The Tupelo journal., 1906-07-20

preparing and marketing the syrup crop
of the State. A number of interesting
articles on the subject have been received
and will be given space later. The fol-
lowing, f10m Mr.. w. B. MERCER, of Cen
t~reville, is of especial interest. Mr.. Mer-
cier is a graduate of the A. & NJ. Col
lege, class of 1892, and is a successful
farmer. He is well informed, and what
he says is worthy of careful considera-
ton:
"There seems to be but few of our
people who realize that Mississippi will
produce sugar cane equal to Louisiana
in every respect, and the hill lands pro-
duce a much superior quality in saccha-
rine matter. l am sure that cane can
be grown proftably in any part of the
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 so
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 a 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.
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 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. L
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
OF four years.
II believe that 1 am safe in asserting
that there wa 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 a limit to the amount that could
be sol. if the business was gone at sys-
tematically and pushed as any other in
dustry must be to succeed. 1t will GER
tainly help to diversity our crops, and |
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 a uni
form price.
"Cans may be either gallon, half-gal-
ION or quarts, and in some instances
smaller. The gallon and half-gallon cans
are supplied, if one desires, with self
sealing tops; the smaller cans would have
to be soldered, which can be done very
rapidly with a little practice. The syrup
should be run into the cans or other YES
sells while hot from the evaporation, as
relocating 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 35 or sc degrees, Baume sugar n.y.
drometer, a simple instrument which ac-
curately gives the density of the syrup.
The syrup should never be allowed to
cool before sealing alright, it matters
not what character of vessel it is put in.
1t 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 preserve
1T properly.
81 hope to see the day when canning
syrup for the general markets will be
one of Mississippi's leading industries"
Those interested in the handling and
marketing of syrup are urged to cut out
and preserve this article, as well as those
bv Mr.. Harrington and Others who have
been kind enough to furnish them.
The Diversified Farming Special" to
he operated over the ines of the Illinois
Central, Yazoo & Mississippi Valley and
other roads in Mississippi this fall is be-
ginning to attract attention throughout
fhe sections to be visited. 1t is, in fact,
a comprehensive farmers institute on
wheels. and gives to those who would
better their condition in life and adopt
improved methods an opportunity of
learning something from practical men
who will speak from experience and in
terms that will be easily understood by
/ all. The writer is in receipt of the fox
lowing letter from Capt. j. f. Merry,
general immigration agent of the L. G.
system. and who, with Mr.. Claire, in
dustrial commissioner of the same sys-
fem. are deeply interested in this train
and it's possibilities of good:
Fl E. Blakeslee, Commissioner, Jackson,
Miss:
NV Dear Sir am sure that it will
crafty YOU. as it will all of our friends
in Mississippi, to know that Prof. Hol-
den, of the Iowa Agricultural College,
and the noted corn expert, has advised
me that he will be with us on the "Di-
versifed Farming Special" during the
month of October. Probably no man in
this country has made such a thorough
study of corn production. The enclosed
article from one of our Iowa papers will
give you something of al idea of what
he Is doing in this State. and / am sure