1857.] The Sorgho and Imphee, or the New Sugar Cane. 465 



The work is fully illustrated with -drawings, of the best machinery. 

 This work should be in the hands of all who are engaged in the 

 cultivation of this new plant. Copies of it may be had by applica- 

 tion to Robert Clark, Bacon's buildings, Corner of Sixth and 

 Walnut. 



We subjoin for the benefit of our readers a cheap and simple pro- 

 cess for making sugar or syrup on a small scale, which it is pre- 

 sumed will be all that is necessary for the present year. Cheap 

 Eugar mills of wood or iron, may be procured of Hedges, Free, & 

 Co., corner of Main and Walnut. 



The first thing is to permit the sorgho to fully ripen, as in that con- 

 dition it makes the best syrup, and will be free from the grassy flavor 

 complained of in previous experiments. This, as has been previously 

 said, is known by the seeds becoming black and hard. When fully 

 ripe, then, with a corn-cutter, a large carving knife, or, what is bet- 

 ter, a small hatchet, cut the canes off close to the roots, strip off 

 their leaves as far as the joints extend, and chop off the rest of the 

 stalk, saving the seeds for future planting, if the cane proves to be 

 of good quality; if not, give them to the chickens. 



The next thing is to extract the juice from the stalks or canes. — 

 This must be done by pressing them between rollers. If there is a 

 cider mill on the premises, it will be all-sufficient ; pass them 

 through it just as you would crush apples, catching the juice in some 

 clean vessel with as few chips or dirt in it as possible. 



A VERT cheap MILL. 



If there be no cider mill in the neighborhood, you must make a 



shift to construct one yourself, or get the nearest carpenter to do so ; 



nothing but wood being required for all you have to do. The way 



to go about it is as follows : Choose some straight piece.s of maple, 



or any hard wood, twelve or fourteen inches long, and the other 



forty-eight inches. These are to make your two rollers, and as 



nearly round as you can get the log, so much less trouble will there 



be to fashion the work. Having got your wood, take the blocks to 



the nearest carpenter, arid tell him to make you ty^o journals on the 



ends of the shortest piece, two and a half inches less in diameter 



than the block will be when perfectly round. If he has a turning 



lathe he will be able to do it all in a couple of hours. Let him 



make the axles or journals seven inches long each. You have now 



one roller finished; the other is like it, only after making a journal 



on one end, he measures along the same length as the other roller, 

 VOL. II., X. — 30. 



