Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-10-25
A PRIMITIVE MoLAssEs MILL.
An Interesting Description of Came Cul.
ture on a Small Scale.

#sH..L .. r. E.
An Interesting Description of Game Cul.
ture on a Small Scale.
While no doubt most,of your readers are
familiar with sugar and sirup making, rs
practiced an the large plantations, since
our periodicals from time to time have
given frequent descriptions Of the intricate
process, perhaps not a few may be inter-
ested in a little account of the cane cul-
ture of north Louisiana and the primitive
molasses boiling OF the small hill farmer.
First, of course, is the planting Of the
cane, for we have no seed here, and this is
done about the last of March by putting
1t 1engthways in burrows, and then cover
ing to the depth of 6 or 2 inches. Some
times, however, we use the stubs Of tho
year before, if they happen to stand the
frosts, and these we simply cover by plow-
ing on either side Of the row, and the cant
grows from them.
Whether you plant the cane itself OF
leave the stubble the cultivation is tho
same. There is an eye at every joint of q
stalk of cane, and when the stalk is plant.
ed cane will spring from every eye if they
be good ones. When the cane gets up sew
eral feet, all the grass and weeds which
are among it are hoed away and cast into
the middle of the rows. Then follows q
succession of plowings and hoeings, till
the crop is ready to clay by" Work Is
now over for a brief season till cutting
time comes about.
The cutting Of the cane is in keeping
with the rest of the process Il ma be
briefly described as follows: There are two
men to every row, one gathering a bunch
Of canes in his arms, while the other, with
a sharp hoe, cuts it off about an inch from
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in large "windrows,' with every top
turned the same way, SO that the long
blades cover the cane thoroughly, leaving
no part of the stalk exposed to the frost.
The small stalks are usually saved for
planting the next year, and these arc by
and by taken down, put in a pile and COW
cred over with dirt, SO as to keep them
from the frost. The large stalks are strip
ped clean of every blade Inc the small top
joints broken off. The cane is now ready
to be hauled to the mill.
The mill, whether large or small, is
usually a very primitive affair in our
country, consisting merely of an arrange-
ment of cylinders, or wheels, which mash
the juice from the stalks. The mill is fed
by hand and turned by horsepower, the
juice dripping into an open vessel, usually
q barrel or a tub. Close by is the eyap-
orator. When n sufficient quantity of
juice has been ground, the boiling begins.
One mill, however, never stops except for
q change of horses, the juice being cooked
as fast as it is ground.
Thu evaporation is partly filled and a bar
rel of juice is placed over it, SO that it may
be turned OF when needed. Then a fire is
built in the furnace beneath, and as the
juice boils it will pass from one partition
of the evaporation to another, the skum be
ing carefully removed by means of a long
handled perforated tin skinner. AS it
cooks the color changes gradually to a dark
reddish yellow. AT this stage Of tho proc.
ess there will rise largo brown bubbles,
which indicate that it is ready to be drawn
off. When put upon the market, it com
mands a fairly good price.-Blaok Lake
(La.) Letter in Philadelphia Times.