The Grenada sentinel., 1906-07-21


of the State. A number of interestin
}. articles on the subject have been receive
and will be given space later The fo
lowing, from Mr.. w. B. Mercier, of Cen
: treville, is of especial interest. Mr.. Mel
cler Is a graduate of the A. & M. Co
lege, class of 1892, and is successful
> farmer. He is well informed, and wha
. he says is worthy of careful considera
ton:
"There seems to be but few of on
people who realize that Mississippi will
produce sugar cane equal to Louisian;
in every respect, and the hill lands pro
duce much superior quality in saccha
rine matter. | am sure that cane cal
be grown profitably in any part of tn,
State. 1t looks more than strange that
a majority of our people go on year after
year, eating glucose, mixtures and the
various substitutes for syrup, when pure
and wholesome syrup can be raised sc
easily. 1t will produce anywhere from
200 to 600 gallons per acre, owing, of
course, to soil and attention given it. 1t
is as easily cultivated as cotton crop.
The hardest part is the grinding, and
this is not so bad when the farmer fixes
up for it. Besides, you can always get
help to grind cane when you can't for
other work. If there is anything a crowd
of negroes enjoy more than another, it
is taking off "a grinding
"The great drawback has been, or
seems to have been, how to keep the
syrup from sugaring, also from ferment-
ing or souring when hot weather comes.
This can be readily done by putting up
in jugs, cans, bottles, fruit Jars, etc
hn min TO
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 ferment in hot weather within
forty-eight 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. I
have been using the gallon can for sew
eral years, and it has always been salts
factory. Have kept syrup perfectly
fresh and just as from the pan for three
or four years.
81 believe that I am safe in asserting
that there was put up in this section
last fall 10000 gallons in cans, and it
has all 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 |
)e sold if the business was gone at svs- |
iematically and pushed as any other fn-
dustry must be to succeed. 1t will GER
tainly help to diversity our crops, and I |
venture the assertion that if we put the
energy and time on it that is put on cot
ton, we would make three times the clear
profit on the crop, do it with more ease,
with just as much certainty of ready
sales and much more certainty of uni
form price
"Cans may be either gallon, half-gal-
on or quarts, and in some instances
smaller. The gallon and half gallon cans
ire supplied, if one desires, with self
sealing tops; the smaller cans would have
o be soldered, which can be done very
apidlv with little practice. The syrup
hould be run into the cans or other yes
els while hot from the evaporator, as
cheating takes from it that peculiar and ,
most desirable flavor found in choice cane :
yrup. The best grade syrup is made by :
oiling just to the point before it begins !
o granulate in the cook pans, or to =
bout 35 or Sc degrees, Baume sugar hv- !
rometer, simple instrument which ac- y
nrately gives the density of the syrup. !;
he syrup should never be allowed to !;
Dol before sealing air-tight, it matters "
OF what character of vessel it is put in. ~
will keep all right in barrels and kegs =
3 long as the weather is cool, but as =,
'on as warm weather begins, nothing =
ut small airtight vessels will preserve !,
properly. !;
Il hope to see the day when canning ~
'rup for the general markets will be :,
le of Mississippi's leading industries" 8,
Those interested in the handling and 8,
arketing of syrup are urged to cut out e.
i'd preserve this article, as we'll as those N
Mr.. Harrington and others who have q,
en- kind enough to furnish them.
The diversified Farming Special" to ~ ~
operated over the lines of the Illinois -
ntral, Yazoo & Mississippi Valley and NJ NJ
ler roads in Mississippi this fall is be- Az, tn
ming to attract attention throughout C e'
= sections to be visited. 1t is, in fact. y" "a
comprehensive farmers institute on ~ ~
eels, and gives to those who would g
ter their condition in life and adopt 1 ga
proved methods an opportunity of -, ah
rning something from practical men eh
o will speak from experience and in an OIL
ms that will be easily understood by Oil
The writer is in receipt of the fol-
ing letter from Capt. j. F. Merry,
eral immigration agent of the L. G. lie
tenn, and who, with Mr.. Claire, in val
trial commissioner of the same sys- roa
|, are deeply interested in this train irl'
its possibilities of good: Is
E. Blakeslee, Commissioner, Jackson, Try
fiss: SIM
fy Dear Sir-I am sure that it will fru
tify you, as it will all of our friends wit
to know that Prof. Hol-
, of the Iowa Agricultural College. ter
the noted corn expert, has advised ket
that he will be with us on the 'Di- tral
'ified Farming Special" during the
th of October. Probably no man in I
country has made such thorough tior
ly of corn production The enclosed vel
Gle from one of our Iowa papers will peri
you something of an idea of what ass,
. doing in this State, and l am sure rails
the speeches he will make in Mis- tive
ppi will be full of just such practical it il
rmation as will be profitable to your sist
lers. Mississippi is naturally a corn prop
yell as a cotton State, and I believe incr
more attention will be paid to the line
walton of corn in the future than the