STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 159 



from that than from anything else I have tried. I have tried 

 marsh liay for mnlching, and corn stalks, bnt there is nothing 

 that will keep the ground so moist as the hngame. It packs down 

 close to the ground. 



Prof. Porter. While visiting one of the plantations below 

 New Orleans and listening to the doleful complaints they make 

 concerning the business, I saw some things that were worthy of 

 note; and while this discussion has been going on I could not 

 help thinking of a scene presented to me there. I saw them 

 taking the bagasse by the load up to the levee and dumping it 

 into the river. Right opposite to that they were loading up with 

 Pittsburgh coal with which to evaporate the juice. There was 

 cause and effect. They were using open pans and conducting 

 the business in a most wasteful manner. All the profits going 

 down the Mississippi River, 



Mr. Whipple. I would like to state as to the manner that I 

 care for my croj). T have a Climax, two-horse mill which I got 

 in Wisconsin and a self- evaporator. I manufactured in twenty- 

 six and a half days within a few gallons of 2,000, employing three 

 men and two horses, which was all the help I had. I lacked only 

 ten or twelve gallons of 2,000. 



Mr. Ditus Day. I manufacture both ways. I defecate, and 

 for cooking purposes I make the crude syrup. For baking, the 

 acid in the molasses will have the effect of baking powder and it 

 will make light biscuit. For table use and for general purposes 

 they generally prefer the defecated article. In the market it will 

 bring ten or fifteen cents more a gallon for the defecated; but 

 there are others that prefer the pure juice. Last year I manu- 

 factured only 2,230 gallons, but four years ago I manufactured a 

 little over 4,000. 



Gen. Le Due. What does it cost a gallon to make it ? 



Mr. Day. I cannot tell you exactly. 



Capt. Blakeley. It is known to some of you that I have been 

 conducting some exj)eriments and have been trying to make 

 some sugar in this State. In conducting those experiments we 

 have been using in making sugar a process for thorough defeca- 

 tion. The syrup made at the refinery is not sold to the bakeries. 

 They say it is the best syrup they ever saw but they do not want 

 it. It has not got the acid in it. Acid is a necessity for us in our 

 syrups, but we soon learned one thing that the syrups that 

 were used in the refineries were not desirable for the bakers. 

 That is information that the merchants all give. But they will 



