Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-11
CHINESE SUGAR CANE.

The Chinese Sugar Cane is having a run that re-
minds US forcbIyof the Morus muIticaulis mania Of
years back. Almost every paper we take up has
something in commendation of this most wonderful
production Of nature Like the old negros rabbit,
of which all recollect to have heard in our boy
ish days, 1t seems to be good for everything. Ii
makes good sugar and better molasses As food for
cli1et has no superior. And last though not least
81 BIS been Discovered that first rate brandy may be
mauuflciuro5 from it and at a rate so cheap as al
fn8st drive the dealers in strychnine to despair.
Hoadel.ui 5c-gberal-- lust to ihiak-goed brandy
for twenty FIVE cents gallon 1t behooves the Maine
Law folks 10 besiir themselves, or we shUdler TO
contemplate the consequences when getting high"
comes to be a luxury so cheap 10 be within The
reach Of even ne poorest.
In corroboratiOn of what we state, We see that a
gentleman in New York has sent the editor Of the
Posta sample of very good brandy, made from the
syrup Of The sugar plant, the SOrgho, Chinese
sugar cane. lie says it costs about 80 cents per
gallon to produce and is worth in the market from
81 to s. per llOu, according to quality. In note
he says:-
The Manufacture Of spirits from the sorghO m.y
now he carried on by our farmers in the winter seas
on, when there is no other occupation for them, at
the rate of gallon of proof spirits for each gallon
Of fermented syrup. This will find a ready sale at
the recti6ers who viii it into alcohol for cam
phene and other purposes The quantity Of alcohol
now used for purposes Of illumination alone TO say
nothing Of varnishes chloroform and medicinal e1-
tracts, is enormous, and was beginning to have
serious effect on the price of bread, owing to he
g, IL.
duoe It, Now, however We have found a substitute,
which, besides supplying syrup and alcohol, will al
so yield from the same crop large amount of for
age and grain for the fattcning Of stock.
We see it also stated in a South Carolina paper,
that few days ago, a committee Of gentlemen eI-
amiued the mode of grinding the cane on the plan
tatiou Of Thomas Il. Deas Esq. The report of the
comm e. Is as follows:
"TIef sff fifty stalks, taken without selection eth
or At the field or from the cart were PASSED through
the mill in less than ten minutes producing over
four aud "a half gallons of juice. The next twenty
I'VE canes were passed through in about FIVE minutes.
producing nearly two and a half gallons Of juice,
carefully measured, leaving the stalks almost per
fecily dry.
Mr. Deas planted about half an acre Of the cane:
1Ipon these grew 3d. sou stalks Of cane. From the
expprimeut Of pressing out the juice it will be seen
reported The half acre will produce B. 267 gallons
Of Juice or g 534 gallons 10 the acre. The expert
Ylcnf Of boiling has not yet taken place. ut allow
ING ten gallons OF juice for Of mOlasses the pro
duct Of an acre will be 653 gallons Of molasses.-
This appears 10 be moustrousyeld, and at present
rrices Of nolasses would be a mine Of wealth 10 tn,
PLANTER We presume one reason for the great guam
inv of Juice produced, Is 10 be found in the Charac
ter of the mill for il is impossible for any part OF
the liquor TO escape: It must all be expressed from
the cane and every drop is collected
This alllooks very well; but we confess to alule
parlonabie skepticisn on he subject, and think il
well enough for our people to satisfy themselves su
y upon the merits of the controversy, If that
may be called controversy. which is all IN
on one side, before embarking too largely in the
cultivation Of the cane. At the risk Of being con-
sidered old f,gies we would remind our readers
again Of the Wozgs nu1hs7nAs fever, TO which lie
present Chinese Sugar Cane excitement seems 10
bear a striking resemblance.