Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-08-17
Sorgho and it's Products.

LY anu eAcohouoc oA ono Piooeo' "''1 W
pond upon the care and skill with which
the operations are conducted.
1t is q matter of some controversy at what
period of its growth the stalk begins to con-
tain sugar, andpconsequently when its man.
ufacture should commence. M. Vilmorin,
of Paris, who has given much attention to
the subject, came to the conclusion that it
coincided with the putting forth of the
spikes, but the proportion of sugar contin-
ued to increase until the seeds were in
milky state !; and according to the report of
M. de Beauregard, addressed to the Comic
de Toulom, the ripeniug ef the sorgho in
that latitude had no unfavorable effect; and
he considers the seeds and the sugar as two
products to be conformity attained. On the
other hand, Mr.. Uray, equally authoritative,
says the Toulous oatfres, to whose country
the sorgho-is indigenous, are in the habit
of breaking off the panicles the moment
they appear, in order to augment the quan-
tity, of saccharine matter in the stalks
This question may be of some Importance in
our section, and experiments should be
made for its accurate determination.
To succeed we'll in making sugar, or sy-
rup of the first quality, it is essential that
no greater quantity of the stalks should be
cut at one time than can be pcoperly press
ed and the juice boiled down to the grauu-
latiug point, on the same day. I am aware
that different opinion has been entertained
and acted on, but am also aware that the
result of this action has been the failure
generally to make sugar at all, and the ma
king of a large quantity of very inferior
syrup. Those who have not the means of
pressing and boiling the juice of the cane
the same day they are cut, had better con-
6ue their efforts to the making Of syrup,
vinegar and alcohol, as their attempt of ma
king sugar must result unsuccessfully and
uuproftably:: The, cause of this is that as
soon as the cane is cut an alteration oom-
mences almost Immediately, which gradual
ly creeps from the cut extremity into all the
joints of the stalk, decreasing the amount
of crystalizable sugar, and increasing the
proportion of uncrystalizable sugar contain
ed in it. Even the broken and bruised
cares of.a field will deterorate the juice if
passed through the mill with the perfect
canes. The Toulouse caffres, when they
have more cane cut than can be pressed ex-
peditiously, bury the surplus in the ground
to protect it from the effects of the atmos-
phere.
The juice should be pressed from the
cane as thoroughly as possible, even if it
should be necessary for this purpose to pass
them repeatedly through the rollers, as that
portion which is most difficult to be express
ed is. considered the richest in sacoharine
matter. 1t is necessary to filter the juice
as it comes from the mill, in order to re-
move the cellulose and fibrous matters, and
the starch, all of which are present in it
when expressed. A bag filter, or one made
of blanket placed in basket, will ans
wer. Next, add to each gallon of juice,
three ounces of lime slaked in FIVE or six
times its weight of water. The juice should
then be boiled by application of a gradual
heat, for twenty or thirty minutes, when
the Impurities will rapidly rise to the sur
face in thick greenish scum, which can be
easily removed by the skinner, aud then
the liquid should again be filtered. 1t will
be of pale straw color, and ready for egap-
Grafton. 1t may now be boiled down quite
rapidly, the temperature not to exceed 2l5
degrees, to about half of its original bulk,
after which the fire must be kept low, the
evaporation to. be carried on with great
caution, and the syrup constantly stirred to
prevent it from burning at the bottom Of
the kettle or evaporatipg pan. Portions of
the syrup are to be taken out from time to
time, and allowed to cool, to see if it is
dense enough to crystalline. 1t should be
as dense as sugar house molasseS or'tar:-'
When it has reached this condition it may
be Withdrawn from the evaporating vessel,
and be placed in tubs or casks to granuate.
Crystals of sugar will begin to form in three
or four days, but it often happens that weeks
intervene before crystalization takes place;
but it may always be hastened BY adding to
the thick syrup, when cooled, a few grains
of brown sugar, or little pulVerized white
sugar.
After it has solidifed, it may be scooped
out into couical bags, made Of coarse opeu
cloth, or of canvass, which are to be hung
over the receivers of molasses, and the
drainage being much aided by warmth, it
will be useful to keep the temperature of
the room at 80 or 80 deg F, After some
days the sugar may be removed from the
bags, and will be found to be a good brown
sugar. 1t may now be refined by dissol'
wing it in hot water, adding to the solution
the white of one egg. mixed with cold wa
ter, for every 100 pounds of sugar; after
which, the temperature is to raised to boil
ing and the syrup should be allowed'to to re-
main at that heat for half an hour. Then
skim and filter, to remove the coagulated
albumen and the impurities it has extracted
from the sugar.
1t must not be forgotten that sugar ma
king is an art, and that excellence in it is
only attained by close observation and long
experience. What was necessary for the
extraction of sugar from the beet.root, from