The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-04-06
HANOVER Co., VA, March 6, 81


BILE gentlemen.
HANOVER Co., VA, March 6, 81
Dear Doctor,-I give you my expert
ence (rather of the negative order though)
and observations about sorghum and its
manufacture into sprup, with the greatest
pleasure. 1 suspect it will only prove a
warning, not guide to you. And first
the variety: continued to plant the orr
ginal Chinese variety; propagated from
a teaspoonful of seed sent me in letter
by the late Prof. j. j. Mapes of N Jer-
sey, between 1910 and 1850 say-proba-
bly, the first seed in the State Since the
war we have raised a small crop OF Early
Amber, but foundi it inferior in every par
ticular to our Strain of Chinese. And in
this connection | will observe that saw
no evidence of an increased proportion of
offensive products in the canes, propagated
year after year on a farm, in the primary
formation strongly Astounding in feldspar
and iron
And as to the process of manufacture
Our plan was to cut strips and grind the
canes as continuously as possible. taking
such canes as had ripened one-third to
one-half of the seed head, to get the Juice
into the scalding kettle after the least
possible exposure to the air, to bring to
a boil as quickly as possible, and after
thoroughly skiming to lade into the evap-
orator, and be ready for another charge
for the scalding kettle. This process we
continued from early morning getting
about barrel of juice in thirty or forty
minutes) till 8 o'clock, P. NJ, allowing
time to finish the evaporation before bed
time-the evaporation having been hept
boiling in a separate furnace the whole
day. The apparatus was Fl. M. Smiths
three Roller Vertical Mill, 35 gallon
cauldron, set in masonry, for scalding,
and foot, sheet-iron bottom, wood
sides, evaporating pan, in separate fur
mace. Of this process the product was,
say fair and passable only. The syrup
was too dark-and had some taste of
burnt gum. [ think it was wholesome,
and was certainly not unpleasant, about
as pleasant as second quality of Porto Rico
molasses. The faults of the process were,
evaporating the juice with the foreign
matter in it, and adding continuously
fresh juice at lower temperature to in
spissated Juice at higher temperature.
l have observed that no defeating agent,
(and we used many), seemed effective
Lye, of fresh hickory ashes, seeming most
effective And l am convinced that no
process involving scalding of the Juice
before the impurities are precipitated and
removed, can bring any satisfactory re-
suit. The gum or albumen, or whatever
it is, existing in all sorghum canes, and
absent IN the sugar canes, is manifestly
fixed in the juice by the boiling heat, and
when the syrup is raised 80 or 40 degrees
higher, as it must be, this material is
scorched, and produces the dark color and
empyreumatic taste.
But all the time we would carry on the
retail process, by which alone was per-
feet syrup made in my experience. An
old woman, with four or six gallon bell
metal kettle, or a smooth dinner pot,
would fill her vessel at the mill or scald-
ing kettle, take it to her own fire, boil
and skim-skim and boil for some six
hours, and produce about one-tenth
Of the juice of syrup better than any
New Orleans molasses repeat again,
small operation of my own to the same
effect. / succeeded in getting through
filter of broken wood charcoal, in com
mon tin funnel a small quantity of Juice
from the scalding kettle. This was per-
fectly evaporated in not more than 90
minutes to the most beautiful syrup
which in short time had deposited at
least one-half of graduated sugar.
So you will perceive one most serious
obstruction to success in syrup-making in
the common process. Another is the in
efficiency of the mills-Smths mill had
rolls quite eccentric, not having been in
the lathe at all, and being vertical, the
baggasse of any cane passing below an
other, carried away considerable part
of the juice of the upper one. 1t was
slow too, and liable to break. And then
have reason to believe, that for the def
coating vessel, copper or tin should be
used.
Considering therefore the necessary ex-
pense to be incurred for satisfactory syr-
up-making in the effective mill-the COP
per defeating kettle and other parts-I
say, go the whole fgure-get the 70 parts
of the juice and not 40 or As defecate on
the Stewart or Department plan, and
make 80 or 60 parts of sugar and the rest
good molasses. The only additional ex-
Pense would be the graduating vessels
common tubs or wooden boxes will do
and shelter for the work. 1 should
combine the sugar-factory with q pig
fnndipcr oraro e.