The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-19
SUGAR FROM THE cHINEsg SUGAR CAVE.

Mr. Isaac Hedges of Springfield Illinois, has recently
addressed to the governor OF that State letter on the
manufacture OF sugar from the Chinese cane accompany
ing sample of the sugar grown in the vicinity of that
city.
At the urgent solicitation of S. Francis, esq,
ponding secretary of the State Board of Agriculture and
editor of the Illinois Farmer Mr. j. c. Depew and my
self have undertaken to demonstrate to the farmers of
your State that there exists in the sorgho Chinese
sugar cane, valuable saccharnc property in quality
aud quantity sufficient to Justify reasonable Investment
all central localities in suitable machinery and appa
ratus to meet the demands of the surrounding country
The being a very heavy article, and inconvenent
to transport and liable, also, to If long route it is
to be expected that the great bulk will be worked up by
the farmers at home and shipped to rcine for SALE
exchanged for sugars refined srups Fixtures for their
in successful operation, costing but small
Those of the former class will not exceed the
of Touring mills in your State and like them, may be of
any desired capacity. There in most OF your
principal towns engines and boilers attached steam
stw-mils, other factories, only partially employed
that be made useful in working up this crop
Icnccs will be established at all the principal depots
of tradefor their cost need not exceed few thousand
dollars. AS the srup becomes plenty and cheap, the
demand for the superior will necessarily follow giving
employment to men and capital.
The past season has been one of very uniavorable
character for the production of rich saccharne plants
Dry and hot weather requisite for such results
The juice from which the sirup made, which here
with send you, marked only GO g Beaume, !" good
marks 100 aud sometimes l5o } requiring not only
much more exposure to the fire and atmosphere (both
detrimental to all sugars and sups but difficult of
defccation In this used defeating agent but
lmc and added i. only to ncutlize the acids present in
the cane. With wcll-aranged apparatus. where the fire
steam used in boiling susceptible Of entire control
there will be found no for other agents.
The chief difficulty to all country cxpermenters in srup
making exists in their slow boiling Six hours of such
would backcn and enbitter the clearest mai sap
dissolved loaf sugar.
Our farmers have not learned by experiment the best
soil and manner of cuvating this cane. The plant is
exceedingly hardy oac and will bear transplanng
better than tobacco and planted thus in the ridge in
fresh ground after the ordinary time of planting
say from the 10th to the Goth of the plants then
being from four to eight inches high, will outgrow the
weeds supersedng the necessity of wedding hoeng,
and insure we'll maturcd crop about the first Of Septcm
Der.
would here say that this should not be grown
fiat, heavy wet, and strong lands The stalks may
be large upon such lands but rich in saccarino
grown high rolling poorer soil The object in
growing should be to get the sweeter regardless of
size and experience furnishes ample testimony in favor
Of the of such lands above mentioned
Ii would be matter of deep regret If our farmers
should not make themselves acquainted by reading and
observation with these important facts. In my expert
mens have found cane, the juice of which in
would make, when concentrated gallon Of sirup
from four IN other six, and requiring eight
nc, and the brightest and best from the sweeter
juice.
We have made no preparation for sugar making, hay
ing learned the character of the 10 be worked in this
vicinity, as il is from the rich cane making 10 deg
Bcaumc, upwards, that sugar making will be most
profitable, although in Of the best specimens boil