Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1861-11-28
SORGHUM AND IT'S rRoprCrs

From the forthcoming Report Of the State g Society.
The entries of sugar made from sor-
ghum were 4, Of sirup l6, of sugar
from imphee 3, sirup l. The follow
ing is an abstract of the modes of
manufacturing the best specimens of
sirup and sugar:
By J. Grout, Of Lancaster, Keoknk
oonnty.-Cscd tall imphec, with long
close heads and black seeds planted
goth May, and made when well ripen-
ed between the lst and 5th Of Octo-
Der. After stripping the stalks, cut
tops Oft about 81 feet from the ground,
and the butts close to the ground.
Succeeded only with the butts in ma
king sugar. The tops made about as
good sirup, but about one third less
Ill quantity. Crushed with an iron
mill, and about 40 gallons boiled speed.
lily, and in a pan 25 by As inches on
the bottom, until it became very thick; ;
cleared it with lime-water, made
strong, which was we'll mixed with
juice before it came to boiling point !;
kept it we'll skinned. When done
reduced to about one-fourth of the
quantity. Four patches were thus
made and mixed together well when
poured into the barrel-one batch a
day. The quantity had reduced near
ly one half. 1t was stirred daily, for
ten or twelve days. 1t was then
changed into barrel having head
placed few inches above the lower
head, perforated with thirty or forty
small augur holes, and covered with
flannel, having a faucet between the
heads to draw off the drained sirup.
After draining well, moistened with
warm water, stirred it up well, then
allowed it to drain again. This was
repeated. The sample exhibited went
through this process three times, eve
ry time becoming faircr. The amount
of sugar from the 20 gallons of sirup
when all is as dry as sample will be
so pounds. Twenty gallons of strip
from the sorghum, made the same way
is granulating finely. The sirup pre-.
sentcd is from this sorghum, before it
commenced to granulate.
by Mrs Abigaa James, Of Knorruie,
Marion couniy.-Sugar and sirup from
the sorghum Pressed the whole stalk
when fully ripe in wooden mill, and
strained the juice through coarse
linen cloth into barrel cleaned our
ketteIs to brightness and creased them
well when filled, kept brisk fire,
skimming a scum off as fast as it ap-
peared. When boiled clear removed
it to shee. iron pan in a brick fur
mace, with sheet iron damper fitted
to slide between the pan and fire when
desired. A strong fire should bc rails
cd immediately, to make the juice boil
brisk y or in foam all the time, until
it forms q wax similar to maple sugar
when dropped into cold water. When
at this point close the dampcr to pre-
vent burning. Pour it into an open
vessel to cool /; if covered close it may
sweat and become thin. When en-
tircly cold, place in large jars, cover
with thin cloth and place them in q
free dry atmosphere. If the sirup
foams and becomes light yellow it
will make sugar. To test it, put
some on a plate to cool, when gran
ulation will appear. Our sirup con-
tinucd to granulate for year,
when boa'was prepared with a wire
sieve in the bottom to drain the molas-
scs from the sugar. When the drip
ping ceased, the sugar was spread on
cloths, in the shade and covered with
paper until dry Our sirup is fifteen
months old and still granulatcs. To
make good sirup for table use, we
cleanse it by adding eight eggs well
beaten, and two quarts of new milk
to every barrel of fresh sap. Clean
and grease the kettles thoroughly eve-
cry time they are empticd before using
again. Look carefully to the pans,
also.
by c. H. Caughlin, Of Clear Creek,
Jasper eounty.-Sorghum Well culti-
waited and stripped Of leaves, and top,
ped about one foot below the seed head
when fully ripe, when it was cut and
taken to mill expressed with two
horses in a wooden three roller mill |;
from 60 to so gallons per hour, boiled
rapidly, in two sheet iron pans with
wooden sides, containing from 80 to
40 gallons each, each pan making
about four gallons of salable sirup,
and, when reduced for granulation,
made about two and a half gallons to
pan, which when grained, produced
about II Tbs. sugar. Draining was
done through cloth, suspended over a
vessel to receive the molasses. To do
it readily the temperature must be
mild Nothing to clarity it was used.
Small quantities, rapidly boiled, pro-
duced the best article, with careful
and close skimming. / strained mine
but once. Twice would be better.
by J. II. Painter, of Cedar oounty.-
Sorghum Boiled to the consistency
Of wax, in shallow sheet iron pans |;
placed in barrel, in the cellar, where
it granulated until the following sum-
mer, when it was taken out and placed
in sacks, where it drained for about
week. Water was then put in, and
stirred up, and left to drain another
week. 1t was then submitted to heavy
pressure, to express the remaining
molasses. From this barrel 80 lbs. of
sugar were obtained. The molasses
was made in the same kind of pans
and by rapid boiling.
By s. r. Adair, Of Johnson county
Molasses from Sorghum Boiled in a
pan sufficient to make one gallon of
molasses, using a teaspoonful of soda
for each pan. All the cane was used
except the two top joints. Took pre-
MUM at Johnson county Fair.
by s. W. Dyer, IF Des loines, Polk
counfy.-Sirup from sorghum Ripe