The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-08
SUGAR AND MOAkSseS.
The Part Filled by Sorghum Down sonth
Daring the War.

At home and abroad sorghum came to
take the place of the vanishe, sugar.
The children at home ate II in their gin
ger cakes. and the soldiers in camp
drank it in their rye coffee. The mo-
lasses and sugar Of Louisiana were pro-
durable in degree ill the fall of vicks-
burg; but the spirit Of Independence was
rife, and each state desired and deter
mined 10 rely az much as possible
on its own products. The theory
Of state sovereignty was extended
even to sorghum: and It's intro
duction was hailed everywhere as one
of the greatest boons Of a benefcent
Providence. The juice OF the cane.
extracted in a primitive fashion by crush
eng the stalks between wooden rollers
revolving upon woodeacogs and impelled
by horse-and- ittle-darky power, was
caught in an ordinary trough, boiled
down into proper consistency in preserv-
ing kettles, kitchen pots. or whatever
might be utilized for the purpose. and
barreled for use rs sorghum molasses.
The syrup thus produced was quite
palatable one, with slightly acidulous
and not disagreeable flavor, but with an
unpleasant tendency to make the mouth
sore. 1t was known as "long sweeten-
ing" in contradstinction TO its prede-
cessor, "short sweetening." the sugar
that was scarce.
From its use in the place of sugar sor-
ghum soon leaped into high repute as an
almost universal food staple. 1t was
warranted to cure any case of hunger in
man or beast. Writers in the suggestive
daily press undertook in elaborate and
exhaustive essays TO show that sorghum
syrup was nearly as nutritious as meat
and an exceedingly good substitute for it,
while the seed of the sorghum cane was
capable OF being ground into meal that
made most excellent and wholesome
brown bread. They claimed that the
problem of blockaded existence had been
solved in the discovery of a plant which
produced in itself meat and bread for
the human family and provender for
cattle. Yet the average denizen Of tho
COnfederacv, whether at home or in tho
army, while rendering due credit Ito tho
ingenuity aud skill with which the cause
of the flood staple was advocated by
It's champions. appealed to the higher ar
bitrament Of his own digestion; and
though willing to accord sorghum its
real merit as seIyceable and useful in
the place Of something better, he was
always ready to exchange it for the more
certain and familiar nutriment Of bacon
and corn pone. 10 see it fulfill tho
functions Of sugar in the latest recipe for
Confederate coffee ard tea was well
enough; hat quietly 90 submit to its
usurpation Of the high places Of pork and
corn was mora than the appetite of
hungry rcbellom would endure.
There was q secondary use to which
sorghum WAS pat, in which il met with
decided favor fl'm n select few. This
was its use in the manufacture Of black
Ing. The manuscript recipe books Of
that day say that wonderful snoc black
iug, as good rs Mason's best, " can 10
made of sorghum molasses. pinewood
SCOT. heats foot oil and vinegar.
Yet, on the theory Of the survival Of
the Gttest. the average Confederate must
have been right aud the thcoretic writer's
in the newspapers wrong about the value
of sorghum, for bacon and corn bread
have long since regained their wonted
ascendency in Tie south. and sorghum
las vanished entirely from the fields
where it once iiourished, save, perhaps,
where here and there some man and
brother cul,ivates it vet in his little
"truck patch making 'long sweeten-
ing for the consumption Of his family
in as primitive a method rs that IN which
he helped his quondam owner 70 make it
"endurin' o the wah'
I'm the hardest times Of the war period,
when provisions were the scarcest, tho
latch to the larder of every southern
housekeeper hung out TO each southern
soldier, no matter how ragged or humble.
For him the best viands about the place
were always prepared; and his was the
high prerogatge Of receiving the last cup
Of real coffee, sweetened with the solitary
remnant Of sugar. With compassionate
pity the women recognized the hardships
IN the army life Of the Confederate soldier,
and were always ungrudgingly ready to
Mitigate its seventies in every possible
manner.-A. {. Gordon in The Century.