New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-04
EXPERIMENTS WITH SORGHUM.

Col. A. i. motifs, Ol thudnupohr, SNOc, a." ~
Nortseestern Christian Adeoeate the following state
meHt of his operations during the past season In the
culture and manufacture of the Chinese sugar-cane:
" About the lst of June, planted two acres, IA
drills about four feet apart running north and seutn
panting one seed every eight ten inches The SON
was not rich but light and sandy. hoed and poWed
twice. The early part of the season here was ratnei
wet and as the at first grows slowly, nuch oI
was drowned out by the water standing IN the tur-
rowe Before the cane sufficiently large to allow
the use of the plow it required great deal OF aoof
with the hoe to prevent the weeds rom taxing H. te
growth after being plOwed very rapid, and most
of il was ripe about the middle of October From two
10 five fulsized canes grew from each seed; perhaps
the average would be three. The average hight was
and a half inches at the ground. BY way OF expert
ment pulled of the tops from portion as soon a.
they were in bloom, and allowed new seed heads 10
grow This course had seen recommended, with
view 10 increasing the saccharne matter; yet the
Juice WAS any better was unable to perceive It, but
found the cane more troublesome to strip, as new
heads had started at most Of the joints.
my experience and observation induce the belief,
that tbo best mode OF growing tho cane 10 to thsr
oughly break mp and harrow the ground, then oross
of at right angles, with something that will merely
mark the surface, giving hills three and hall or toas
feet apart Allow about six seeds to grow IN each
HILL aM pull OF all suckers that come from the reot
too late to ripen the main stalk and strip,
from time to time, oil heads that make their appear
anoe at the Joints Of tho stalks This method Of plant
irp win allow the use of the cutivator earlier with
less liability to mp the young cane diminish tine
amount of hoeing and, think, would require but ht-
tie if any labor than a corn crop BY pnling Oh
the suckers that start tso hte to rpe1 and the esed
heads that appear at the joints think the vigor and
perhaps the quality OF the growing stalks would DO
increased.
''To express the juice from the cane used one Of
Hedges Frees csst-ir0n horsepower mile, consist
ing Of three vertical rollers fourteen inches long and
twelve inches diameter 1t required two horses work
ing alternately to run il, producing about forty gal.
Ions Of juice per hour but capable, when rushed, OF
grinding enc gallon per minute.
~ attempted to boil the juice in ordinary iron ket
ties arranged in furnace in the way usually adopted
here TO manufacture mape.sugar, bat found impoe
sbe to avoid burning the sirnp against their sides
then procured four pans with castiron bottoms and
wooden aides. Three of them were two and half
feet wide and three and halt feet long, with sides
fourteen inches deep and 6ys feet ong and same
width and depth a. the otneu placed tnIss 1 oi insss ,
kygest one in separate furnace at right angles to the
hss Tho smoAe-stacis Of the two were placed to-
gs1her. The bottom Of the large pan was put on
sve With the top Of the small one. so ss 60 draw ou!
eos. With tbs arrangement | could concentrate
shsvt 400 gallons of juice each day, consuming about
thsss-fousths Of q cord Of wood
The mode that adopted m making the sIrnp, atef
VARIOUS experiments wss to fill the large pan With the
huiee from the mill then heat it to not quite the Doll.
hg point-prc viOusly mixing in twhstever designed
70 seutraizs the acid and assist in olarfying teen
- the heat had caused thick SCUM 10 rse 70
NE top was ekimmed of, and the skmming SON.
tnusd until the scum ceased to rise, the juice nens
suffered to cool afSer the skimning commenced Tnis
tuiss was then drawn INTO the next pap passing
through flannel bag, and dipped forward INTO tne
other Two, and the concentration continued by boil
ig slowly until an the greenAh scum had seen re-
sovsd When the quantity was sufficiently dlmn'
hhed the contents Of the two rear pans were Trans.
losyea to the forward one ana they were nusd M sRs
vas made % rapid as possible, until sxup was pro-
dseed. ,,
70 improve tho color and taste Of the juice, and pro-
duse clear and good favored sirup IeLpenmented
With nearly oil that had heard of-m1k VI nne'
nme-ws soda, iyory-blaek, charcoal alum, ootaI'
alcohol, milk and eggs were all tired various coz,
bnatiope the details of which would be too tedpnsto
relate shall, therefore, only give two mstnods oy
which succeeded best. ...u
First: filtered vhe jnice, az came ifo" 'ns nn.
through finely powdered charcoal piaced ~ o'L. @
"snner used IN rectifying whisky. The juice thus
akered was boiled in the ususl way and Prooueed
Irup. think, equal to any lever saw. Ihls process
5Ound to require too muen .ao's az ~ due .e Inc
,eved rendering its use too troublesome ana expen-
i've when large amount Of strip was to be made
Second: After flling the large pan from the mill
- n,yslise the acid in the juice using htmuspapef
=. ,s.t also mixed at the same time, about three
nornds Of iyory-black and onehaH dozen OF eggs TO
eveYy 100 gallons OF JUICE, strng al together thor
ous The wa: heated 70 near the
.pd The Juice not disturbed until sufficiently cool to bs
II q auiescent state. The scum was then removed,
snd the remainder drawn of through flannel bag in
70 the other pans for boiling Before boiling, small
ausntity Of dissolved borax was sddsd after which it
ess boiled moderately and SKINNED, until the guam
hty was evaporated 10 about one.third Of its bulk
then the boiling was rapid az possible, until tho
sirup wa produced. by this process, have made an
-rAlA klah lie
not quite equal to the best Of the golden srup in oar
market.
made two efforts, both unsuccessful 70 produce
N2nr suppose that my want of success was mainly
wing 10 the fact that the had all been frozen
before attempted toInake sugar. have sever -een
s.y Sorghsm sufur, bu: have heard oi seVeiIl Pr,