The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-06-02


stalks in hill, as the more stalks that can
be raised On the same ground the better. |
There is no more sweet in stalk two inch |
es in diameter than in one one inch in d.
ameter, and half the length.
Sd. Cane is not worth working up un
less grown on sandy soil. as it takes but 81
to gallons of juice from cane raised on
such soil to make one gallon of sugar or
syrup, when it takes from Is to 8 gallons
of juice from cane grown large on low rich
soil, to make one gallon of black molasses
generally called scorched or burned.
4th. Cane raised on sandy soil has hard
joints, and is not affected by frosts or freez
ing; but cane raised on rich low soil has
soft joints. and will sour the first warm
weather afterwards.
9Th. Cane should not be suckered or
plowed among after July, or it will not ri
pen early.
9th. Good light syrup can be made from
cane if frostbitten before it heads out, but
the yield is less.
7th. In preparing cane for sugar, cut the
ripe canes in the middle, use the large end
for sugar, and the top for syrup.
9th 1t is not necessary to put anything
in the juice to cleanse or clarity it, for sug-
ar or syrup. A quick hot fire viii take out
all impurities. For this purpose I find
that continued evaporator is good ap-
paratus as the syrup runs off and leaves
the gum in the pan.
| 9th. Use an iron mill and you will get
double the quantity you would from a wood
en- mill. would not buy or use mill un
less it had direct attachment. If it is
necessary to have larger mill than one
| he Of lie
being only nine inches-for two horses
would have the main roller eighteen inches
in diameter, and the side rollers only nine
inches, SO in proportion up to four horse
mills. The geared mills are more expen-
sive, and always liable to be giving out,
while in the former plan, if the lever goes,
the rollers have to, and no extra expense
except for weight of extra iron in roller.
l commenced working up cane Septem-
Der / 9Th, and finished up on the 4th of No
vember, using a one horse mill. Yours,
o. N. BRAINARD.
LINN COUNTY, Iowa, April 80, 1860.
The sugar received is excellent-beauti-
full crystals. 1t is easy to discover the Pc
culiar sorghum taste, but it is by no means
as unpleasant as the taste of the lower
equal to the best quality of Muscovado sug-
ar. We do not clearly understand what
our correspondent means by a continued
evaporation, but suppose one made on the
that class. We do not agree with our friend,
that "cane is not worth working up unless
grown on sandy soil.' A great deal OF
cane grown on stiff clay loans in this State
has yielded profitable percentage OF
"sweetening.' That dry, warm soil is best
in this climate, because inducing early ma
turity, we do not doubt. We are glad to
receive just such letters as the above, Civ
ing experience, and the results of expert
ence.-Eds. Prairie Farmer.
CULTURE OF SWEET PoTAToEs.-Mr. Ed
itor AS receive great many inquiries
respecting the hest mode of successfully
cultivating Sweet Potatoes, I beg to pub
lish the following Directions for Planting
and Raising Sweet Potatoes taken from a
small publication on the subject, by A. H.
Vestal, of Cambridge county, Indiana, a
few years since, who had followed that
business exclusively for fifteen years pre-
vious:
"Put two plants in hill: set them two
or three inches apart, and make the top of
the hill sufficiently hollow to hold about a
pint of water. Set the plant little deeper
in the hill than it was in the hot bed. DO
not scait for rain. If the weather be dry,
plant them in the evening, and put about a
pint of water to each hill; if spring or we'll
water is used, it should have stood in the
sun the day preceding. Il is better to plant
in dry time, and water them, than when
the ground is TOO wet; for when the wealth
er becomes dry, the ground will bake, and
retard the growth of the plant. The ground
should be prepared when it is dry. and the
planting done when there is prospect of
rain; but if it should not rain, the plant
should be watered. The plants may be
planted in ridges; and when they are thus
planted, place them from eight to ten inch
es apart. When planted in hills, put two
sprouts in a common sized hill; one is bet
ter than three, and if the hill is small, one
is better than two. When the patch is
large enough, they should be pIowed, for
they do the best when thus cultivated. I
pillow mine each way once, and sometimes
oCtener. At the first blowing scrape the
weeds and grass from the hills, and draw a
little loose dirt round the plants; draw up
but little dirt the first time you work them,
for the hills will warm through better when
j, small. When plowed the last time, hill
them up; do this the last of July or first of
August. If the vines have grown across
the furrow, turn them to the opposite side
of the hill; hoe the side thus left bare, then
turn them back and hoe the other side; new
er wind the vines upon the top of the hill,
as it will prevent the sun from warming it
as much as is necessary to the full growth
of the Potatoe. The vines should not be
cut off; if they grow very rank, l pull
them loose from the ground. and drop them
down again; this is to prevent the little
sprouts from growing, and encumbering
the hill with brood of small, stringy Po-
tatoes. prefer this mode to cutting them
! off. The Potatoes are not hurt by light
frost or two. II ey should be dug as soon
as the frost kills the vines, as the growth OF
the Potato viii then cease. If dug before
much rain they viii not be injured. : =
II Al - A