374 THE FARMER'S AND 



3. Lime-water is, perhaps, the best for clarifying of 

 anything yet discovered ; but some agent that will more 

 effectually cleanse from all deleterious or foreign matter, 

 is necessary. Science, with persevering experiment, will 

 no doubt produce this result. 



4. The less time occupied in boiling, the more perfect 

 is crystallization. This is true of the maple juice, and 

 probably more so of the corn-stalk. To boil to advantage, 

 two pans should be provided. 



5. Any man of ordinary ingenuity can make a pan in 

 two hours, with no tools but cold chisel, punch, hammer, 

 and six cents worth of rivets. 



6. I make no doubt, that a mill with wooden rollers 

 would answer a good purpose for a small operation, and 

 small operations are what is wanted ; let no man go into 

 this business largely until there is more knowledge on the 

 subject. A simple mill with two rollers, that might be 

 built for five dollars, would crush the stalk and save most 

 of the juice. No cog-wheels can be necessary ; for if 

 you turn one, the other must go. When experience has 

 taught how to clarify, so that we may be sure of a good 

 article, then will be time for more perfect and expensive 

 machinery. 



If the result of this enterprise depended on the amount of 

 saccharine matter contained in the corn-stalk, its success 

 would be certain. Estimates that have been made of the 

 amount that might be made from an acre, have probably 

 never been too high. Improvements in cultivation, and 

 in finding the variety of corn best adapted, will no doubt 

 greatly exceed these estimates. 



8. The expense, as compared with maple, must be 

 much in favor of corn-stalk. Of the expense of growing 

 an acre of corn-stalks, every farmer may judge correct- 

 ly , then compare the amount of fuel, the amount pro- 

 duced in a day, the expense of fixtures, and it is all vastly 



