Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1857-12-12
Chinese Sugar Cane syrup.

Messrs. Editors Wisconsin Farmer
Last season | communicated to your read
ers the result of my experience in raising
the Sorgho Sucre, or Chinese Sugar Cane,
and the conclusions I had arrived at, as to
Its probable value to the agr~iculturists OF
the State. As | notice numerous articles
on the subject in the press of the several
counties, giving the results of experiments
of numerous farmers, / have thought it
might not be uninteresting to add mine
this year to the general stock.
I have planted one eight of an acre, at
the time of planting corn, last spring, most
ly from seed raised by myself last year.
The season was extremely cod and back
ward, SO that on the lst of July neither
corn or cane gave much hope for a crop.
BY the 10th Of August the corn had got
largely the start in growth; but about that
time the cane began to let o@t, and by the
10th of September stood an average of
II feet high, and most of it reached IA
feet by the middle of the month.
At the time Of the County Fair I was
reminded of my duty to this cane crop, by
seeing a rough made mill on the grounds,
for crushing the staIks-and the further
important fact that no 800 establishment
was necessary to try the experiment.
Near two weeks elapsed before | succeed
ed in getting arrangements made for grin
ling, and then only at the last moment,
clubbing with some of my neighbors and
getting a mill made. Meanwhile the crop
suffered from a heavy frost.
The product of this patch-32o hills
was about 100 gallons Of juice, which
yielded IL gallons of very heavy syrup,
besides the material for a barrel or two of
vinegar-or at the rate of abolt 100 gal
lons Of syrup per acre.
The mill was quite imperfect, there be
ing no way of keying the rollers, which
stood far apart. | estimate the loss from
this source at one-third, and the delay in
grinding at one-eight-or one-half the
whole product; and as | purpose to go fur
ther into cane-growing next season, will,
think, be able to prove it to you then.
The first syrup made had a disagreeable
vegetable taste, but as subsequent boilings
were had and the process of Qualification
better understood, this vas entirely reno.
eel, and the syrup as good rs any Of the
Imported. So all the ladies say in the
~neigbborhood, and their verdict on that
point Is conclusive.
| see no reason why every farmer may
not grow an acre or two of this sugar cane
with great profit. A great many were
cheated by bogus seed last spring, and
this added to the backwardness Of the sea
lson, may possibly operate to the discoar-
agement of ome A large portion of the
seed Of the real cane has not ripened thi
season, but can easily be supplied from the
I fSst ron Ny tge ezlPSer1i9mHeRass a f9 ta5 ss fifty pes pes
acre may be calculated upon as a certain
Ity-and il we shall, as | trust, learn how
Ito c~ranulate it, there will soon be no occa
sion for community to buy imported sugar
or svr1ps. And as the cost OF this
mainly the labor Of the farmer and his ia
@,pilv, and there is no money to be paid out
have GREAT confidence that their antlclpa
tons will be realized. The stalks ate
crushing are greedily devoured by cattlf
except the harder parts, and there Is n
waste to the plant. My advice to ever
farmer is, plant sugar cane neTt season.
HI. A. L.