Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-02-25

Mr.. TIukhdrl, Dear Sir:-The question,
els making sugar from corn stalks profit
able?" has been raised, and being unable
IN answer it, take the liberty of asking
YOU the same, and few others relating TO
The subject. Please give q statement of
The cost (per acre. of raising the stalks(D.
and extracting therefrom the sugar(2);
also, the tools necessary and whether 1t Is
yerv expensive fitting up for the BUSH
ness(3)? viii the sugar grain(4)s II not.
what is necessary to make it grain(5)F
Do YOU think it would be profitable for
persons owning small farms to 60 into
it(0? ..
have heard it stated that one thousand
five hundred pounds of sugar could be
made from the stalks grown on an acre oil
ground Is this so(O? Should the corn
be sown broadcast, planted in drills or in
hils()? -,
In answering these questions You will
greatly oblige.
ALBERT WHITE.
Calais, VT. Feb. 10, 1880.
REPLY.
The questions you ask are important
Ones and as such are OF vital interest to
all our farmers. We wish we could
answer them.
III know of no authentic data to es-
tablish the cost of raising an acre Of corn
or of corn stalks, which would necessarily
depend much upon the methods of cult
walton. If done with improved machine.
ry, planted by horse power and cultivated
the same way, the cost would be much
less than by the old method of hand plant
ing and hoeing. The cost will be just
what it is to raise an acre of corn, and the
process should be Just the same, and
(5)should be planted as corn should be
planted, and for this we prefer drills, the
lows running north and south, and single
kernel every nine or twelve inches, ac-
cording as il is Il large or small kind of
corn.
The making of sugar will in no way
interfere with raising the corn, as the
stalks show the largest percentage of Su
crosse or crystallizable or cane sugar when
the grain has attained full maturity. The
saocharine matter in corn stalks is, LIST,
glucose or grape sugar, which will moi
crystalline, and, 2 |, sucrose or crystalliz-
able sugar. The proportions Of these
vary in the stalk at the various stages of
its growth, the glucose being in excess in
the earlier stages. When the grain is
matured, not only has the cane sugar ill.,
creased ten or twelve per cent but the glu-
close has also diminished, till, in some ex-
perments tried by Prof Collier, (who has
made the eXperimenls) less than one per
cent was found in the juice in one or two
instances.
The tools necessary are a crusher, which
as used in cane mills are three iron cylin-
ders running together, so as TO crush the
stalks and press out the juice; tubs or
watts to hold the juice and an evaporator.
0)While it might not be profitable for
each small farmer 10 get the entire ma.
chinery necessary for the manufacture, a
ncighborEood or some one in it might have
the machinery and get out the juice. as
cider is pressed from the apples.
(OOf the yied-the only data arc those
furnished by Prof Collier, who says he
can produce from some kinds OF sorghum
two tons per acre, and thinks nearly as
much can be made from corn.
We purpose treating the subject at
e'reatcr lenpth in some futurp naner ond
in closing thank you for the favor and in.
tercst, and hope to hear from you again.