Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-09-08
SUGAR FROM THE CHINESE CANE-THE CUES
TON OE CRYsTALlZATIoN SETTLED.

TON Or GENERALIZATION OIL lL6D'
We have seen it stated that not less than hundred
thousand acres have been devoted TO Chinese sugar.
cane in this country the present SEASON. The e1pe.
luent of manufacturing sugar and molasses from i''
therefore, will be- tried on scale sufficiently large ~
determine tbs whole question Of its value tor surI,
PURPOSES There are fields Of il il every State ano
Territory Of the Union. and from various quarters
b ,:h II, the North and the South, hear thst the
crop il approaching maturity. and that preparations
ara being made to manufacture sugar. Ii has per"
extensively planted in our State, and some spe
cjInrns which have fallen under our notice exhibit al
extraordinary growth. 4 gentleman from Champaign
County left several thrifty stalks with YESTERDAY
from ten twelve feet in height which were iuil OF
Juice that TO the taste was as rich in slccharne maj
tor as that of the proper sugar.cana and of most dell
c'ouI flavor. We have not the least doubt that II
would yield superior article of sugar, We are a'o
in po.se.sion Of several stalks fully ten feet 10 height
from the garden of Mr.. H. o. Stone on the lake shore
But while the grand experiment of sugar growing
in the temperate latitudss approaches its cuInna
ton rnulliiudes still in doubt whether pure, well
crvstalzed sugar eau be made from the juice nt the
Chinese cane. For ourselves, the evidence in the
affirmative is entirely conclusive on this point Such
is the verdict Of the best French chemists whose tss
tiiDony has been recently communicated to the "a
tent Office. and will he given to the public in the
forthcoming report of the Commissioner. Some OF
the results of those experiments have already appear
ed in the Press, and others lying before now,
from which We propose to gather few additional
facts.
One class of chemists among whom is DR.. Jackson
of Boston, have assumed, the result of their hasty
experiments that only glucose grape sugar, could
be made from the juice of the sorghum. but more
careful and thorough Investigations show that the
greater portion OF its saccharne matter ID CrystaZa
BILE. NJ. Herey, Of France, contends that no uncrys
faizable sugar pre- exists in the cane, and that the
formation of glucose sugar is only owing to the &C
ton of the salts contained in the liquid during the
manufacturing process. BE it as it may" CONTINUES
H. u;t mfr a
saccharine matter Of the juice is crystslzable and
may be obtained in the state Of crystals, il, after
rapid boiling and flteriug the clear fluid be quickly
evaporated, the latter operation being condition OF
absolute necessity in sugar making, as, by slow boil
ing, at Temperature of 2l2 degrees or even exposure
for considerable time 10 Il temperature below the
boiling point, glucose may be formed from The purost
crystslzsd sugar dissolved in waer On the contra.
ry fhe concentrated solution of sugar be heated be-
yond $50 degrees F. it updergoes alteration, and is
changed at least in part, Into uncrystallzable eugar
or saccharine mucage."
Mr. Wray of London, who lie now in attendance
upon the National FAIR al Louisville, and who han,
perhaps moro experiments. knowledge upon the
subject than any other man in the world, is quoted
as GOOD authority by the Commissioner on the ques.
ton Of Capitalization, and we presume that the ex
perirnents which he ia now making from day 10 day
will be equally conclusive upon the public mind. He
has devoted years TO the subject pursuing his inves
LEGATIONS in Africa and France, as well this coun.
during pEcecul eCnopu phs
tent for his process of sugar-making in England.
Assuming, then, that superior sugar can be made
| from the juce Of tho sorghum, It Is hardly possible
to exsggerate its Importance as an addition TO the
crops OF the temperate latudes. Its value was dis.
covered at just the period when the culture of the
sugar cane at the South had become partial failure,
aud when also the general consumption OF sugar be-
| gan TO outrun production. The world demanded
that by some means, if possible, the supply should
be increased, and in response to that demand, if
| by provideutial arrangement, the country WAS sup.
Piled with the seed OF the Sorghum aud the I'm.
phee. from which We are to have our first hnr.
vest Of free sber sugar. Ii is a great event in the
political economy of this country. if not offle world
| We pay out annually many millions of dollars for
foreign sugar, the crop Of Louisiana at best meeting
but fraction Of the demand. List year it WAS EST.
mated that tho nation consumed not less than
700 OOU. 900 pounds, and this amount, vast it lie,
must continually increase if supply can be obtain
ed. In the Chinese sugnr.cane We are now confident
we have the source of an almost unbounded supply.
1t will flourish everywhere in the Union, and can be
raised at the West as easily and cheaply as Corn
Where them shall We Dix the limit of its culture save
in the demand for sugar aud mola.sesl The praries
of Illinois, besides growing all the breadstu they
: do now, might almost supply the markets Of the
world with those articles We shall be content how.
ever, for this two three years, with enough OF
each to inset the home demand. The bushes. can
be indefnitsly extern ded thersafter-lC Press