Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-06-03
CHINESE SUGAR CANE.

The following directions, in reference to the
choice of ground, time of planting, manner Of
planting, cultivating, 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 ex-
perience in the field in the sugar.growing dis.
tricts of this and other countries, by Messrs.
Hedges & Free, corner of Main and Water
streets, Cincinnati.
CHOICE OF GRoUND.-Upland soil is better for
Sugar than low ground, though the latter may
be a 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 pro.
duce the largest growth, but rather the richest
juice.
TINE OF PLANTING-The seed of the Chinese
Sorgho, or Sorgho Sucre, should not be planted
until the ground has become warm to consid.
erable depth. If the season is backward, as the
present spring, the first or tenth of June will do
very well. Mr.. Whitney, of Washington, D. c.,
raised his best seed, last year, from seed planted
on the eighth of June.
MANNER OF PLANTISG.-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 certain and uniform. 1t should be borne
in mind that the Sorgho or Imphee stools out
like wheat e.; one seed produces several stalks
and it is therefore not only useless but detri.
mental to a 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 bet
ter, 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 q place.
CuLTIyArIoS.-Thi 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
begins to fill, j. e.. before it begins to assume o
milky appearance or, in other words, while the
seeds are yet OF green color inside. The seed
heads are easily p!uckcd out by grasping the
head and jerking upward. In short time after
this is done, new pancle will shoot out from the
Joints below ON which new seed heads will form.
As soon as the seed in these new heads have be-
gun to form, the whole stalk should be stripped
bare of all its leaves and panlcle, leaving MOTH
ing but the naked trunk.
SrRrpp1SG.-This operation is performed very
quick by those accustomed to it. It is done
with all instrument shaped much like o pruning
hook, only it is larger and is not sharp. A
stroke downward with this instrument, close to
the stalk, strips of not only the panicle and
blades, but alsn the sheaths around the stalk at
the base of each blade If the instrument is
sharp it does not clean the stalk so WELL and
besides that, it would be likely to wound the
stalk, and cause it to sour.
CrrTlNG.-This may he done as soon as the
stripping is completed, but not until the mill and
the kettles are all ready, rs the cane should be
ground rs soon as it is cut, and the juice boiled
as soon as it is expressed. Otherwise, the quail
ty Of the syrup made from it will be inferior,
and it will be nearly impossible to make sugar
from it at ALL