Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-21
CoRNsTALK SUGAR.
Interest to Farmers Throughout the
Northwest.
Washington Special Sept. ~ to Chicago
Tribune]

Tribune.
The Republican Newspaper company of
Washington will issue tomorrow volume
containing an account of the recent remark
able discovery by which sugar can be made
from Indian corn and sorghum at slight
expense. The work is a volume of 100 pages.
containing a careful history of corn and
sorghum as sugar-plants, with description
of machinery and process of manufacturing.
The discovery enables the farmer to under
take the manufacture of sugar from his own
cornstalks without the vast expenditure nee
essary in the production of sugar from
sugar-cane. The inventor, F. L. Stewart, a
chemist of Pennsylvania, will of course
derive his profit from the use of the chemical
combinations necessary to the crystallization
process. What these chemicals are and the
methods in which they operate are of course
the secret, but the process is made so simple
that any farmer can apply it. Mr.. Stewart,
the inventor Of the process, says the subject
itself has claim upon the attention of the
American people of no ordinary kind. The
effect of practical adoption of these truths
will be to revolutioniZe sugar production in
this country, to enhance almost beyond esti-
mate the value of Indian corn and sorghum,
to carry the line of available sugar produc-
ing territory from the Gulf Coast to the
fortieth parallel, to save the country $780,
100000 now annually expended for foreign
sugar, and to assist by the rise of new and
permanent industry in the solution of much
vexed question by giving remunerative labor
on corn lands of the West to great number
of the unemployed. The alleged identity in
all important particulars of the crude sac
s,,;o 1l,@ IL
as others, once gave credence, has proved to
be an error. Whatever is valuable III the
new process of making sugar from sorghum
and maize is the result of the removal of
this old stumbling block. The following is
BRIEF sYNoPIs OF THE PROCESS.
It is this process which Prof. Collier, chemist
of the agricultural department, has recently
put in successful operation on small scale.
First, heat the freshly-e1pressed juice of
the cane, sorghum, OF maize in copper or
tinned-iron vessel to temperature, as shown.
by thermometer suspended, SO that the
mercury bulb is immersed in the juice of
$50 degrees Fahrenheit, equal to 80 degrees
Centigrade.
Second, after the juice has been heated to
1875 degrees Fahrenheit, add and stir into it
one fluid ounce of cream of lime to each
gallon of juice, or from five to seven pounds
(pints) to each hundred gallons of juice.
Third, after adding and stirring in the
cream or lime, heat the juice rapidly to the
boiling point
Fourth, when it begins to boil, shut off the
heat or remove the vessel containing the
juice from the fire, and, so soon as the
sediment begins to settle, draw off with a
siphon the clear liquid from top until at last
nine-tenths of the whole quantity of juice
has been thus removed, leaving thick,
muddy sediment at the bottom.
Fifth, sweep out with a broom this muddy
sediment into bag, filter, and add the
fltrate as it passes through the filter to the
clear liquid siphoned off.
Sixth, to the clear liquid thus obtained in
sections fourth and fifth, which should be
allowed to cool to a Temperature OF $50 de-
grees Fahrenheit equal to 66 degrees cent?
grade) and not lower; there is now added of
Solution one fluid ounce to each gallon of
juice, or from five to seven pints each 100
gallons of juice. At least enough of Solution
B is to be added to completely neutralize the
lime in the juice, and to determine this
point slip of blue litmus paper is dipped
into the solution, when, if enough of Solu
ton B has been added, the blue color will be
changed to red. (Solution is one of the
inventors CHI mical preparations.)
Seventh, evaporate rapidly, skimming
from time to time any scum which appears
upon the surface, and adding Solution B in
small quantities if the boiling juice will not
turn the blue litmus paper red.
Eighth, when the thermometer in the boil
ing juice indicates a temperature of 235
equal to 112 centigrade) the sirup should be
Withdrawn from the fire, and it should be
kept to crystalline in room of about 80 de-
grees Fahrenheit, equal to 81 centigrade.
To facilitate crystallization, few grains of
granulated sugar may be added to the cool
ing strip when it has reached the tempera-
ture of 100 degrees Fahrenheit equal to 3S
centigrade)