The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-06-09
HOW TO MAKE SYRUP FROM CHI
NEsE SUGAR CANE.

" Tonev ESQ. of Eufaula, Ala, communi-
Gates the following interesting aud instructive
article to tho Southern Cuhlvator:
Nv d;tactions are for farmers and planters who
have not, cannot and will not get the elaborate
apparatus of sugar-house; but here are essential
'axtures. &c, which must be had, to-wit: mill,
boilers, a baiiiDg dipper of wood of FIVE gallon
capacity, with long handle, common upper,
and perforated ladies' or skimmers.
The MiU.-Get one mill for so acres, and two
for hundred acres more; the size, Is inches
in diameter, and "a hong, for the cylinders. They
should be cast iron; the fouudries will make them
70 order.
The .Boilers~TLey should be propor:ioned in
size aud number to the size of the crop; say one
for 20 acres two or three for SO acres, and five or
six for 100 acres, more or less. As many as tive
or six can be put in ono battery, and operated by
one furnace, running under all. The capacity OF
the boilers can be greatly increased by fastening
wooden rim s or 10 inches high around their
tops The brick work Of the furnace should not
reach higher on the inside than midway of the
boilers, otherwise the syrup will be burnt by the
fire.
The Cane-The cane should not be eat until
ripe, which may be known by tho seed becoming
of puIplnh black, and the stalks streaked with
red On yellowish ground 10 is we'll to know
and recollect that the canes, If left standing on
the land where they grow, with all their leaves or
fodder On them, will keep good until the crop is
manufactured, if Jon will barely. cut off all the
dry up, it being the mouth and lungs Of the
plants.
Pull the fodder as you do corn fodder, each
day as you grind your cane. Cut the stalks close
TO the ground with sharp hoes, and haul them to
the mill with the seed on, with small crop, but
cut the eeed off in the field if large one, and dry
the panicles in the day and house. The
Il l.,
anl containing BY chemical analysis &c per cent
IS ercl, is about two thirds the vulue Of corn or
re for feeding stock "horresco rcterens for
making whiskcy.
III. J1ice The juice as pressed out by the
s,ill should run through cloths fastened the
receiving tubs TO clear it Of oil trash.
Put the juice in the largest boiler, nearly fill
Jug it, and start gentle fire under it, and put the
thee to sinmerng-not boiling-and keep it so
Tor about thirty ninutes, until clarified. This is
d. :c be Effected by administering some all ali in
tulutic- The best akali for this purpose is the
uper.carbonase of soda. Put heaping tea
spoonful in pint Of water, dissolve it, aud pour
II into the boiler Of smmering juice stir it up,
and violent etierreecence takes place, rising four
inches high, and finally settling in trick green
ish scum oil over the surface Of the juice, Skim
this of, mud repeat the process every few minutes.
Tor about thirty minutes, more or less but stop it
as soon ss but not before, all efferyescence
Tho process will ueutraze the sulphurc and
phosphore acids which abound in the Chinese
sugar cane juice; and the super caro-. of soda is
the pur,st and best alkah for this purpose, as
sodium, the base Of the peroxyd is lighter than
water. The pressure Of the mill forces out with
the juice great deal Of green fcculous matter
sN hieh the akaI takes hold of by the attraction Ut
It's ACIDS, and brings 10 the surface as scum
1heac constant skhnmings will give you a
clear Juice, capable Of making clear, thick, acid
loss syrup. This use Of soda / discovered in 1857
ny expt riu'enting, and experience has fnily con-
frlued its superiority over all other akalies
fhc Louisiana and West Indian sue Er planters
use lime to purify the juice. 1t will neutralise
the acids, bot doubt its purifying agency. The
lime will readily unite with aud neutrulikc the
phcsphoric and sulphuric acids Lutssrc not the
comVounss, the salpha;e of lime, or paster of
Ya:is, too heavy to elevate the green woody matter
to the surface? | think SO, and for this reason,
unless You wish to plaster Of paris, III ncchani-
cal solution in you syrup, do not use lime in your
cane juice
am fortified in these views against the use of
tme toAclarity and rurity syrup, BY Dr.. Robert
Battey, Of the abest practical agricultural
chemists in Georgia. lie says deliberately
Il Lime answers 10 useful purpose so far as syrup
seoncerned, save to ncutralize the free acid which
exists naturally IL the cane. Lime darkens the
color, and TO ny taste, dctracts FROM the grateful
favor of the syrup? | regret that Dr. Battey did
not 60 farther and Gire the reason why lime does
not clarity. 7 have already suggested its specific
gravity, rs base, as being too heavy, as the
reason.
If soda cannot be had, have ready strong I've
from green hickory ashes. This alkaline solution
is the next best to that Of soda aud apply it in the
way.
After the juice is both nsutfazed of its free
acids and purified of its fecula, which may be seen
aua known by the cessation OF efferyesence and
tie transparency Of the juice, then boil down to
she syrup point.
IN the absence Of instruments, which cannot
now be bad, be sure you boil enough l, is safer
To err by boiling too much than not enough As
general guide, you have to go by eye sight, and
as but few IN the South paid any attention to
1t heretofore, will give certain general rules
which should be observed:
l. Boil down until the syrap is about one fifth
of the original quantity.of juice, for il is true
that five gallons of juice will average one gallon
of syrup.
2. Boil down until the syrup, being reduced II
shou. ope-6fth of its original quantity, will ham,
in fakes on the rim of the dippsr as you pour #
out, and suspend it in the air
8. Boil down until all water IL expelled This
may be seen and known when the syrup, being
reduced to about one-th its original juice throws
up jets some sixefhches high; this latter is the
water escaping as steam: continue to boil until
these jets cease; then strike off your syrup into