The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-08-16
THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE.
General Directions.

not be uninteresting to a portion of your readers
to have some views the manufacture of its seve-
raj products-sugar, syrup, alcohol, vinegar and a
beverage from the fermented juice analogous to c-
der The information is derived principally from
the reports of Professor jackson, of Boston, Mass
and Professor Smith, of Louisville Ky, in the ag.
ricutural Report of the Patent Office for 1857,
and partly from other sources. That the valuable
articles above enumerated can be produced from
the sorgho there is not shadow of doubt, and the
quantity and excellence ofthe product will depend
upon the care and skill with which the operations
are conducted
1t is a matter of some controversy at what period
OF Its growth the stalk begins to contain sugar, and
consequently when its manufacture should CON-
mence NJ. Vilmorin, of Paris, who has given
much attention to the subject, came to the conclu-
sion that It coincded with the putting forth of the
spikes, but the proportion of sugar continued to
increase until the seeds in a milky state; aud
according to the report of NJ. De Beauregard, ad-
dressed to the Comic de Toulon, the rpeniug of
sne sorEeo In that latitude had unfavorable ef-
fect; aud he Considers the seeds and tba snoar "a
two products to be conjointly attained 6n tho
other hand, Mr. Uray, equally authoritative, saws
that the Zoulous cafres, to whose country the sor
gho is indigenous, 10 the habit of breaking off
the panices the moment they appear, in order to
augment the quantity of saccharine matter ia the
stalks. The question may be of some importance
IN our section, and experiments should be made
for its accurate determination
10 succeed well in making sugar or syrup of
the first quality, is essential that greater guam
tity of the stalks should be cut at one time than
can be properly pressed, and the juice boiled down
to the graduating point, on the same day. | 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, aud the making of very large
quantity ofinferior syrup. Those who have not
the means Of pressing and boiling the juice of the
canes the same day they cut had better coufne
their efforts to making syrup, vinegar and alcohol,
as their attempts at making sugar must result
successfully and unproftably. The cause Of this
is that as soon as the cane is cut, an alteration
commences almost Immediately, which gradually
creeps from the cut extremity into the joints Of
the stalk, decreasing the amount Of crystalizable
sugar contained in it. Even the broken and bruis-
ed of field will deterorate the juice if pass
ed through the mill with the perfect canes. The
Toulouse ca1res, when they have more cane cut
than can be pressed expeditiousy, bury the
plus in the ground to prevent it from the effects
of the atmosphere.
The juice should be pressed from the canes as
thoroughly possible, even if it should be neces-
sary for this purpose to pass them repeatedly
through the rollers, as that portion which is most
difficult to be expressed is considered the richest
in saccharlne matter. 1t is necessary to filter the
Juice as it comes from the mill in order to remove
the celluiose and fbrous matters, and the starch,
all of which is present in it when expressed.
bag filter, made of blanket placed in a
basket, will answer. Next, add to each gallon of
juice, three ounces of lime Stacked in FIVE or six
times its weight Of water. The juice should then
be boiled by application Of gradual heat, for
twenty or thirty minutes, when the impurities will
rapidly rise to the surface in thick greenish
scum, which can be easily removed by the skim
mer and then the liquid should again be filtered
1t will be Of a pale straw color, and ready for
evaporation. 1t may now be boiled down quite
rapidly, the temperature not to exceed 215 de-
grees, 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 evaporatins pan. Por-
tons of the syrup to be taken out from time to
time, and allowed to cool, to see if it is dense
enough to crystalize. 1t should be as dense as
sugar house molasses or tar. When it has reached
this condition it may be Withdrawn from the evap-
oratiDg vessel, ADD be placed in tubs or casks to
granalate Crystals of sugar will begin to form in
three or four days. but it often happens that weeks
intervene befor crystalizaton takes place; but it
NAV always be hastened by adding to the thick
syrup, when cooled, few grains of brown sugar,
OF a little puIyerized white sugar. After it is So
lidifed it may be swooped out into conical bags,
u,ade of coarse open cloth, or of canvass, which
are to be hung over the receivers Of moasses, and
the drainage being much aided by warmth, it will
be useful to keep the temperature of the room at
80 or 90 deg F. After some days the sugar may
be removed from the bags, aud will be found TO be
good brown sugar 1t may now ae refined by
dssolving it in hot water, adding to the solution
the white of an egg, mixed with cold water, for
every 100 pounds of sugar, after which the tempe
rature is to be raised to boiling, and the syrup
should be allowed to remain at that heat for bali
an hour Then skim aud filter, to remove the Goa
gulated albremen, and the impurities 1t has ex-
tracted from the sugar.
It must not be forgotten that sugar making is
an art, aud that excellence in it is only attained by
close observation aud long experience. What was
for the extraction of sugar from the beet
root, from which France annually produces l2O,-
0OO00 pounds of sugar, is doubtless required ior
the sorgho. viz: thorough study of its nature,
with a process of extracting the sugar specially
adapted to it, A very large proportion OF our peo-
pie will doubtless be satisfied with the production
of a good syrup, which they may obtain by follow
ing the process described above, uuti the juice
attains the density. By emitting the lime water,
an agreeable bnt slightly aciduious syrup Is formed
of lighter color, but it is not liable to crystaze
owing to the presence of acid matter.
A cheap and good vinegar can be made from
the syrup. To eight gallons of clear rain water,
add three quarts of syrup; turn the mixture into
clean tight cask, shake it well two or three times