The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-08-28

wood plantations, however aiFeaoy
require a good fertilizer.
The future prosperity OF sugar
| planting in Louisiana viii, next to
the labor question, be dependent most
ly upon the means applied to the res
toration of fertility, because a fertile
soil must contain all the inorganic
constituents which the plant requires
Why not produce, with the same ex-
pense for cultivation, more sugar to
the acre by adding a fertilizer?
Planters complain that they have
been nlsled in the purchase of ready
mixed fertilizers. Such articles
should not be purchased except
under full guarantee Of analysis. A
better, safer and cheaper method
would be for the planter to buy all
his raw material, phosphate, potash,
sulphate of lime and cotton seed meal
for ammonia, mixing his own fertilH-
ers on the plantation according 10 the
requirements of his soil, ascertained
by practical tests. The analysis Of a
soil, is only partly regarded as
guido for the selection of proper
Fertilizer; only by actual, practical ex-
pertinent can it be determined what
proportion the soil needs of the differ
crent materials to secure the most
| profitable results. For myself, as a
manufacturer Of fertilizers. / would
not hesitate moment to give plant
ers all the information requisite to
enable them to prepare their own fer
tilizers it they should prefer this to
my guarantee of analygis.
Mr.. Ed. J. Gay has this season
manufactured fertilizer on his plan
tation, under my supervision, thus
obtaining very good and cheap ar
ticle, combining phosphatee, ammonia
and potassa.
With the employment of the right
kind OF fertilizers not only large
crop per acre viii be produced, but
the proportion Of sugar and molasses
will also be increased.
| In regard to the several processes
liz vogue for manufacturing sugar, it
! has been fully demonstrated already
what enormous losses tho planters
have suffered who continue to use
open kettles. 1t only remains to be
hoped that they, if they still entertain
doubts of this fact, will satisfy them
selves upon this very important. point
with the assistance of the polariscope,
and the result will be that those who
are able will procure improved ma
chinery for evaporation, or, ifnot able
to do SO will either sell their cane or
pump the juice, where it can be done,
over to a neighboring sugar house
having good machinery and perfect
appliances, as is done in France and
elsewhere, or make strenuous efforts
to establish the disposal of syrup to
vacuum pan proprietors; which very
important question, l am glad to see
now under consideration by a com
mittee Of sugar planters appointed by
the association,
AS to the Qualification OF cane juice,
l have nowhere il France, Austria,
Germany or Cuba seen SO little sci
enoe employed in this process as in
Louisiana sugar houses. II the sugar
| planters DO not desire to use better
agent than lime and cannot find one
as cheap, then, at least, litmus paper
should be employed for each clarifier,
so as TO keep The cIarifcation ali the
| season SI;q}it1y acid. The smallest
surplus OF lime viii net rs g destroy
ing agent Of The crystalizable sugar,
form saccharato Of lime, which in
dense solutions is not soluble, and
when boiled in The vacuum pan will
build mass on the steam coils sonle-
what like pull candy, but never will
crystalize. The evil Of over lined
juice ls felt in the non-crystalizing of
second, to say nothing of third syrups.
Every per centum of invert sugar or
iginally present in juice, or accumu-
lated during the manufacturing pro
cess, will prevent one per cent. of
crYssalizablo sugar from crystaiiza'ion,
a fact fully established by the exper-
ience Of all sugar reGners.
/ Although the loss upon open ket-
ties, IN connection with vacuum pans,
is not so great--the combination is
most awkward, viewed from a tech
meal stand point. The sugar which
is destroyed by heat in the Kettle
cannot be regained by boiling IN Q
vacuum pan. With the help OF the
| Nnlariacnnn ,,lnnAnrs cnn nasilx de-