The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-23
No. 20.

Cn6 outlet pipe was OOred, was taken
and piece of perforated tin was placed
over this outlet on the inside of the
bottom of the tnb. The trb was then
filed with the cleaned moss, which
was packed as solidly as it could be
crowded in by the weight of man,
until 1t was filed. It was then placed
under the outlet gutter from the mill
and the juice was conducted upon the
moss in the center of the tub by tin
trough. This j1ice, therefore, sank by
gravity through the entire thickness
of moss till it found outlet through the
pipe hole inSthe bottom through which,
by means Il a half inch iron pipe, it
was conducttd by gravity to the skim
ming pan. The passage of the juice
through the moss not only freed it of
all coarse and faating foreign particles
but filtered out avery large proportion
of the non sugar contents and coloring
matter 90 that the juice passing through
the outlet pipe was nearly as clear and
colOrless as water. The only precaution
necessary in using this method is, that
the moss naturally occasionally be-
comes clogged and requires renewing
once in two. or three days of constant
running, but in warm weather it was
found that the juice adheriDg to the
moss IN the tub was liable to ferment
over night and be sour in the morning,
under which circumstances it is neces-
sary to replenish the filter with fresh
moss before beginning work each day.
A further step to insure clear, pure
sirup that will look well, taste good,
keep well and sell, is to finish the sirUp
in a second pan or kettle-never finish
it in the skimming pan. Have finish
ing pan or kettle on separate furnace
alongside the skimming pan, with a
space of five or elk feet between them,
so that one man can attend to both fires
and both pans. Have the finishing pan
enough lower than the skimming pan
to draw the hot sirup through pipe
from the skimming pan to the finish
ing pan by means Of stop cock in the
pipe.
Another purifying method tried with
much success, was to use fullers earth
in the skimming pan at che rate Of one
pound Of earth to five gallons of juice.
On bringing the juice to the boiling
point, all the colorlng matter and albu-
minous impurities ordinarily forming
a scum on the surface, were were inn
mediately precipitated to the bottom of
the pan, leaving perfectly clear and
almost transparent fluid behind, which
is easily drawn off with syphon or
through an outlet pipe placed about
one inch above the bottom of the pan.
The cost of this method with fullers
earth worth $14 per ton is very slight,
!. and the earth exists in large deposits
in several parts of the State. So far as
actual results are concerned, the sirUp
produced by this modification COM
pares in every way favOrably with that
, obtained by the simple skimming OF
the juice, but it does not possess ad'
vanteges over the same. Fhe method,
therefore, possesses merit over, but Is
hardly yet to be recommended for gen.
. ersl use except in cases of highly col
ored juices from which inferior sirup
is produced by the other method.
The finishing process is the test OF
the operators skill. A little careless
ness here will be fatal. If the sirup il
too thin or too thick it is detective, and
: if it is little scorched both it's looks
= and taste are very much injured.
A very skillfuI man of much expert
ence may be able to tell the proper
, density by the ropiness of the sirup
= but the only sure test, and by far thC
best test is saccharometer. This in
strument costs very little, but th'
bulletin tells how to make one out Of {
bottle and a stick.
= The trouble in marketing home mad
sirup at a remunerative price ha
arisen from it's want of uniformity anC
stability, and also largely from it's liza
bllity to ferment, or to granulate.
q All methods heretofore proposed tt
overcome this difficulty, including tn
sulphuring and lining, have resteC
upon the Introduction of some remedy
into the sirup to counteract the ten
dency to sour, rather than upon q re
, m oval OF the cause of that tendency.
e The Florida Station has experimental
on methods to remove the cause of de
: terIoratlon by thorough puriRcatior
q and classification by the above de
! scribed methods, and it has secured 6
q fair measure of success, it's sirup mad,
by these methods having remained il
open vessels in q warm room for three
! months without the slightest evidence
Of fermenting or crystalizing into
sugar, and it has actually been put
uDon the market and stood tha tasi