Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1878-10-04
Sorghum Syrup.

This is the season for manu-
featuring our crop of sorghum.
and there is this year more than
the usual quantity, and above,
an average as to quality Our
own experiences As well as
observation, ftayr given ussome
items which nsay be OF Mterest
to the inexperienced in working
up the crop. The cane should
be stripped of its leaves at
least a week before cutting or
topping. Ii is supposed this
enriches the cane by admitting
the sun to the stalks. If the
canes be topped before cutting,
the syrup not only escapes by
evaporation, but the wound be-
gins to decay and acetous fer
mentation commences, especi-
ally if il be warm weather, and
the character of the syrup is
injured. For the same reason
the canes should not be cut
until they are ready to be hauled
to the mill to be crushed. Nor
should they lay at the mill any
length of time. Top, cut, crush
and evaporate, as rapidly as
possible.
The time to commence work
ing up cane is when the seed is
fully in the dough- and continue
until the seed is nearly ripe.
Standing longer than this. the
juice decreases. commences gro
wing acid, and requires more
neutralizing agents, all Of which
tend to injure both color and
taste of the syrup AcidTty can
be neutralized thoroughly by
using enough strong alkali.
Some use soda altogether, but
this is expensive, and lime is
said to be equally as good and
efficient. Sometimes it requires
a tablespoonful of strong soda to
a gallon of juice. This will
make the syrup smell decidedly
of alkali, but this will disappear
in a short time, andthese agents
(either soda or line) are not
unhealthy when not taken in
too strong doses. But these mat
tiers cannot be directed without
practical sense in the operation.
Some cane has FIVE times the
acidity of others. 1t is con-
venient to have litrnus paper
for testing this matter, which
can generally be had at good
drug stores.
It is necessary to have a good
iron mill for crushing. Hedges
mill is considered good, and
Cooks evaporation is generally
used. Though by an expert
enced hand just as good syrup
can be made with a kettle or
iron pan which can be made by
any farmer. A pan made of
galvanized slieet-iron, ten feet
long, can be easily and cheaply
made, and that is what we
should all consult at this time.
Turn up the sides and ends of
the iron and nail carefully to
solid plank eight inches high,
and place the pan over 4 furnace.
It is best to have two pans =
one to clarity the juice in and
the other, to boil it down, one
setting higher than the other, to
aid in running the juice from
one pan to the other. They
should be set on the furnace SO
that they can be easily removed
when to be emptied, 50 as not
20 scorch.
Lime water, made from fresh
ime is good agent for clarity
ng, and does not color the sy-
up so much as the carbonate
IF soda. Sugar of lead is the
most efficient clarifyer. and is
lsed bysome unscrupulous..ope-
'ators, but it is a rank poison
md should not be used. With
are, and the exercise ola good
;hare of practical sense, a far
better and healthier syrup can
&c made than most of the foul
tuff sold at most of our prosis-
on stores, made of corn and
nuriatic acid. Did our pepula-
ion but once visit the molasses
ats at Louisiana or Cuba, or
,ur corn and acid manufacturing
Establishments at Terre Haute.
Davenport, etc, very little OF
yrups of commerce would be
But in our modern
III Of fare Ignorance IS bliss 4