Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1859-05-28
LFrom the NORTHEASTERN Prailie Fariner.l
Profits 81 sugar Cane.

Ny object in writing is to give my ex
perience in growing and working the Chi.
nese Sugar Cane. Some persons tell us
that it will not pay for every farmer to
raise; but let rs see whether it will or
not before we condemn il. Last Spsing, ]
planted one pound Of seed On one and one
half ACRES Of ground-and the seed only
about orc half grew. think that if il
had stood on !hree-fourths of az acre, ii
would not have been more than an aver
age crop. The expense Of growing my
cane could not exceed SO, including ey-
erything. My next move was to secure a
cheap mill for pressing out the juice
This was done by joining with four of my
neighbors, each furnishing part Of the
timber for the frame, and other materials,
and giving four days work each for con-
strncting it. Such mills are made here
for $25 (having iron gearing.) They will
last a number Of years with proper care.
We then got two plates of Russia iron for
the bottoms of our boiling pans. After
turning mp two inches Of The plates, all
around, we made of dry pine, frames for
the sides of our pans, just the size of the
plates after turning up the two inches, and
nailed them fast to the plates, with small
nails, two rows in the bottom and one in
the edge turned up. The nails should be
about one fourth of an inch apart in the
rows, and driven so as to be opposite each
other in the two rows 10 the bottom, like
the pegs in the sole of shoe. Our pans
leaked very little. They can be made for
about $2,50 each. Next was our arch,
which we made tho length Of both the
pans, eaving room for chimney, eight
inches less than the width Of them, meas
uring inside the arch. BY giving the top
Of the arch thin coat Of sand, the pans
can set on and be tight, and can be taken
of and put on when required, and still be
tight. The chimney should be high enough
10 get a good draft; clay and sand make
q good mortar, because, after il has been
burned it will form solid wall, the NOR
tar burning into brick. In order to save
wood and do as much work as possible, we
worked day and night, one usiGg the ap.
paratus half the day and night, then an
other, aud SO around. tn this ray we
made about thirty-fve gallons CT molasses
in twenty-four hours, burning about three
fourths Of cord of wood in that time
Our mode Of boiling was first, TO strain the
juice, and pat it IN The back pan for cleans
ing. When cleansed, we put it in the
front pan and boiled it until it was almost
as thick as molasses, then put it into ap
iron kettle over a slow fire and boiled to
the required thickness. Now let us see
whether it will pay or not. 4 mill $25;
pans $5; arch, SO tours did not cost us
that); making in all $50. Divided be-
tween four of us, would leave 50 for my
share Of the expenses. Now add $40 for
growing my cane, $l2 for working it up,
aud $40 for the wood making 10 all $fl
for all my expenses, which was almost all
my own work. / made from my cane ! 90
gallons Of molasses, of which / sold part
very readily for so cents per gallon. From
$50, the worth of my molasses, take $4l
as expenses, which will leave SO clear prof
its for the frst year. The next year will, |
Of course, pay better, because there will be !
less expense. It will pay for every farmer
10 raise it, if no more than enough for his
own use, thereby saving great many
half dollars, besides ha, ing enough of
coed article Of food. --JuNIus, 10 Davies
90, Ill.,, April s.