Culture Of Sorghum And Manufacture Of Sugar

A prize essay, by E. F. Newbewiy, is published in the Journal of the Illinois Agricultural Society, from which we make the following extract : The richest soil gives the largest growth of cane, but not the swoetest, aDd the sirup will raiely grain. Mr. N. found that cane from the post-oak flats, and from the red clay soil near the timber, was much superior iu richness to that fioiu the black mould of the prairies. - Sorghum proved superior to the Iinphee; and, to keep it pure, it should be plunted at least a quarter of a mile distaut from broom corii or " chocolate corn." Seed should be gathercd from the earliest patches, should be fully ripe, and ouly the upper half of eaeh head be plauted, as that portioQ produces the most vigorous canes. The time of planting varíes with the season, but it may sufely be put in a week or two before corn. A piece planted the first of March was frozen in lor nearly a mouth, but yielded a good erop of cane, wbich made a superior quality of light-colured sirup. F all plowíng is advisable, repeatinc; it in spring, ind harrowing thoroughly. With abuuar.,ce of land and scant labor, it is bettcr to cultívate ia hills three feet apart, in four-feet rows. Soak the seed in warm water for twelre or sixteen hours, and Lheu bury in sacks ia the earth until it sprouts. Roll in dry piaster or ashes, if it sticks together. Drop ten or fifteen seeds in a place and cover one inch or less. When one inch high, go thruugh with a harrow haviug the front tooth removed, so that the harrow niay go over to each row, and follow with the hoe. - Continue to harrow or use the cultivator, and tend like Indian corn, thiuning to Sve or eight stalks per hill wheu i'our nches high. Öix to ten days before cutting, strip }ft' the leaves. This causes the cane to ripen ([uicker and give a richer juiee. - A. quick blow with a long wooden knife will strip it rapidly. I)o not top the eane until it is fully ripe ; then take off the two upper joints jvith the seed head, und at the same time cut up the cane. - There is very linie juice in the top of the stalks, and that of poor quaüty, and incapable of crystalizing. Cut the cane as soon as the seed is well ripeued, and grind as fast as possible. ïhe uncrushed canes may be sept for mouths, if protected from frost )y coveriog or housing ; while even a slight freeziug, especially before cutting, will give the sirup a bitter, smoky flavor. The grinding inili should be very strung, with two (or, better, three) rollers - upright if driven by horse power. Let the juice ruu from the mili through a wire sieve into the barrel or vat. Gook'a evaporator is recominended ; and a rapid ebullition, using the skimmer, is the best method of claritying. Boil down threa fourths in the evaporator, and finish in a large, shallow, oblong pan over a brick or stone aroh, into whioh it is poured through a strainor. Kt-ep up a brisk heat under the fiuishing pan, until tho sirup bubbles like mush, emitting little ets of steam. It is then run into the jooler in a finished state. To make sugar, rejeot the upper half jf the staik, and boil rapidly as sooq as the juice is pressed out. Pour the thick jirup into large, ahallow pans or coolers, wid stir bribkly untill cool enough to bear the finger. If it does not begin to grain in a day or two, place ia a room lieated to 80 or 90 degrees, in open barrels with the lower end bored and plugged in several places. The barrels ihould stand on blooks, so that the plugs can be drawn to let the molasses drain off wheu the contents havo sufficiently granulated.