Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-03-10
:faruurs Gulunlll.
From the Cotton Planter.
CUINFSE tSTTEAR MILLET,

sugar, besides several Otnef articles. IL utlH
now been fairly tried all over the South; and
though it may not have come up to SO great
yield of syrup as was claimed for it, still it stood
its trial gloriously.
The @Susar NIillet" most uuquestionably
forms an epoch i'll the farming of the Southern
States The sug.r growing section. hitherto
not extending much north of the latitude of
New Orleans, has now been enlarged with sew
eral degrees further towards the North. The
possibility for every planter of making bis own
syrup is certainly matter of great Importance.
1t is truly amusing, that some persons are still
SO far "behind time" as to consider this plant
identical with the old fashioned =" Chicken
Corn" Why, the mere chewing OF piece OF
the stalk would he sufficient to convince even
"Zach. Boss" of the great difference.
But, on the other hand, its value as forage
plant ought not to be overlooked; for, as such,
It is unauestionaby inferior to none. Many .
person will perhaps think that am praisng 1t
too highly but feel confident that this plant
is not yet appreciated half Us much as it de-
serves.
In cutting it for syrup, great fault is conf
mitted in cutting it before it is thoroughly ma
turcd. BY all means let the seed be dead-rpe
before the cane is cut for the mill. by cutting
it before that period, you will get larger
quantity of juice, but it will be watcry, require
more boiling, shrink more, and make an inferior
syrup. There is no necessity for, nor advan-
tase in stripping off the leaves, or pinching oil
the seetl-panicles, before the seed is thoroughly
ripe. This Operations would only cause them to
throw ont suckers w:i would be an injury
to the cane.
In boiling the juice il is "t great Importance
to strain it well, and to have the kettle we'll
filled. The whole mass will si:mner much bet
ter than if the boiler is only hall lnll, and not
be so ant to boil over. 1t should not b. stirred
at all, until thick brownish clust h:rs gathered
over the whole surface, when this crust should
be removed, and the liquid strained into the
second boiler, and so on, until it gets its proper
consistency.
The question has been made: How to keep
the canes until Fall 2" Inreply Iwonld say,
that there is no difficulty in it. ANY barn or
any she'd will answer; let the canes be tho
roughly matured and place them on the ground
floor in layer, say IL to Is inches thick. Put
another layer of canes uf similar thickness on
the top OF the first, but croSsscaH and so on.
Cover the whole pile; the best material for it
is basgasSe, or refuse canes which have passed
through the mill. In this way the canes will
keep very long time i'll excellent condition,
and when taken out for grinding, it will be
found that many Of tic watery parts have
evaporated, but that tue juice is much richer,
and will yield u very superior article Of syrup.
While it will rcluirc about seven gallons of
Juice from fresh canes to produce gallon oi
good syrup, that same quantity, and OF better
quality, can be made from four to five gallons
of JUICE pressed from canes which have been
preserved in this way for some weeks.
The saccharine principle will not cvaporate; ;
on the contrary, the cane seems to improve in
favor by being up in this way for some time J;
similar to the process which apples are under
going by being kept for some time. will now
say few words about the Sugar Millet, as a
forage plant. The saving of corn is a most in-
portant matter, particularly when prices are so
high, as has now been the case for several
years.
When planted early in April, and on good,
high sandy land, this millct will, by the begin
ming of July, have matured its canes sufficiently
to serve as substitute for corn in feeding stock.
The nutritious qualities OF the Sugar Canes are
too we'll known to need any explanation. Even
before the seed is perfectly ripe, the canes can
be cut for this purpose. Let the whole, stalks,
leaves and seel, be cut up in a common straw
cutter, allowing ten or twelve good strong stalks
to each working animal per twenty-four hours.
Two common hands can easily, in fifteen min-
utes, cut up stalks enough for twenty heads,
and if few andfulS OF bran arc scattered over
the pale Of cut forage as tiavoring, so much
tue better. Working animals fed in this way,
without any corn whatever, will not only keep
in good condition, but will actually improve.
Let every planter calculate for himself, how
much corn lie can save by feeding his stock four
months on the Sugar NIillet; 4 crop 50 easily
raised, and which stands our droughts SO well,
Us to deserve to be termed acrer-jaiiing.
Besides, the roots will sprout out again Wig
orousy, and in few weeks produce second
CROP Planting the seed in drills two by three
feet, thirty thousand stalks are but Very fair
average yield, and thus the planter can easily
calculate the number Of acres he may need for
his stock.
The yield of seed is very different, according
to the stand and the quality of the soil-say
from thirty to sixty bushels to the acre, bushel
weighing from thirty-ve to forty pounds. 1t is
equally as good for feeding and lattening stock
as the same weight Of corn, if not more so.
There can hardly be any doubt, that the bag
gasse, or refuse cane from the mill, would be an
excellent material for brown paper, though it
has not yet been tried, as far as know. But
this will be enough in favor of the Sugar A1ilet
for this time. ROBERT NELSON.
Augusta, Ga, Oct. 1851
KEEPING SwlNE.-MR. EDITOR: I saw in
your paper, not long since, query whether
hogs had the Rheumatism. You replied, you
thought they might have it, and thought so
too | should not think it strange if many of
them had the cholera the hip complaint, the
black vomit, and many other diseases, treated
as they arc,-shut up in a little pen about six
feet square, on plank floor. up to their knees
in dirt, and no bed to lie upon.
A hog should never be kept on plank floor
I have had them ruined by it, before knew
the cause. If they sleep on plank floor, on
straw, and that becomes wet, Gotten they will
wet it themselveS,) they will often become
lame, so they will crawl with there fore feet to
the trough, and will make but small amount
of pork.
4 hog should have good tight, warm pen
on some dry place Of ground, with glass win
dow that can be removed in the summer season,
and q door that can be left open to admit fresh
air. There should be no tlocr Make it as
large as you please. They need not 60 in the
sun, it does them no good. If the pen gets
dirty, just put in Il cart load of manure, or chip
dirt, or bog mud, (if it is dry,) and so You can
clean your pen every week with load Of al
most anything you can pick up.
Your hog should be showered three times a
week, at least. In hot weather clean water is
best. Lave ITO opinion of soapsuds or butter
milk. a little birthstone once a month is good.
Follow this mothod and you will have no sick
hogs. | have followed this plan for many
years, even to the letter, and always give them