Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-04-26
Sugar and Syrup from Sorghum
and Corn.

anu COTns
A writer for the press, speaking on this
subject, says it was discussed forty years
ago as zealously as now, and quite as intel
ligently. We are sorry that any man writ
ing ostensibly to instruct others should be
so ignorant as not to know that the chem
istry of sugar was, forty years ago, compar-
atively blank, that sorghum was almost
unknown in America at that time, and that
no scientific investigation Of the subject
had ever been made or attempted. The ex-
periments in making syrup from corn stalks
early in this century were very crude in
deed. The right time for cutting the stalks
was unknown, but believed to be at a season
when, as science has lately shown, there is
comparatively little saccharine matter in
them, and that mostly of the low grade
called glucose. No proper machinery for
extracting the juice was in existence the
right method of correcting the acidity and
clarifying the juice was unknown and the
modern evaporators Ito say nothing of the
vacuum pans, so necessary for making su-
gar proftably even from sugar cane,) had
not been thought of. Nevertheless, very
passable molasses was made from corn.
stalks in those days; yet it was SO much
cheaper to swap salt Goldfish and other New
England dainties with the West Indians
for sugar and molasses, that the experiment
yraa not ,np,,,aro;oIl,, N a,ooaaa
Now things are very much changed. For
twenty-five years sorghum syrup has been
common all over the west and south, as a
standard product for home use and for
market. The superior sweetness of the
sorghum juice has prevented further expert
ments with corn until lately, but these re-
cent experiments show that while the best
varieties of sorghum are actually as rich
in saccharine matter as the tropical cane,
corn-stalks will yield about two-thirds as
much syrup to the acre, and this syrup
will make as much sugar as the syrup from
sorghum. The question of profit between
the two lies in the relative value of the
grain and fodder produced by the two plants.
IL has been we'll oettled in regard TO both
that as much sweetening can be extracted
from the stalks after the seed is ripe as be-
fore. Indeed that is the best stage for su'
gar making. Therefore the whole crop can
be utilized. The grain does not have to be
sacrificed to make sugar, nor the sugar in
order to secure the grain. The ears may be
taken ripe from the corn stalks before the
latter are ground to extract the juice, and
the same is true In regard to the heads Of
sorghum. The leaves in both can be saved
for fodder. As to the respective values Of
the grain, it is probable that corn is worth
double as much as sorghum seed, and the
quantity will be at least third more. Sor
ghum yields about twenty-five bushels Of
seed per acre, which has considerable tannir
in it; yet poultry, swine, and even cattle
are said to like it, aud do well on it.
No experiments have been made as to the
sugar yield from any kind of corn grown il
Vermont except the Sanford, which has dis
appointed its friends in the small produce
of sugar from it, when grown near Wash
ington. 1t gave only about threefourthi
as much sugar per acre as the large southern
field corn. But it might do much bette
here, as northern corn taken so far south a!
Virginia rarely succeeds we'll. With regart
to our common yellow field corn, we hav'
as yet no experiments, but it could be easil.
tried where sorghum is being manufactured
As it natures early, reaching the best stag
for sugar making some time before the Am
Der cane (the earliest of the sorghums), i
would be available for making up before tn
sorghum or the Sanford corn is ready, and
mill could be run upon these stalks in tn
early part of the season. Sanford corr
grown in Virginia yields about 400 pound
Of syrup to the acre. II our field corn will
yield 1000 pounds (only about three or fou
feet of the stalk being used) it would pa
well to grind and manufacture it, at least o
farms already fitted up for making mapl
sugar. A grinding mill, costing $3.50, an
two cleansing kettles, would be all the add
tional apparatus needed on such farms
work up ten or fifteen acres of corn and Sol
ghum, which can all be done in a month
time. Corn and sorghum juice is some fou
times sweeter than maple sap, and of cours
is much more quickly and cheaply boiled t
syrup.
Professor Collier, who has been exper
| ,nant;no in tb;a huoinaoa for aauaral yaa ~
has brought the operation into very simpl
form, requiring less work, and only littl
more skill, than maple sugar-making. A
the Juice runs from the mill it is straine,
and run into the cleansing kettles, whic
are round boilers of galvanized iron or col
per holding half barrel or more. Thes
are set over an arch, 30 arranged that tn
fire can be drawn or shut off, quickly. A
soon as few pailfuls of juice are ready,
is poured into one of these boilers, and th
FIRE started. When the boiler is half full
little milk of lime is poured in. This
made by saking a lump of common lin
and adding water, stirring until the fiji
lime makes with the water liquid lih
milk or cream. After letting it settle
minute or two, this milk of lime is poure
off and used for neutralizing the acid in I'll
juice. Just enough must be put in to d
stroy the acid, and this is found out |
using a little strip of prepared blue pape
called "litmus paper" While the juice
acid it will make the paper red, but if yo
put in too much lime the paper will tur
purple The right way is to add little {
the milk Of lime at time and stir it we
and then test it with the paper. There wi
be gradually less red shown, and at last IL
paper will not be changed. Then it is righ
In short time one working at the busine
will learn just about how much lime will
needed for a kettleful of Juice but the Ia