Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-27
Sugar Experiments.

In the Special Report of the Department
of Agriculture for September we have Pro-
fessor Golfers tests for this season Of the
sugar in the juice of various sorts of sor-
ghum and corn. The only ones of these spe-
cially interesting to Vermont farmers are the
tests of amber sorghum and the earlier corns
The others are too late in coming to maturity
for this part of the country. Contrary to
our expectations, he does not find the San
ford corn TO be the sweetest, but it has one
exceedingly important quality. When taken
at the right time it has hardly any glucose
or uncrystalizable sugar in it. The impor-
lance of this will be seen when it is under
stood that one pound of glucose will prevent
two pounds of cane sugar from crystalizing.
Sanford corn (seed from Dr. F. b. Hatha-
way, Milton, Vt.,) contained August IA, in
stalks, two weeks after plucking the roasting
ears, one and sixty-eight one-hundredths per
cent of glucose, and ten and eighty-four one
hundredths of sucrose (crystalizable sugar)
August IA, stalks from the same plot con-
tanned eighty-seven one-hundredths of one
per cent of glucose and ten per cent of SUI
crosse. September A it contained eighty
eight one-hundredths of one per cent of glu-
cose and ten and ffty-seven one-hundredths
per cent of sucrose. The tests show that
during all the four weeks, beginning one
week after the ears were fit for roasting, the
glucose never exceeded Los per cent and the
sucrose was never less than 9.66 per cent.
This shows that while the juice of Sanford
corn is not so rich in saccharine matter as
the true sugar cane, it is as near being pure
cane sugar, and nearly as much so as maple
sap, while being about three times as sweet
as the latter. These tests show that we can
begin crushing the Sanford stalks week
after the ears are mature enough for roast
ing, and continue grinding for four weeks
before the crystalizable sugar begins to di-
minish or the glucose to increase. This, we
think, makes it sure that sugar can be
profitably made from Sanford corn-stalks in
nearly all parts of Vermont. This year San
ford corn on one farm, planted June l, was
ripe enough to cut up October 7, and was fit
to roast three weeks earlier. This was I'M
necessarily late planting, as we had other
kinds up when the Sanford was planted.
The Champlain valley is much more favor
able for the growth of this corn than that of
Memphremagog.
The early Amber sorghum juice, at its
best stage of growth, had, by Professor Col.
ier's tables, as high as fourteen per cent of
sucrose in some cases, but in only single
instance did it show less than one per cent
of glucose, while in nearly all the quantity
of glucose exceeded that of the Sanford corn
at the same stage of growth This difference
in favor of corn as compared with sorghum,
as regards glucose, was shown by other vari-
cites of corn. The Early Minnesota Dent
corn at one test showed twelve per cent Of
sucrose, but did not hold on as well as San
ford, the next trial. seven days later, giving
less than eight per cent. The Mammoth
Dent corn of Pennsylvania showed almost
twelve per cent but it is too late for Ver-
mont, its best tests not showing till August
%, or two weeks after Sanford began to be
fit to grind. The Pennsylvania corn was,
however, in grinding condition one week
longer than the Sanford. Stowell's Ever
green sweet corn showed at its best twelve
per cent of sucrose, and was fit to grind from
August 81 to September ID. This corn is
probably superior to Sanford for sugar, but,
according to our experience with it, is at
least week later. Near towns where the
ears can be sold green in market or to can
ming establishments, this would be the var-
ETY. to grow. But the Sanford could be
allowed to ripen so as to be fit for meal be.
fore cutting for sugar was begun. This re-
port can be had free on application to the
Commissioner of Agriculture, VIM. G. lie
Due, Washington, d. c.