THE EMIGRANT'S HAND-BOOK. 367 



On the llth of September the stalks appeared in the 

 right stage, and the cutting, grinding, and boiling were 

 commenced, and continued with little intermission until 

 the whole was completed. The method pursued in this 

 operation, was to keep a sufficient number of hands in the 

 field to strip the leaves or blades, and cut off the tops as 

 fast as the stalks were wanted for use ; this labor was 

 generally performed by boys. The corn-field being at a 

 little distance from the mill, the horse used for grinding 

 was put before a light wagon, and driven to the field ; the 

 stalks were then cut and placed upon a wagon, (taking 

 care to keep them straight and in order.) driven to the 

 mill, and ground without delay. A load of this kind in a 

 light wagon, with lumber-box, will make a batch of from 

 fifteen to twenty gallons ; this would be ground in about 

 thirty minutes. Lime-water was mixed with the juice 

 while it was running from the mill. The juice is then 

 strained through a flannel cloth into the pan, and heated, 

 rather moderately, to the boiling point, when the scum is 

 removed with a skimmer ; then boiled rapidly for a few 

 minutes. The syrup is then removed from the fire, and 

 again passed through the flannel strainer, when the boil- 

 ing is finished, as rapidly as possible. 



The process from the cutting of the stalk to taking the 

 sugar from the fire, could not possibly be performed in 

 less than two hours ; and if the batch was larger, would 

 often exceed three. Five batches were made in one day, 

 from which one hundred pounds of sugar was produced. 



The Boiler. The boiler or pan, I made of a sheet f * 

 Russian iron, turned up at the sides and ends, lapped and 

 riveted at the corners ; would hold about twenty-five gal- 

 Ions, five and a-half inches deep, but from fifteen to twen- 

 ty gallons is as much as would boil to advantage. This 

 pan is placed upon an arch of brick, so that the fire comes 

 in contact with only the bottom. 



