The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1906-07-19

The writer is very much gratlfied
at the interest being shown il the
mattcr of preparing aud marketing
the syrup crop of the state. A number
of interesting articles on the subject
have been received ald will be given
space later. The following from Mr..
w. B. MERCER of Centreville, is OF
especial interest. Mr. Marcier is a
graduate of the A. & M. College, class
of 1892, and is a successful farmer.
He is we'll Informed and what he says
is worthy Of careful consideration.
"There seems to be but few of our
people who realize that Mississippi
will produce sugar cane equal 20
Louisiana i'll every respect, and the
hill land produce much superior
quality in saccharine matter. | anu
sure that cane can be grown profitably
in any part of the state. 1t looks
more than strange that a majority IT
our people go on years after years,
eating glucose, mixture and the var
ious substitutes for syrup, when pure
and wholesome syrup can be raised
so easily. 1t will produce anywhere
from 200 to 600 gallons per acre, ow-
ING of course to sell and attention
given it. 1t is easily cultivated as Il
cotton crop. The hardest part is the
grinding and this is not so bad when
the farmers fixes up for it. Besides
you can always get help to grind cane
when You can't for other work. ii
there is anything a crowd Of negroes
enjoy mere than another it Is taking
of a grinding.
1.-The great draw back, or seems to
have been, is how to keep the syrup
from sugarin9, also from fermentlng
or souring when hot weather comes.
This can be readily done by putting
up in jugs, cans, bottles fruit Jars,
etc. The incest way to put up for
home use in small families, is in pint
and quart fruit jars. By this means
you can have perfectly fresh syrup
each day, as it Will begin to fermenf
in hot weather within forty-eighi
hours after the air strikes it. jugs are
good for home use or local trade, but
for shipping, the tin can is the only
thing practicable and safe. | have
been using the gallon can for several
years, and it has always been salts
factory Have kept syrup perfectly
fresh and just as from the pan for
three or four years.
~ believe that | am safe i'll as
septing that there was put up Ill this
section last fall 10000 gallons in cans
and it has been sold at profitable
prices and now. the local markets are
practically bare of good syrup. l think
there is scarcely limit to the amount
that could be sold if the business was
gone at Systematically and pushed
as any other industry must be to sue
ceed. 1t will certainly help to diversity
our crops, and | venture the assertion
that if we put the energy and time on
ii that is put Oh cotton, we would
make three times the clear profit on
the crop, do it with more ease, with
just as much certainty of ready sales
cad much more certainty Of a uniform
price.
"Cans may be either gallon, half
gallon or quarts and in some instances
smaller The gallon and half gallon
cans are supplied if one desires, with
self-seallng tops; the smaller cans
would have to be soldered which can
be done very rapidly with little
practice. The syrup should be run into
the cans or other vessels while moi
from the evaporator as reheating
takes from it that peculiar and most
desirable flavor found in choice cane
syrup. The best grade syrup is made
by boiling just to the point before it
begins to granulate in the cook pans,
or to about 30 or 36 degrees, Baume
sugar hydrometer, simple instru-
ment which accurately gives the den
sity Of the syrup. The syrup shoubl
never be allowed to cool before seal
aag air-tight, it matters not what
character Of vessel it is put in. Il
will keep all right in barrels and kegs
as long as the weather is cool, but as
soon as warm weather begins, nothing
but small air-tight vessels will pre-
serve it properly.
"I hope to see the day when can
ming syrup for the general markets
will be one Of Mississippi's leading
INDUSTRIES
Those interested in the handling
and marketing Of syrup are urged
10 cut out and preserve this article
as well as those by Mr. Harrington
and others who have been kind enough
to furnish them.
Amos Loveless Of Collins, writes in
terestingly on the handling of syrup
and proposes something like the arti-
Gle from Mr.. MERCER this week.
Mr.. B. H. Mathews Of Hemingway,
Holmes county, planted lemon seed
in hot house and the first result Of
his care was a monster lemon that
measured five and one-half inches long
twelve inches il circumference and
WEIGHED seventeen ounces. This mons