr.
Olcott: q
CHEAP AND SIMPLE PROCESS FOR MAKING SUGAR
OR SYRUP on A SMALL SCALE. ~
The first thing is to permit the sorgho to
fully ripen, as in that condition it makes
the best syrup, and will be free from the
grassy flavor complained Of in previous ex-
periments. This, as has been previously
said, is known by the seeds becoming black
and hard. When fully ripe, then, with a
corn cutter, large carving knife, or, what
is better, small hatchet, cut the canes off
close to the roots, strip eff their leaves as
| far as the joints extend, and chop off the
rest Of the stalk, saving the seeds for future
! planting if the cane proves 10 be of good
/ quality; if not, give them 10 the chickens.
! The next thing is TO extract the juice from
/ the stalk or canes. This must be done by
pressing them between rollers. If there is
a cider mil on the premises it will be all
sufficient pass them through it just as you
would crush apples, catching the juice in
some clean vessel with as few chips or dirt
in it as possible.
VERY CHEAP MILL.
If there be no cider mill in the neghbor-
hood, you must make a shift to construct
one yourself, or get the nearest carpenter
to do so !; nothing but wood being required
for all YOU have to do The way 10 go
about il * as follows; Choose some straight
piece Of maple, or any bard wood, twelve
or fourteen inches across, and saw one piece
off 80 inches long, and the other IS inches
These are 10 make your two rollers and as !
nearly round as you can get the log, so
much less trouble will there be TO fashion /,
the work. Having got your wood, take the ,
blocks TO the nearest carpenter, and tell /
him to make you two journals on the ends (
OF the shortest piece, two and half inches |
less in diameter than the blocks will be .
when made perfectly round. II he has
turning lathe, he will be able TO do it all in .
a couple of hours. Let him make the axles
or journals seven inches long each. You
have now one roller finished; the other is
like it, only after making journal on one
end, he measures along the same length us
the other roller which viii be sixteen inches
and then cuts into the block another journal
like the others, leaving beyond it eighteen
inches Of sound wood TO spare, of the same
g:rth or diameter "a the roller part. Thro'
this eighteen inches that you have left over,
cut 4 square hole or socket, large enough to
put good stiff wooden lever in or through
IT, 50 that when your rollers are set up on
end in frame, like a windlass, you can
walk round with the lever, and so turn the
mill.
If there is blacksmith in the neishbor
hood, it would be we'll to get him TO put an
iron hoop above and below the lever-hole or
socket, 20 prevent the strain, which will be
considerable, from splitting the top. You
have now the rollers complete; the next
step is TO make the frame that holds them
together. Take two pieces OF timber, nine
feet long and nine inches square, if you
have them; if not, round barked timber
will do; dig two holes in the ground six
feet deep and four feet apart wherever you
wish your mill to stand. Put the pests into
them, and ill the earth in again, beating 1t
down so as to hold these uprshts as stiff
and immoyable as possible. These are the
supports Of your mill, and have TO bear all
the strain, SO that you must see that they
are strong and firm. Now, get slab Of
wood six feet long, sixteen inches broad and ,
eight inches thick, set your two rollers on il,
standing upright, and close together; mark
the two holes for the lower journals, and
cut them out six inches deep. You must ,
now cut couple Of nctchcs at the ends of
the slab, fit these notches between the two
posts, and pin them tight. Now you have ,
the bed plate of your mill. Set the rollers
upright on It, with the journals in the holes ,
you have cut for them, and proceed to ht ,
the upper frame-plate in the same way, ex-i
cept TINT il must be made in two halves ow- ,
ing to the socket part where the lever goes
preventing your slipping it over both jour
nails, as was done in the other case. For ,
the upper frame plate, taking two pieces, ,
six feet long, nine inches broad, and seven
inches thick, fit them nicely together round I
the journals, and fix as before. To keep J
the two pieces from spreading when the !
strain comes, either clamp them together {
with wooden clamps or wedges, or hold s
them together with dovetal tie. The mill
is now complete; put in the lever, and you
are ready to crush the canes. Cut small
gutter round the roller in the wood OF the
edp!ate, leading to spout, to prevent the !;
juice from running all round and being lost. u,
The above need not cost farmer ten dollars =,
where wood is plenty, is sufficiently strong, .
and would crush hundred gallons Of juice :
per day, if required. )
CRUSHING OUT THE JUICE ,
Havirg brought your canes to the mill,
and adjusted your lever, either let man I
walk round it, or attach horse or pony. I
Pass IN canes through two at time. till '
you have sufficient juice for boiling, say ,
ten gallons or fifteen gallons, which should ,
be crushed out in half an hour. Now build I
a suitable place with stones, or set up two c
forked poles, and put another across, on 7
which sling your pot, which may be OF G
sheet tin, but had better be of cast iron. r
Let it hold say ten gallons. Get small tin I
skinner at the tnsmith's shop, and you are {
prepared to commence boiling.
BOILING AND CLARIFYING. a
Everything being ready, slack tea-cup T
full of lime, mix it to the consistency OF
cream, and set it by for use. Light your i
fire, with charcoal if you have it, for it
makes no smoke, but if you have none, use
dry kindling wood. If possible, so arrange f
your rude Fireplace as to reach no more I
than half way up the sides of the pot. Put +
five or six gallons of juice :nto the pot, set q
it on the fire, and when it becomes milk t
warm, add one large tablespoonful OF the
cream of lime, and mix it thoroughly thro
the juice Now take the whites Of fresh
eggs, beat them up with tea cup full OF the !
juice from the pot, and when thoroughly
mixed, pour back, and stir them we'll thro