Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-05-16
gsr SUGAR CANE.

f5r The following directions, in reference
to the choice Of ground, time Of planting,
manner of planting, cultivatiDg, stripping,
and cutting the Chinese Sugar Cane, when
it is grown for the purpose Of making Syrup
or Sugar, has been gathered from practical
men, who have had experience in the field in
the sugar-growing districts Of this and other
counties, by Messrs. Hedges G. Fee Cincin-
natl.
CHorcK OF GROUND.
Upland soil is better for Sugar than low
ground, though the latter may be strong,
deep SOIL 1t is supposed that the saccharine
matter in plants is absorbed chiefly from the
atmosphere; and though larger growth OF
cane can be secured on low ground than on
high, there will be more water In the sap;
and, as the cost Of pressing and boiling is
considerable, it is not always desirable to
produce the largest growth, but rather the
richest Juice.
r,rfTIxE OF PLANrISo.
The seed of the Chinese Sorgho, or Sorgho
Sucre, should not be planted until the ground
has become warm to considerable depth.
If the season is backward, as The present
spring. the first or tenth of June will do very
well. MIR. Whitney, of Washington, d. g.,
raised his best seed, last year, from seed
planted on the eighth Of June.
MANNER OF PLANTING.
All agree that one seed in place, eight or
ten inches apart, in drills four feet apart,
running north and south, gives the best
growth, and renders its maturity more GER
tain and uniform. 1t should be borne in
mind that the Sorgho or Imphee stools out
like wheat, i. e., one seed produces several
stalks, and it is therefore not only useless
but detrimental to good growth Of the best
cane to plant the seed too thick. AS light
and air are essential to the best growth for
Sugar, it is better, as o general thing, to
have too few than too many stalks, therefore
no harm is done if q few hills fail to come up,
as they probably will when there is but one
seed in place.
CULTIVATION.
This does not differ from the cultivation OF
Indian corn, except that it should be watched
when near maturity. When it is intended
to make Sugar or Molasses the seed head
| should be plucked out. This should be done
after the seed has formed, and before it be-
gins to fill, j. e., before it begins to assume a
milky appearance; or, in other words, while
the seeds are yet Of green color inside.
The seed heads are easily plucked out by
grasping the head and jerking upward. Ina
short time after this is done new panicle will
shoot out from the joints below, on which
new seed heads will form. AS soon as the
seeds in these new heads have begun to form
the whole stalk should be stripped bare of all
its leaves and pancle, leaving nothing but the
naked trunk.
STRIPPING.
This operation is performed very quick by
those accustomed to it. 1t is done with an
instrument shaped much like pruning hook,
only it is larger, and is not sharp. y stroke
downwar6s with this instrument, close to the
stalk, strips of not only the panicle and
blades but also the sheaths around the stalk
at the base Of each blade. If the instrument
is sharp it does not clean the stalk SO we'll
: ard besides that, it would be likely to wound
the stalk, and cause it to sour
| CUTTING.
This may be done as soon as the stripping
/ is completed, but not until the mill and the
kettles are all ready, us the cane should be
ground as soon as il is cut, ard the juice
boiled as soon as it is expressed. Otherwise
the quality Of the syrup made from it will be
inferior. and it will be nearly impossible to
make Sugar from it at all.