Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-05-26
Chinese sugar Cane.

Il Lie following directions, IN reference tt
the choice of ground, time of planting
manner of planting, cultivating, stripping
and cutting the Chinese Sugar Cane, wher
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 o
this and other countries, by Messrs. Hedges
.dE Free corner of Main and Water streets,
Cincinnati. r ~ far a,r. d "a
! Fed. CHOICE OF GROUND. lu
Upland soil is better for Sugar than low
ground though the latter may be strong,
deep soil. 1t is supposed that the saccha-
rine matter in plants is absorbed chiefly
from the atmosphere; and though P larger
growth of cane can be secured OH low
ground than on high, there will be more
water in the sap; and. as the cost of press
ing and boiling is considerable, it is not
always desirable to produce the largest
growth, but rather the richestjuice. Il
| TINE OF PLANTING. m ar. =,
The seed of the Chinese Sorgho, or Sor-
gho Sucre, should not be planted until the
ground has become warm toa considerable
depth. If the season is backward, as the
present spring. the first or tenth of June
will do very well. Mr.. Whitney, of Wash
ington, D. c., raised his best seed, last
year, from seed planted on the eighth of
June. . ate ~ t.lruaa a.uu4 ~ .tt
rs MANNER OF PLANTING. i.au
All agree that one seed in place, eight
or ten inches apart, in drills four feet
apart, running north and south, gives the
ayaI .ko
certain and uniform. It should be borne
in mind that the Sorgho or Imphee stools
out like wheat, j. e., one seed produces sew
eral stalks, and it is therefore not only use
less, 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 general
thing, to have too few than too many
stalks, therefore no harm is done if 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 OF Molasses the
seed head should be plucked out. This
should be done after the seed has formed.
and before it begins to fill. l. e., before it
begins to assume milky appearance; or
in other words, while the seeds are yet of
good color inside. The seed heads are
easily plucked out by grasping the head
and jerking upward. In short time after
this is done new panicle will shoot out
from the joints below, OH which new seed
heads will form. AS soon as the seed in
these new heads have begun to form the
whele stalk should be stripped bare of all
its leaves and panicle, 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.
A stroke downwards with this instrument,
close to the stalk, strips off 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 80 well, and besides that, it would
be likely to wound the stalk, and cause it
to sour.
M "fj CUTTING.
This may be done as soon as the strip
ping is completed, but not until the mill
and the kettles are all ready, as the cane
should be ground as soon as it is cut, and
The juice boiled as soon as it is expressed. |
Otherwise. the quality of the syrup made
rom it will be inferior, and it will be nearly !
impossible to make Sugar from it at all.
AMERICAN PEARL FISHERIES -Messrs. |
Tiffany & Co, have still on exhibition the
great Jersey Pearl" found some months
tgo in brook near Paterson, New Jersey, |
ogether with the four smaller but beautiful
pearls from New Jersey, varying in value
rom $50 to $500. The great pearl has
oeen sold, but the purchaser and the price
oaid are not mentioned. 1t is stated how
'ver. that in Europe the pearl would be
worth not less than $4,000. It is of ex-
luisite lustre, but not so brilliant as some
# the smaller pearls, or its value would
rave been almost incalculable. 1t is pear
haped, and about the size of robin egg.
Since the discovery of the Jersey pearls
vas made public, the Messrs, Tiffany have
eceiyed a number of pearls sent from
ohio, Massachusetts, and other parts of
he country, where people have taken to
the brooks. In some cases
'earls of considerable value have been for
Varded by persons who found them years
go, and were not aware that they were
7orth anything, until they saw the pub I
shed accounts. One Of the Jersey pearls,
vorth $500, was found eight years ago
y its owner, who says he would at any
me have sold it for five dollars. '
1t appears that the pearl muscle exists
! many brooks in New England and the a
Western States, but it is indispensable to
he production of pearls that the water
hould be impregnated with some mineral
ubstance. like iron, copper, or lead The
earch for pearls is necessarily hazard
US venture, like lottery. Months of
'ilsome digging and pounding the MUIR {
cred clans may go unrewarded, and the 4
ext moment the precious stone may gilt !