San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-04-06
For the FREE PR.ss.
For the FREn Pass.
Sugar Making of the Ribbon
C,lne.

kettles are necessary. Shallow pans
are best, for they are more easily
placed, and are less expensive. The
Juice of the cane is let from the sugar
mill to tank. this is drawn otfinto the
first pan or kettle. Build the fire uu-
der the third pan, have the flue pass
under the second pan, and thence 10
the first pan out into the chimney.
Ahying started a slow fire, when the
juice is heated to about l55 or 1902
Fahrenheit, then add milk OF lime,
until blue litmus paper shows only
slight acidity in The juice-red litmns
will turn blue if there is an excess of
acid. Having mixed the proper guam
tity Of lime with the juice by stirring,
then let the heat increase until the
juice is about to boil, then skim off all
the skum. When well skinned, then
draw the juice into tue second and fill
up the first pan to repeat the same
process. The juice in the second pan
should be boiling, watch it and skim
off all the filth and scum. When the
first pan is again ready to be empted,
then run the contents OF the aceH
SKINNED second pan into the third or
finishing. pan; let this pan boil until
the thermometer shows 23O to 2320 Of
heat, then transfer to fiat, square shall
low wooden vals to cool off-when per.
fecty cooled off, or cold, then the mass
is transferred to the sugar hogshead,
perforated with several auger holes,
and some for sugar canes stuck down
in it on a slanting platform, that the
surplus soft sacharine matter (molas-
ses) may gradually drip off, leaving the
solid sugar in the hogshead. This
drippinss or.rather molasses is caught
in troughs placed under the slanting
platform, and the value of the molas-
ses pays great portion of the expense
and labor of sugar making.
Now, when we consider that an acre
of lich land, not subject to long
drouehts, produces on an average
$4,000 to 5000 per acre of sugar,
not taking in account even the moas-
ses, is it not more profitable to raise
the real sugar cane than cotton?
The mex qaestion of those who have
suitable locations, would be, where
can We get the seed for Start? 4
sugar farm is not started from seed,
but from the cane, called rattans, it.
self, which cane is planted into deep
furrows io the latter part of January,
But also remember thai if you wish to
get start in sugar planting, you must
engage your sugar cane in October from
old sugar planters, for usually the
seed cane is from 1st to Goth Of Octo-
Der cut down for next years planting,
and is we'll protected against frost, for
frost-bitten cane will not grow, and if
ia the field still standing it will (when
SOU ed from cold and heat) not make
sugar but only molasses.
There ave many localities along our
rivers, where sugar cane could De prof.
itably raised, especially where irriga-
ton could be obtained. The San
Marcos valley contains much rich low
lands just suited to the purpose of
sugar raising. One might argue, l.
could not erect good substantial gu.
gar mill with It's appurtenances; the
small cotton planter just as well eau
say / can not erect gin house, nor pay
for gin stand; out don't he haul his
seed cotton to The next neighbor who
has Elu
Start sugar making, and some one
more wealthy will erect proper apnara-
tus aud sugar houses.
Do you LDow that if you plant sugar
cane properly deep in good soil, it is
even less liable to disasters and failures
than cotton? Here in Basirop county
even in good uplands some farmers
have successfully raised sugar cane
In my youth, after returning from
nv Santa Fe trip. l worked as CON
mon laborer on a Louisiana sugar
plantation during tie sugar making
season, aud have a litale experience
&. 4.