proceedings of the farmers' club. 203 



Sorghum Juice Evaporator and Refiner. 



Mr. Ward Holmes, Rockford, 111., called the attention of the 

 club to Youngman's Evaporator and Refiner, and claimed for it 

 many points of excellence which Sorghum growers wnll appreciate. 

 He also said that the culture of sorghum sugar cane, for the manu- 

 facture of sugars and syrups, has justly grown into great popu- 

 larity. Since the general growth of sorghum in the Northern 

 States, millions of dollars have been saved to consumers which 

 otherwise would have been expended for foreign and Southern 

 products. 



This new addition to Northern products has involved the neces- 

 sity of new machinery adapted to the manufacture of the juice of 

 the cane into syrups and sugars. This new machinery has but 

 partially answered the required purpose. The very best of their 

 results has been but little better than the simple evaporation of 

 so much of the water contained in the cane juice as would leave a 

 syrup of the requisite consistency for common molasses. But the 

 molasses so produced has invariably contained a peculiarly unplea- 

 sant and objectionable flavor, which has made the syrujD not only 

 unpalatable to ordinary taste, but unmarketable, except at a rate 

 below the common New Orleans molasses. On this account some 

 cultivators have felt somewhat discouraged in prosecuting the 

 growth of sorghum for the manufacture of syrup. And but 

 for the rapid development of the productions of the northwest, 

 and the necessity of providing cheaper sweetening than could be 

 imported, the culture of sorghum would very likely have been 

 suffered to decrease. 



Prof. Tillman — I do not approve of this portable apparatus. 

 As an evaporator it may possess some advantages over others, 

 which are worthy the attention of sorghum growers ; if so it is 

 important, for every improvement which facilitates the production 

 of seccharum is an advantage to the public health ; but to be suc- 

 cessful with sorghum juice we must not depend upon locomo- 

 tive machinery. The business requires something more permanent 

 and substantial. 



Gas Lime — How to Utilize. 



Prof. Tillman read a communication from J. Burrows Hyde, 



New York, detailing a method for utilizing gas-lime. Mr. Hyde 



says : " I propose- to pulverize or granulate dry peaty matter — 



which, in that state, rapidly absorbs and fastens sulphuretted 



