650 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



vested, canes of mixed varieties are green, ripe, or overripe all 

 are not in best condition for sirup making. Some varieties grow 

 tall, some short. In topping the bundles of cane the seed heads are 

 often left upon the short canes, causing loss of seed, and the seeds 

 which go through the mill injure the sirup. It is therefore better to 

 plant pure seed. 



In times of drought canes planted thickly suffer more and give 

 less pure juice. In the West most sirup makers plant too thickly. 

 One cane in 6 inches of the row is quite enough, and with good seed 

 one seed in each 3 or 4 inches of the row is sufficient. The planting 

 and cultivating are often carelessly done. Cane and sugar-beet 

 planters take vastly more pains in cultural work than sorghum 

 growers. More care in planting and cultivating sorghum would 

 often give a much larger yield of cane and better juice, all other ex- 

 pense being the same. Often much of the cane brought to Western 

 sirup mills is more fit for fodder than for sirup manufacture. Some 

 farmers who use the disk cultivator assert that its use is almost in- 

 dispensable in growing cane ; for very small plants can be cultivated 

 with it, close to the row, without covering them, as ordinary culti- 

 vators do. It is easier and better to cultivate cane at the right times, 

 keeping ahead of weeds. It is a German saying that sugar is made in 

 the field. This is true also of sirup. 



Harvesting. Cane is often harvested at some convenient time, 

 often when too green or overripe. It should be cut when in best 

 condition for sirup. Topping the seed heads is often badly done, 

 leaving much seed to go through the mill and into the juice. Good 

 dyes can be made from sorghum-seed hulls, and starch from the 

 seeds; hence the importance of keeping the juice as free as possible 

 from these substances. The good canes only used to be stripped of 

 leaves and brought to the sugar mill ; now everything in the row 

 weeds, broken canes, suckers, etc. are milled and serve to make 

 sirup, since machine harvesters take all, and the mill grinds all. It 

 is not economical to take excessive pains in manufacture, but it does 

 pay to do work in a workmanlike manner at the right time and 

 in the right way. (P. B. 135.) 



Manufacture and Marketing of the Sirup. The principles and 

 methods outlined in the manufacture and marketing of sugar-cane 

 sirup apply with equal force to the manufacture and marketing of 

 sorghum sirup. 



Dealers prefer to handle canned sirups. It is easier to take a 

 can of measured sirup from a shelf than to leave customers and draw 

 a slow-running sirup from a barrel. It often suits customers better 

 to buy a can of sirup of a brand they like than to get a sirup of un- 

 certain quality from a barrel. It seems that sirup makers should 

 can their best sirup, always keeping the quality true to the label. 

 Sorghum sirup made without lime or chemicals, with no adultera- 

 tion, light colored, retaining the natural acids of the juice, should 

 carry a label stating the facts. Limed sirup, a rich, warm, red color, 

 nearly neutral, clearer and brighter, is preferred by many, and its 

 label should state its quality. The label should bear the maker's 



