Daily national Democrat., 1860-12-02
1allp National Democrat
Chinese Sugar Cane,


We hear" says the Sacramento Bee
"many good accounts of the success of this
cane In California. If all said of it be true,
it is one of the most profitable crops man
can cultivate. Wherever Indian corn thrives
it will thrive. 1t requires about the same
soil and climate and husbandry but will
produce fair crop on dry sandy or gravely
soils too poor to produce IA good crop of any
thing else. 1t endures cold better than
maize, and resists the winter frosts and
withstands excessive droughts much better
1t should be planted as Indian corn, in rows
or hills, if for sugar or syrup; but if for fod-
der, it may be sown broadcast. 1t grows
from six to eighteen feet high, and the
weight of the stalks when green varies from
ten to forty tons per acre For stock of all
kinds, horses. cattle, poultry, swine, etc, it
Is Wholesome, nutritious. and economical
food, and is eaten 10y them with avidty
either green or dried 1t seeds like broom
corn, and its seed amounts to from twenty to
sixty bushels per acre Fer cattle, sheep.
and poultry, this seed is considered among
the best of provender; and from the fibrous
parts of the stalk, excellent paper can be
made. The yield of syrup per acre varies
according to crop and climate, ranging from
one hundred and fifty to four hundred gal
Ions This dry climate sSad to be peculiar
" adapted to the production Of its sacchaiine
matter. 1t was inti oduced into the United
States from France in 1865, and has become
favorite crop in numerous localities. 1t is
an annual and has to be sowcd or planted
every year.
William Bouton, a farmer of Yolo, who
resides on the Sacramento some twelve miles
below this city, presented US with a sample
of the syrup made from this cane, and we
deem it as good the molasses of ommerce
lie this year cultivated two acres of the cane
and calculates, from what he has pressed
that it will lied two hundred gallons of syr-
zap pee acre 1t ought to be worth about
seventy cents gallon to dealers and it may
tie worth more, but at this rate Oh even at
fifty cents per gallon it will prove a profita-
Ole crop. 1t is far easier and cheaper to turn
the cane into syrup than to thrash and bag
the grain from similar area Cut the cane
when ripe, pile it together to prevent it dry
ing out too much, and run it through your
press when conv venent. This can he turned by
hand, water, wind, horse, or steam power
A little iron press OF mill, with three cylin
ders between which the canes are crushed
and the syrup pressed out, with cost only
$50; but larger ones will cost as high as
5000 to 5000 Once going through squeezes
the cane sufficiently, and the debris can be
used for the compost heap or sold to the pa
per mill. The juice thus pressed from the
cane must be evaporated To do this, large
pains are required, presenting great surface
to the fire, and allowing ample space for
quick evaporation Tut in the juice to the
depth of one or two inches, or three if you
like, and let it boil until the syrup has at
tanned proper consistency, and boil with
little bullocks blood, few eggs, or other
clarifying substance to clear it, then barrel it
and it is ready for market The number of
gallons of juice required to make gallon of
syrup is from five to ten, according TO the
soil and climate, and the maturity of the
canes"