American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-09-25
From the Chicago Press.
Sugar from the Chinese Cane-7The
Question of CryStalizati0n Settled. (

We have seen it stated that not less
than q hundred thousand acres have
been devoted to the Chinese sugar cane
in this country the present season.
The experiment of manufacturing SUI
gar and molasses from it, therefore,
will be tried on scale sufficiently
large to determine the whole question
OF its value for such purposes. There
are fields of it in every State and Ter
ritory of the Union, and from various
quarters at the North and tile South,
we hear that the crop is approaching
maturity, and that preparations are
being made to manufacture sugar. 1t
has been extensively planted in our own
State, and some specimens which have
fallen under our notice exhibit an ex-
traordinary growth, A gentleman
from Champaign county left several
thrifty stalks with us yesterday, from
ten to twelve feet in height, which were
full of juice that to the taste was as
rich in saccharine matter as that of the
proper gar-cane, and of most delicious
flavor. We have not the least doubt
that it would yield superior article of
sugar. We are also in possession of
several stalks fully ten feet in height,
from the garden of Mr.. II. o. Stone, on
the lake shore. ,.,5E
But while the grand experiment of
sugar growing in the temperate lati-
tudes approaches its elimination, mul-
titudes are in doubt whether pure, we'll
crystalized sugar can be made from the
juice OF the Chinese came. For our
selves, the evidence in the affirmative
is entirely conclusive on this point
Such is the verdict of the best French
chemists, whose testimony has been
recently communicated to the patent
office, and will be given to the public
in the Forthcoming report of the COM
missioner. Some of the results of these
experiments have already appeared in
the Press, and others are lying before
us now, from which we propose to draw
a few additional facts.
One class of chemists, among whom
is DIR. Jackson, of Boston, have assu
med that as the result of their hasty
experiments, that only glucose, or grape
sugar could be made from the iuice of
the sorghum, but more careful and
thorough investigation shows that the
greater portion of this saccharine mat
ter is crystalizablc. Mr.. Hercy, of
France contends that no uncrystalized
sugar pro-exists i'll the cane, and that
the formation of glucose sugar is only
owing to the action of the salts con-
tanned in the liquid during the manu4
featuring process. "Be. it as it may"
continues the report, "it is certain that
the greater portion of the saccharine
matter of the juice is crystalizable,
and may be obtained in the state of
crystals, if, after rapid boiling and fill
tering, the fluid be quickly evaporated,
the latter operation being condition
of absolute necessity in sugar-making,
as by low boiling, at temperature Of
ll2 degrees, or even exposure for a
considerable time to temperature be-
low the boiling point, glucose may be
formed from the finest crystalized sugar
dissolved in water. On the contrary,
if the concentrated solution of sugar
be heated beyond 230 degrees Fahren-
hoit, it undergoes alteration, and is
changed, at least in part, into uncrys-
talizable sugar, or saccharine muci-
lagc." ..~ .I,s1
Mr.. Wray, of London, who is now
in attendance upon the National Fair
at Louisville, and who has perhaps
more experimental knowledge upon the
subject than any other man in the
world, is quoted as good authority by
the commissioner on the question Of
generalization, and we presume that tho
experiments which he is now making
from day to day will be equally conclu-
sive upon the public mind. lie has
devoted years to the subject, pursuing
his Investigations in Africa and France,
as well as in this country during the
present season, and has obtained q pa
tent for his process of sugar making in
England.
Assuming, then, that q superior SUI
gar can be made from the juice Of the
sorghum, it is hardly possible to oxag-
geratc its Importance as an addition to
the crops Of the temperate latitudes.
Its value was discovered at just the
period when the culture Of the sugar
cane at the south had become partial
failure, and when also the general con-
sumption of sugar began to outrun
production, The world demanded that
by some means, if possible, the supply
should be increased, and in response to
that demand, as if by proyidential ar.
rangement, the country was supplied
with tho seed of the sorghum and the
imphce, from which we arc to have our
! fret horvost of thia euo,r t. e; ,