The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-08-21

From Indian Corn and Sorghum
Important Statement.

Important Statement.
Rural World: One of the mos
important papers presented during
the last session of the board wai
that submitted by Mr.. f. L. Stew
art, of Murraysville, Westmoreland
county, Pa, and read by f. j
Smith. Samples of the sugar were
submitted for the inspection of tn,
delegates.
In presenting at this time a brie
account of the new process of sugar
manufacture, with which my nam,
is associated, it will be necessary
for me to allude particularly to the
history of my researches in this
line of work, inasmuch as all th,
facts of that sort which the genera
, public cares to inquire about hav,
been published. But it affords ms
great satisfaction, as a Pennsylva
nian, to be able to say that my frs
systematic experiments directed tC
the extraction of sugar from the
green stems of Indian corn were
made in Philadelphia, where / went
the Centennial year, and that the
fruits of that work were exhibited
at the international Exhibition few
days before it closed. / have re-
sponded to an invitation to exhibit
the process now perfected in practi-
cal operation in the hall OF the per-
manent exhibition, during the con-
tinuance of the approaching State
fair.
Briefly described, the process
deals with saccharine juices con-
tanning their normal condition,
both cane and fruit sugars, the for
mer largely preponderating.
recognize three distinct classes
of saccharine Juices, viz:
First. Those like the tropical
sugar cane and the beet, which, when
their juices are mature, contain in
association with other substances
true crystallizable sugar only.
Second. Those like most fruits,
such as the apple and the grape,
which, whatever their composition
ObuCEWlSSs OOhbalA1 ~ 5luC sugar
but only glucose, etc.
Third. Those like maize and sor-
ghum, which have not heretofore
been generally recognized as dis
tinct, containing, in their best con
dition, both cane sugar and uncrys-
tallizable sugar, but which, by rea-
son of the defective modes Of treat.
ment heretofore resorted to. haya
proyed nraoti@~liy ~nUt y5IalllzaDle'
Inc difficulties are now entirely
removed. 1t is now clearly shown
that the juices Of maize and sor-
ghum grown in the United States
are richer in sugar of the true cane
type than any other plants that can
be grown in temperate latitudes;
that nine tenths of their saccharine
matter in such sugar, and that the
impediments to crystalization are
such as are peculiar to these
plants.
Accordingly, / find that Deither
the processes adapted 20 the ex.
traction of sugar from the southern
cane, nor the much more elaborate
or costly methods of the beet sugar
manufacturers in Europe, are ap-
propriate to the successful extrac
tion of sugar from these plants,
which, in this caNe, involves entire
ly new conditions and requires rad
ical changes in the mode of chemi-
cal treatment.
Entirely aside and from its ad-
vantages as an antiseptic and de-
colorIzer, / have discovered a pecul-
lar property in the dioxide Of sui
phur when employed upon these
Juices under certain conditions,
which, heretofore unknown and un-
used, now perfectly solves the prob
lem of the separation and crystalli-
zation of the sugar. This is done
expeditiously, ,cheaply and certainly.
Practically then the value of
these new sugar producing plants
may be conclusiveIy stated as fol
lows:
First. The stems OF Indian corn,
in any of its many varieties, if TAX
en- at the proper stage of develop
ment, as well as those of the differ
ent varieties of sorghum, contain In
great abundance a saccharine juice
scarcely excelled in richness by the
sugar cane OF Louisiana. The
sugar produced by this process is
true crystallized cane sugar. Maize
sugar, it need hardly be said, is not
the so-called and comparatively
worthless "corn-sugar" sometimes
made from the starch of ripened
grain by a well known chemical
Transformation, but it is a natural
product of the immature plant
One hundred pounds of stems of
these plants at the proper period
of their growth (when the grain is
in the milk in the case of corn and
shortly after the flowing period to
perfect ripeness in the case of sor-
ghum), about 81 parts of juice
and IL IL parts of woody fibre and
insoluble substances. II to l5 per
cent. Of the juice is crystallized
cane sugar, nearly all Of which can
be extracted.
Second. The impurities which
hinder capitalization, as already
said, are Of a peculiar kind, and re-
sist every other known mode OF
troatment except that known in
this process. The sugar SO made
is of as good quality as that made
from the southern cane or the beet, |
and is produced far more easily and
cheaply.
Third. Like the sugar cane and
unlike the beet, these plants pos
sess q saccharine quality Of the
Juice which is little affected by the |
presence of nitrogenous substances
in the soil. Hence they are adapt
ed to a wide range Of soils, notably |
those of the western praries, where
the beet is a failure.
Fourth. All varieties of Indian
corn and sorghum yield this sac
charine juice, and natural hybridi
zation does not greatly affect its
quality, and hence but little care,
comparatively, is needed to prevent
intermixture of varieties, although |
by careful selection, richer varieties
than those now existing will no
doubt be produced.