144 WALL'S MANUAL 



food for animals ; all parts of it being greedily devoured 

 ' in the green or dried state, by horses, cattle, sheep, 

 poultry and swine, without injurious effects ; the two 

 latter, fattening upon the seed, equally as well as 

 upon corn. 



MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR AND SYRUP FROM 

 THE JUICE. 



In the first place, it is 'necessary to filter the juice 

 of the plant, as it comes from the mill, in order to 

 remove the ^fibrous matter and starch, which arc 

 present in it when pressed out. A bag filter, or one 

 made of a blanket, placed in a basket, will answer 

 this purpose. .Next, we have to add a sufficiency of 

 the milk of lime (that is, lime slacked and mixed with 

 water) to the juice, to render it slightly alkaline, as 

 shown by changing tumeric paper to a brown color, 

 or reddened litmus paper to a blue. A small excess 

 of lime is not injurious. After this addition, the 

 juice should be boiled, say, for fifteen minutes. A 

 thick, greenish scum rapidly collects on the surface, 

 which is removed by a skimmer, and then the liquid 

 should again be filtered. It will now be of a pale, 

 straw color, and ready for evaporation. It may now 

 be boiled down rapidly, to about half its original 

 bulk, after which the fire must be kept low, the 

 evaporation to be carried on with great caution, 

 and the syrup constantly stirred, to prevent its 

 burning at the bottom of the kettle or evaporating 

 pan. Portions of the syrup is to be taken out from 

 time to time, and allowed to cool, to see if it is dense 

 enough to crystalize. It should be as dense as sugar- 

 house molasses or tar. When the syrup has reached 



