St. Landry democrat., 1891-03-14
Sugar Making on a Small Scale.
Extracts from bulletin Of the agriculture cH
pertinent station issued by Hon. T. 5.
Adams commissioner of agrCulturc.

the guidance of small farmers who grow
only patches of sugar cane. and make
sugar, syrup and molasses for home con-
sumption or local use.
To make a refined sugar upon an eX-
tensive profitable basis, there are required
many hundred acres of cane and most
COSTLY sugar house, consisting of ponderous
mills or diffusion plant CHARTERS,
tanks, filter presses, multiple effects,
vacuum pan, mixer, centrifugals, sugar
wagons, powerful engines, and enormous
boilers. To make sugar on the same
scale about to be described. there are re-
ouired only horse mill, evaporator and
few boxes capable of holding cane juice
an outfit varying in cost from 500 to $3Ou
There is also given herein the results OF
the experiments made at the North Loul-
siana experiment station, Calhoun, La, IN
growing cane and making sugar. These
results were so satisfactory as to Justify
the prediction heretofore made by the
author, that sugar cane could be grown
successfully everywhere in Louisiana, and
in the southern parts of the Gulf States
To aid in the development of this prophesy
minute and detailed description of the
processes of cane and sorghum growing
and manufacture is hereby given.
The first step towards sugar making is
the growing of sugar cane or sorghum
The latter is planted from seed, and up to
date, of the large number of varieties used
none have surpassed the Links Hybrid,
a variety originated by Mr.. Ephraim Link,
of Greenvile, Tenn. This is planted
either IN the drill (and thinned when up to
one stalk every four inches) or dropped at
intervals of eight or ten inches, and two
stalks left to each hill. Its after Guilt
vation is like that given to corn. Sorghum
should be cut Just as soon as the seed is
ripe. In making sugar or syrup from
sorghum it should be treated as sugar cane,
but it should be bourne in mind that the
Juices of the former are much more I'M
pure and therefore much more difficult to
granulate and purge than those from the
sugar cane.
PLANTING CANE.
In planting the sugar cane one CON
tinuous stalk land two, if the land be very
fertile), should be deposited in an open
furrow and securely covered. In the tall
this covering should be removed IN order
| to secure early termination, for the
sooner the cane starts in the Spring,
| the greater the maturity in tho fall, and
therefore the richer in sugar. After the
termination of cane there is per od OF
apparent rest, when the young sprout
| undergoes multiplication several times
| by "tillers" or 'succors." This process Of
| "tillering" being over, the cane, the sea-
son being favorable, grows with great
rspiditv. During tillering the harrow or
| plow should be used only to stir the SOIL
and with great care. When growth en-
sues the work of cultivation should be
rapid and thorough, to be completed by q
'lay bv," when the cane Las reached q
size which will effectually shade the
ground and prevent the growth of weeds
or grass.
! CULTIVATION AND FERTILIZATION.
That cultivation found best for corn will
generally suit sugar cane and sorghum
Both crops require thorough drainage.
The conditions necessary for growing sue
cessfuly these crops may BE- summarized
as follows: Thorough and deep prepara-
ton of the soil, cultivation rapid and as
shallow as the soil will permit, and ''lay
by" when the growth shades the ground
Rows VARYING from FIVE to seven feet are
now usually adopted. The fertilizer fol
cane should contain enough nitrogenous
matter to insure large growth by Sep
tember. An excess should bs avoided a:
detrimental to large sugar content. Phos
nhoric acid in soluble form is every
where beneficial to cane, while potash ma.
be demanded upon light sandy soils tx
periments have shown that the limits o
profit in the use of fertilizers are between
"a and 4S pounds of nitrogen, and 40 to $
pounds of phosphoric acid.
These ingredients are cheaply furnishe'
| in the forms of cotton seed or cotton see
meal, 800 pounds of acid phosphate.
The following mixture per acre has bee
found very efficient under cane, viz Sl'
hundred pounds of cotton seed meal, 3O
pounds of acid phosphate.
Instead of this meal, cotton seed may b
used at the rate Of three to one of tn
meal.
The above may seem excessive to man.
. but NAV be reduced at will-but with favo
! able seasons on soils in good tilth, all
= the above will be utilized. Crops OF 30
q 35 tons of cane per acre are frequent
. obtained in South Louisiana, and may
. secured elsewhere.
!. HARVESTING THE CANE.
When the cane is ready to be harveste
t the cane knife should be used. The TO
It der is stripped from the cane bv pr'
It lection on the back of the knife. Att
n remoying the fodder the cane is topps
= M into the white Joints if only syrup
= desired, but in the upper red joint if sug
IS is to be msde After topping, the Cal
# is seized with the left hand and severed
y the ground with a strong blow, al
IS thrown upon the heap row every thl
10 row., from which all the trash has be-
v%c rIu
d the heap rows and load from both side
le Sugar wagons and carts specially design
T. to employ their loads are used by sug
10 planters. Dump carts, or tumbrels WI
= sideboards, will be found usefu!
10 handling cane on small scale. Reachll
% the sugar house the operation OF sug
n making begins. 1t is worthy OF rema
10 here, that all leaves and shesths Shout
n as far as practicable, be removed from
8. cane before entering the mill.
MANUFACTURE.
l. The. outfit for sugar or syrup making
le q small scale consists OF horse mill
Tx evaporator, with boxes and barrels to
d used as juice tanks, sulphur machir
at coolers, etc. These will be described
r detail.
e. The horse mill must be erected in gu
es stantial manner. The feed roller shor
ad be left slightly open to receive the Cal
o. while the bagasse roller should be ms
sir to touch everywhere the main roller
a. order to secure good extraction. L
ed rollers should be frightened every morni'
MS and only when the bagasse comes out
OF short, dry pieces should the operation
OF squeezing be considered satisfactory.
it pulls the team heavier, but much larl
ow percentage of juice is obtained. In t
W. wsy as much as 10 per cent of the weis
err. of the cane will be procured as juice
while the bagasse, coming from the m
simply pressed, not broken, means of
not over so per cent extraction. II