The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-11-17
Chinese Sugar Cane.

MI ISdaC u. 1lSuoCSi AaflnS DVCH IL
quested by the Illinois State Board of Agri-
culture, to demonstrate to the farmers of
that State, by experiment, that there exists
in the sorgho. valuable succharine prop
erty, sufficient to justify the investment at
al central localities of capital in the erection
of manufactures and rcfneries of sorgho
syrup, sugar, and molasscs, has written
letter to Gov. Bissell, expressing his opinions
on the subject, which the Governor has
thought of sufficient Importance to COM
municate to the public, with his endorse
ment. Mr.. Hedges says:
The case being very heavy article, and
inconvenient to transport, and liable, also.
to sour if long en- route, it is to be expected
that the great bulk win be worked up by
the farmer at home, and shipped to refners
for sale, or exchanged for sugars or refined
syrups. Fixtures for their use are now in
successful operation, costing but Il small
sum. Those of the former class will not
exceed the cost of Touring mills in your
State, and lik them may be of any desired
capacity. Kcfineries will be established at
all the principal depots of trade,-for their
cost need not exceed few thousand dollars
As the syrup becomes plenty and cheap, the
demand for the superior will necessarily fol-
low, giving employment to men and capital
The past season has been one of very
unfavorablc character for the production of
rich saccharine plants. Dry and hot weather
are requisite for such results.
The juice from which the syrup was
made, which herewith send You, marked
with only 60 "Beaume," (good cane marks
loo and sometimes l50) requiring not only
much more exposure to the fire aud atmos-
phere (both d4trimentil to all sugars and
syrups) but more difficult of defacation. In
this we used no defeating agent but lime,
and added it only to neutralize the acids
present in the cane With well arranged
apparatus where the fire or steam used in
boiling is susceptible of entire control, there
will be found no use for other agents.
The chief difficulty to all country expert
menters in syrup making, exists in their
slow boiling. Six hours of such would
blacken and embittcr the clearest maple sap
or even dis o. we'd loaf sugar
Our farmers have not learned by expert
ment tie best soil and manner Of cultivat-
ing this cane. The plant is an exceedingly
| hardy one, and viii bear tranSplanting bet
ter than tobacco, and if planted thus in the
ridge, in fresh ground after the ordinary
time of planting corn, say from the 10th to
the 10th OF June, the plants then being
from four to eight inches high, will out
grow the weeds, superscding the necessity
of wedding or hoeing, and insure a well
matured crop about the first of SEP t,mber
| ! would here say that this cane should
not be grown on fiat heavy wet, and strong
! lands. The stalks may be large upon such
! lands, but not as rich in saccharine, as cane
grown on high, rolling or poorer soil. The
object in growing cane should be to get the
sweeter, regardless of size, and experience
! furnishes ample testimony l. favor of the
use of such lands as above mentioned.
/ 1t would be n matter of deep regret if our
! farmers should not make themselves ac-
! quainted by reading and observation, with
these important facts. In my experiments
/ / have found cane, the juice of which in one
! case would make, when concentrated, one
gallon of syrup, from four, in other cases
| six, and some requiring eight or nine, and
! the brightest and best from the sw eeter Juice
We have made no preparation for sugar
making, having learned the character of the
| cane to be worked in this vicinity, as it is
/ from the rich cane, making 100 Beaume, or
upwards, that sugar making will be most
profitable; although in some of the best
specimens, boiled to heavy consistency,
! crystals appeared shortly after being re-
moved from the boiler.
From all the experiments and examina-
tions have been able to give this subject,
| am forced to this conclusion, that the Chi
nese sugar cane is to become one of the
leading vegetable products of the West
that the time will come when it will equal
to us in Importance our crop of corn: that
it will do for us what the sugar cane has
done for Louisiana, and cotton for other
! States.