Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-10-15
From the Cincinnati Times.I


Chinese Sugar Cane--An Error Corrected.
Ma. EDITOR: Knowing the great anx.
iety among those growing the Chinese su.
gar cane to get information relating to the
best means of working it, l will submit
the facts | have obtained, hoping they
may be useful to others. On visit to
works for sngar-making in the central
part of Kentucky, found them working
cane yet in the milk, and marking only u
Beaume's sacchrometer. The result is a
very acid juice, requiring large quantity of
lime to neutralize it and coagulate the very
green mass of scum contained in the Juice
of such unripe cane. This is not the only
case, but all, SO far as can learn, are doing
the same injustice TO themselves The
consequence will be dark and unpleasant
tasted syrup. The frost will not do half
the injury that is done by this premature
operation. l doubt very much whether
the trosts of October will do the least in
jury to the cane; on the contrary, believe
it may prove benefit inasmuch as it is
almost impracticable to remove the husk
from the stalk--a good frost will kill it.
and the juice in it will then evaporate and
no longer be Objectionable
Mr.. John l.. Marsh, of Washington
Ill.,, was entirely successful last year in
making we'll granulated sugar late in Oc-
tober. He has thirteen acres this year. and
is just now making his first move to get
his machinery. and 1t will be near four
weeks yet before he will commence boil
ing.
Three weeks since. boiled four quarts
of juice that stood deg. B. The syrup
was quite dark and vicious, nevertheless.
one half of it has crystalized, forming per.
feet rhombic crystals. l have to-day cut
thirty acres from the same field, 1.-THE seed
now fully out of the milk, the canes
changing to beautiful yellow--the Juice
much less of the greenish hue, and stood
full 10 deg. b. My cane was planted out
from the hot-house the 18th of June, and
is on thin land, but stands quite thick in
the hill; consequently canes are small and
about ten feet high. found it did not re-
quire over one-third the lime water of the
former, and when boiled down it is fine
favored, and OF deep straw color. The
two samples are widely different, and will
show conclusively the Importance of al
lowing the cane to mature / find that
capitalization does not take place until
several hours after concentration. 1t NAV
do different under other circumstances.
My experiments are limited, and not upon
strictly scientific principles.
There is but little doubt in nv mind
that this cane will grow from the stalk if
il is taken care of properly, and planted in
the spring. 1t should be buricl in dry
soil mot sandy and nccd not be as deep
as potatoes, as it is not sensitive, being
saccharine. If it can be grown thus, it will
be much earlier and more vigorous growth
every farmer should try it. The seed
may be cut several days previous to the
corn. Grea. care must he taken to pro-
tect it from mixing with the broom corn.
| saw one field of several acres nearly turn
lel. The cane grew last year over 100 feet
from the other, and still it is over half
broom this, and a most extraordinary
growth made of it, 90 feet high, evidently
improved by crossing. Our broon-ma-
king people would do well to look to this
matter.
Very truly, DC.
j. a. HEDGES.