The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-11-14
Chinese sugar Came.


to cut ont the piece and save it until
another season, for we are satisfied that
this or very similar process must be
used 10 obtain sugar from The Chinese
Sugar Cane, or as commonly called,
Sorghum:
MEssRs EDrroRs s-Having been en-
gagged for week or ten days past in
experimenting with the Chinese Sugar
Cano. l desire TO communicate through
sour columns, the result Of my observa-
iions to Your nu,nerons readers. These
experiments have been conducted with
/ special reference to the capitalization,
and the Improvement of the color and
Jturor # the Sorghum.
With regard TO the crvstallization Of
the sugar 1t the Sorgho the most emf
nert chemists seem TO agree In the
"pirion that no satisfactory result can
+ be obtained when the specific gravity
OF the juice is less than lO75, indicated
by / deg. of Baume's hydrometer.-
This will vary according to the quality
and maturity Of the cane, as the proper
tion Of sugar is an nnfai!;ng index Of its
rileness. During the past few days, I
have tested a number Of samples ofjuice
and found the specific gravity to vary
I from l.OG2 to l.O72. The butt OF the
stalk contains much larger proportion
Of ID. sacharine fluid than the tip. |
tes,edssan ordinary sample with the fol
lowing result: Specific gravity Of the
juice from the tops lo5l, Of that from
the butts l.o66. when passed through
the mill separately and l.055 when
both were run through together. 1t is
evident therefore, that TO insure fair
prospect ot success in the crvstallization
Of the Sorghum in this latitude, it will
| be necessary to select the best samples;
and having cut Oft the butts at the 3rd
o, 4th joint, pass them through the mill
separately, reserying the tie tops for
molasses. With satisfactory results SO
far rs it regards the specific gravity OF
the juice, and the proper observance OF
certain necessary conditions with respect
to the emperature-rapil evaporation
between 2l2 deg. aud go deg Far
/ enheit, being absolutely necessary 10
vs,alIization-there viii s,.! remain
some difficulties in the way o!' oota!nin.
crystals by the ordinary process. owing
70 the presnce ot sutenand other proN-
innate print ipieS, such as gum, starch
and wax. which not only interpose Sc
rious obstacles TO the commencement
Of the process Of crystalliza:io,, but rem
der It impossible TO purge the crystals
I when once obtained
To improve the color and flavor of
the Sorghum has long been aosidera-
tum. IN this respect have met with
better success than / anticipated.
The process adopted is in part that
known rs RoSseau's process. It con
si>ts mainly III removing The alhnmel
!, with the sulphate Of lime, and then nen
,rali1ing and deeolori,ing viii, the by
drafted protoxi,ie Of iron. About, COL
rpr cent Of the sulrhate Of lime. 0,
two ounces Tor every fifteen gallons q
.hc ;aice. should lie we'll stirrcd.np III .
gallon fran water, and added 10 ths
latter immediat,'v II rs it comes from the
mill, as IA eNposur- 10 the atmosphere
II is extremely susceptible to chemical
changes. principally due to the presence
ofalbumen 1t is now heated to I'll,
boiling point, when tie alhnmen coag
ulates, taking in the green and gnmm,
matters. rises to top, and is skinned
or It is better. II practicable, to iilte,
through muslin cloth. About eich
Iper cent OF the protoxidc Of iron is nov
added t. neutvaliza and decolorize it.
| L
lucing the iron is in the form OF sa
turated aqueous solution, in the proper
ton of one gallon TO. every twleve o
{ the inicc. 1t would be advisable fol
! those operating on large scale, to pro
: cure cask capable Of containing from
fifteen 70 twenty gallons. ard having
: introduced several ounces of the pro
toxide Of iron, fill II up with pure rail-
water, agitate it occasionally, and al
low it to stand ten or twelve hours
Care should be taken in drawing OF
4 the solution not to disturb the unde
. solved iron, which may be effectnally &C
I complished BY means ofa syphon, or
. stop cock introduced several inches =
bove tbs bottom Of the cask. The Isl