ALCOHOL. 167 
The scum of the sugar train, during crop, is used to 
mix in the vats, six gallons of scum being considered 
equal to one gallon of syrup or molasses. ‘T'welve or 
fifteen per cent. of saccharine matters, whether of scum 
or syrup, is a common mixture, as, for instance, eighteen 
gallons scum, ten gallons syrup, thirty-six gallons spent 
wash, and thirty-nine gallons water, will do very well; 
say thirteen per cent. of saccharine, or twelve gallons 
syrup, may be used, so as to make fifteen per cent. sac- 
charine. | 
When the planter has got through with his distillation 
for the year, he leaves his vats full of spent wash, in order 
to prevent their leaking, as well also as to preserve the 
fermenting principle which the wash acquires before next 
season. After standing a short time, the wash throws to 
the surface a thick crust or scum, which protects it from 
the air, leaving the fluid underneath clear as sherry wine. 
This method I would advise our farmers or planters to 
adopt with their vats for sorgho, or wash them well 
with lime, and fill with pure water, which, if followed 
with the other suggestions I have given, will no doubt 
place us in a better position as regards alcohols than any 
other country in the world, inasmuch as, for the produc- 
tion of alcohol at all events, the sorgho will become suf- 
ficiently ripe throughout the Union, from Maine to Texas, 
and thus give us unrivaled facilities, not only for sup- 
plying our own markets, but those of the world, with this 
useful solvent. 
For the preceding remarks on alcohol, I am indebted 
to the same gentleman who furnished the illustrations 
and descriptions of sugar-making. He, as well as my- 
