The Russellville Democrat., 1879-07-24
SORGHUM sYKuP.

syrups, Very many have made all the syrup they consume at home and some to sell. Every dollar saved to the farmer is so much made, and for the benefit of those of our farmers who have sorghum crops planted we reproduce the following from a correspondent of the Cincin- natl Enquirer, who has had large experlence in the business:
 "Nine years ago, when I concluded to go into the business in small way, I visited several establishments in our section. 1 did not like the construction of any of them. And, being q mechanic as well as farmer, and knowing something about ma chinery, l went to work and con- structed one "after my own liking" which have, with some slight mod lfications, been successfully running every season since. 1 selected Q level piece of ground, conveniently located; constructed @ permanent shed, forty by twenty-five feet, nine feet high at the caves, using no sills, but setting white oak posts in the ground. l enclosed the ends and one side. This is large enough for the mill and evaporator. It is also very useful for other purposes be- sides the purpose for which it was made, such as for storing corn fod- der, farm tools, &c.
 procured two-horse two roller ed mill. I wouldn't have a three rollered mill; because one horse will do as much work on a two-rollered mill as two horses will do on a three rollered mill, and if the mlll is prop erly put up, will do it with as much ease, and equally as well. I never use but one horse at time on my mill. keep two horses harnessed, and change them every two or three hours.
 set the bottom of my mill fully five feet from the ground. This puts it up high enough to give suffi- cient fall to the evaporator, and places the sweep up out of the way of the feeder, who can stand upright to do his work, and does not have to dodge his head down every time the sweep comes round. The mill is set upon four solid white oak posts, bat tering inwardly at the top. The posts all set at least tour feet in the ground. My sweep is made of ash, and nearly straight. It is not a difficult matter, as some may sup pose, to frame down at one end low enough to hitch to. The other end of the sweep l let extend over from the mill nearly as far as the end to which the horse is hitched. This operates as a balance, somewhat as nv-wheel to other machinery, and makes the mill run much steadier. The sweep must be large enough, no matter how large, to prevent any springing when in operation. A mill put up on this plan, if properly done, is just as solid as if you had placed it upon a green oak stump, and it should be so. A sorghum mill of any kind must be solid to do good work.
 Under the spout, where the juice discharges from the mill, place a box one foot square and eight inches deep. In this box I use straw and perforated tin or zinc as a filser. From the bottom of this box, or from the side neg he bottom, which is better, attacSk three quarter inch galvanized gas pipe, extend it to the ground and under the ground, under the track and up to the reservoir by the side of the furnace. My reser- voir is a tight box, holding about forty gallons, so placed that an iron faucet regulates the julce as it flows into the evaporator. The top of the reservoir box should be placed on Q level with the bottom of the filter Dox of the mill.
 My cvaporator is made of galvan. ized sheet-iron, and consists of two plain departments with partition through the center lengthwise, all bordered with wood five inches deep. The furnace is constructed to cores pond with the shape of the evapo- rator, with cast-iron door, frame and grate. From the fire-box the heat passes to the back end of the furnace, around the end of the parti- tion wall, and returns to the brick chimney at the side near the fire. l use the department furthest from the fire as q finishing pan, and draw the syrup from it's end near the chimney.
 Thus I have endeavored to de- scribe my apparatus for the making of sorgho syrup.
 Upon my fixtures, with two horses and one hand and sometimes a boy to assist, l make from one thousand two hundred to one thousand five hundred gallons each season of as good syrup as can be made from the sorgho cane. With this help l aver age forty five gallons every day through the season. But let no one imagine without experience he can be successful from the start, nor let him undertake it at all unless he has