The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-01-20
From the Fayetteville Argus.
SUGAR CANE CULTURE.

The following letter, on the planting,
culture and manufacture of syrup from the
Chinese Sugar Cane" has been handed US
by the Secretary Of the Richmond Agricul-
tural Society, and we take pleasure in laying
it before our readers. 1t will be found to
possess much valuable information, to those
desiring to enter into the culture of this i'm
portant product.
From the adaptedness of the Chinese Su-
gar Cane to our soil and climate, and the
facility with which the syrup is produced,
its culture will doubtless soon form an i'm
portant part of the agricultural industry Of
the Southern States. Every one will there
fore be desirous Of seeing the experience Of
those who have tried and proved it:
Rockingham, December II, 1857.
Dn. A. Patterson, Corresponding Secretary.
Your letter as corresponding secretary of
the Richmond Agricultural Society, has just
been received, and hasten to reply as you
request an early response.
You are pleased to ask, for the benefit Of
your Society, for such information as may
possess in relation to the planting, culture,
and manufacture of syrup from the Chinese
Sugar Cane.
The seed planted the present year, were
the product OF some few obtained from the
Patent Office the year before.
The ground, (gray sandy soil, had been
respectfully manured for series of years,
and at the time Of planting would have
yielded some twenty-fiye bushels of corn
per acre.
broke up the ground in the usual way,
with one-horse turning plough, after which,
when got ready to plant, early in April, |
took the common shovel or scooter plough,
and fixed wooden uld-board, by simply
mailing upon the helyes on the side, just
above the plough, two pieces of weather
boarding plank, some twelve inches long.
Being thus prepared, placed one Of my
briskest working horses to the plough and
run off my rows three feet apart, going
twice in the same furrow.
] did this in the first place to deposit my
manure as deep as possible, SO as TO avoid
Iany waste from evaporation; and in the
second place, to protect the young and ten
der plant from the cauterizing effect Of too
near proximity TO the guano.
then took two hundred pounds Of Peru
Wan guano to the acre, and after mixing it
with vegetable mould, drilled it in the
bottom of the furrow, just as you would cot
ton seed or other manure.
This being done, took a one-horse.. turn
ing plough and Tapped on either side one
furrow, and let the ground remain until il
become compact.
When ready for planting opened with a
small drill plough, after the manner Of plant
ing cotton, and at the distance Of three feet
in the drill dropped from five to eight seed,
covering them not more than one inch deep.
| worked it Just as | worked nv corn,
with this difference, that it took one plough
ing less.
| left the ratoons or suckers, to remain
after thinning out to two stalks in each hill.
In September court week, about the Goth
cut it off within some four inches Of the
ground, and took il TO an iron mill, Of two
rollers, which had been purchased in Geor-
gia, by myself aud relations, for the expires:
purpose Of manufacturing the syrup.
4 The fodder was stripped on before the
, cutting.
Itwas then run through the mill, and th,
{ juice expressed BY the aid Of one horse at
tached TO lever.
planted one aud half acre, aud haC
my kettle Of capacity sufficient to boil III,
!. Juice about a. fast as il wns expressed.
!. In the boiling process, had the expert
! ence Of those who had gone before me.
!, boiled the juice about six hours, regu
|, larry skimming of the scum and froth as j
arose TO the surface.
The juice yielded about one TO seven.
made two hundred and seventy gallon
' Of very superior article, equal in my est
nation to the best New Orleans.
give II as my opinion, Of which | hay,
no doubt, that from land yielding fifty bush
els Of corn TO the acre, that two hundre,
gallons can be made.
look upon it as forming an era in the az
riculture of the country. and one Of th
greatest blessings youchsaled TO man, lndial
! corn excepted.
: IL came al time when molasses had ros
q high and rot beyond the reach Of the masses
Is when the consumption had overreached III
2 production.
= = II is now in the power Of every family /
!. have cheap and wholesome food at thei
q command.
% One of its main values, Is food for hog.
For this purpose refer your Society TO III
last number of the Southern Culti,ator, il
y which YOU will find fair experiment mad
by planter, aud the result given to bis bro
ther farmers, over his own signature.