The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-23
Sugar Growers COnven.
ton.

By man is cursed alway.
North western Sugar Growers COnVen.
ton.
The Convention of northern growers OF the
SOrghun or Chinese Sugar Cane, was held at
Springfield. Illinois. on the 9TH inst. Judge
j. ID. CAroN of the Supreme Court presl-
ded; with Ex-Gov. REYNOLDS and WRIEL
Mills. Esq. as Vice Presidents and FRANK
W. REILLY j. W. KETcHEIL, and CHARLES
kESNICRAFr, as Secretarys. \ number Of
Ladies were present who participated in
the proceedings.
The dear rate which Sugar has attained in
latter years make it important to the north
ern States, to see if we cannot raise the ar
ticle upon our own soil and thus become in
dependent of both Louisiana and Cuba
Quite a number of farmers in Minnesota are
experimenting with the Northern Sugar Cane;
and the experience in its cultivation and man
ufacture developed at this Convention is as
important to them as to the farmers of Hi
nois
A great many specimens of Sorghum Syr-
up were exhibited to the Convention and
some of Sorghum granulated Sugar. Nume-
rous letters were presented and read detailing
experience on the subject.
Among them was one from Judge Skin
ner, detailing his process of manufacturing,
and expressing confident belief that the su
,f, I'll .,l- -,ct
of his syrup, which he had laid away for use,
actually granulated of its own accord.
John Lawrence Smith, of Louisville, Ky,
sent specimen of Sugar, and says:
''There is about ten per cent. of crystaliz-
able surar in the cane grown in this neigh
borhood; in can be crystalized only in part.
But doubt very much if the plant will be
as good as the beet root for making sugar.
Nv investigations were executed on small
scale but sugar of all degrees of purity was
obtained"
Joseph 5. Lowering, of Philadelphia, IA su-
gar manufacturer and refinery sent box
containing samples of the different qualities
of sorghum sugar and molasses. He writes {:
will, however, briefly state, for their en-
couragement that the ac,ual yield have pro-
duced per acre is, brown suyar l22, lS5 lbs,
moasses 7439 gallons, and have no doubt
but that with proper apparatus and good
cultivation, from 600 to l,S00 pounds of
such brown sugar, and from % to 10 gallons
of such molasscs, per acre can be obtained
without difficulty.
Il am pleased to hear of so much cnthu-
siasm in your State in regard to this new and
Il AF
raj products, and hope next year to hear
more about sugar and less about syrup. 1
am. however, not surprised that our farmers
have not succeeded in making sugar at this
early stage of the experiment, as they have
not as yet the requisite knowledge and eX-
perience, but | am somewhat disappointed to
find that our scientific experimentasts have
entirely failed 70 produce any useful results,
or, indeed, any results at all.
Il can, however, assure you that there is
no difficulty whatever in producing such su-
gar as the samples sent herewith, which |
hope to demonstrate in my report
JosEPH S. LOWERING"
JOHN G. DEPU, Of Galipolis, Ohio, sent a
report of his operations and success with the
Chinese sugar cane. He says:
any experiments were made when entire
" destitute Of the necessary implements to
give a precise result. The cane which l
cultivated occupied piece of ground 81 by
IL feet, drilled three feet apart and the seed
in the drill eight inches apart. The product
was 1882 stalks averaging, when ready for
this MILL about seven feet in length, and of a
light yellow color when cut. The yield OF
this piece was 322aa gallons of syrup, or about
5l2 gallons per acre. In quality, thickness
and color, it was equal to the best New Or
leans molasses.
The time of planting was the 9th Of
April, and it came up about the 10th OF
May; appeared sickly until the middle OF
June, when it was suckered and scraped
with hoe, after the manner of hoeing the
Southern sugar cane-no further cultivation
was given it, except to scrape the weeds out
once in the latter part of August, when the
seed heads began to appear. We cut and
manufactured it from the lst to the 7th OF
October. The seeds were all ripe when cut.
The soil was heavy loan, slightly sandy,
and did not raise an average crop of potatoes
AS planted potatoes and white field beans
as a test, IN the same ground. | ground lao
lbs of this cane, and obtained II gallons of
juice, from which | made two gallons of syr-
up, being yield of one gallon of syrup to
six ct juice.
Il will now proceed to description of the
products of other lots ground in my mill and
boiled in the same apparatus the preceding
being considered as lot No. l. No. 2, now
to be considered. consists of lot of cane
raised upon close black lOam-the washings
of hillside. situated Oh southwest decliv-
ity, and rather dry. 1t yielded one gallon o
syrup to j gallons of juice. 1t was cultivat
ed in hills about 81 feet apart, with very lit
tie dressing, and planted about the same
time as No. |. No was planted or
rich bottom-soil, loan muck, with sandy
inclination, and with southeast declina
ton. 1t was planted about the lst OF May
and cultivated with IT ore care than either ol
the previous lots ; the stalks were large, and
the bagasse heavy Yield, one gallon OF syr-
up TO - gallons of juice. No. was'planted
upon q rich river bottom, and pretty heavily
aresSc'. with old stable manure. 1t was
planted IN hills four feet apart on the 18th OF
May, and was not sucored. but cultivated
and dressed in the best mcnDer as far as
hilllng and hoelns were concerned. The
stalks fell down about the time the seed
made its appearance, and were very much
wounded. Yield, one gallon of syrup to IA
gallons of juice. The ground was exposed
to the sun throughout the entire tlay. as was
No. l. Nos. and were exposed abou,
six or eight hours per day to the sun, and al
would have raised the best potatoes, and die
produce as good corn as there is in the State
except No. |, as before stated-it being tn,
Il 4