The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-01-12
CANE SYRUP-THEY'LL BUY 1T
: IF YOU GIVE THEM A CHANCE


u. s. Department Of Agriculture) j
Good cane syrup made on the farm
lby man who knows how TO make it!
IS there anything more delicious for
hot cakes?
Knowing the demand for a high
grade cane syrup and realizing also
that it is profitable farm product in
many Southern states, the United
,Sttaes department of agriculture set
investigators at work to find out why
more farm syrup was not on the
market. In department circular lag
the troubles of home syrup making
and their cures are set forth.
/ Quality Varies With the Maker
/ The quality of cane syrup depends
more upon the man who makes it than
upon the machinery he employs. Three
men with identical machinery will
make three different qualities of
syrup. One may be excellent, the sec
lond not so good and the third very
poor, though juice from the same vat
has been used throughout. In that
Idiffeernce in quality the chemists find
the reason why home made syrup
making does not flourish as it should.
The housewife buys can without a
label and with no easy means of de-
termining the quality of its contents.
Perhaps the syrup is excellent-her
family prefers it to the syrup from
1.-THE factory-and she buys another
lean. Sooner or later she is bound TO
find that not all home made cane
lsyrup is good. One lot is packed in
Isticky, dirty cans; in the next the
lsyrup is too thin and has fermented
L, trifie. The next is unpleasant in
flavor because it was made from froz-
len cane. Another can is half full of
Ecrystallized sugar-which is no fault
lat all, but she does not know that
land finally she goes back to the fac
tory product. which has the one
lgreat advantage of standardization
lard, by reason of it's label, identified
ltion.
II Good Market Possible
A farmer may build up good
market for his own syrup but it is an
Expensive, time-taking business. He
lEiay unite with several farmers and
Iship a carload of canned syrup to a
merchant, but if the syrup is not of a
standard quality he will find it diff
J cult to sell another carload to the
same man. If he is well located he
can sell his syrup to factory in bar
rel lots, though the price he receives
will not be as satisfactory as if he
could reach the customer OF the mer-
chant directly.
The solution is found in co-opera-
ltion. A number of farmers who grow
varying amounts of cane unite 20
form company with a capital of not
less than $4,000 and seldom more than
$4,000. The stock is sold. and, in q
$4,000 plant, $4,000 goes to build a
small cannery and to purchase watts
and boiler. The remaining $1,000 is
held out to absorb operating costs
until the production is well underway
The idea back of such a plan is
this: To take all the syrup produced
in vicinity, grade, mix, sterilize and
can it, then market it as standard
stable community product rather than
: as the output of several individuals
. A brand and label are devised, and
from the cooperative factory. This
serves to advertise and identify the
syrup when it reaches the market.
The farmers, not necessarily the
. stockholders, bring their syrup to the
. lplant and receive cash amounting Il
. what would be paid them by a com
; mercial factory. The syrup is strain
cd to remove impurities and poured
into mixing vat where the various
] favors are blended to form singl,
, enc. From the mixing vat it is drawn
or pumped into heating watts, ant
there it is sterilized and reduced to
!: uniform density. 1t goes from tn
!. lheating vat directly into the can
|. sterilization and prompt canning elm
! mate danger of fermentation later or
!; The cans are then sealed, labels past
!: ed on, and the cans Grated for marke,
= A Desirable Product
: AS the syrup leaves the co-opera
!; tive factory it is a product that an
= merchant is glad to handle and an
s. housewife is glad to buy. 1t is
!. standard product with the label of
( community to endorse its quality an
!: Ito guarantee that the second, or thirc
E or one hundredth can, is as good a
Z the first.
s When the syrup has been sold an
: 1.-THE work finished, every associatio
!. member receives an additional chez
:. for the amount of the difference b,
8 tween the barrel lot price, alread
paid him. and the selling price recei'
ed for the improved product. The CO:
. cf this goes back into the compar
D as part of reserve fund. The co..
. Of operating a plant which has
o lcapacity of from 1000 to $4,000 gallor
. day is estimated to be close to s.
> during normal times; the cost of cal
m