^[)t laximx^s illcintl)ly bisitov. 



39 



first running of the sap ulvvnys prodHces the best 

 sugar. Tlie sii^ar season of New England Uists 

 only a few weeks: it is somet'unes pretty innoli 

 uli over in one lortnight. Tlie sap runs hest 

 in fair sunsiiiiiy (lays: when there is an out or 

 easterly wind it very seldom runs to much ad- 

 vantage. 



Tlie following: hints and information in rela- 

 tion to sugar making are from the Albany Culti- 

 vator and Vermont Watchman : 



" 1. Pay strict attention to cleanliness : carefully 

 strain the sap before putting it into the boilers. 



2. As to boilers, common kettles should not he 

 used, as the sap in rising or falling as the fire is 

 increased or diminished, forms a crust, often 

 blunt, on the sides of the kettles, and this is more 

 or less mixed with the sap, discoloring it. Pot- 

 ash kettles may be used, taking care to set them 

 in a stone or brick arch so that only the bottom, 

 with a small portion of the sides, is exposed to 

 the fire — and then never let the sap get below the 

 top of the arch. Sheet or cast iroii vais, from 

 ten to twelve inches deep, set on the top of the 

 nrch so that only the bottom is exposed to the 

 fire, are best. These shoidd be three fijet wide, 

 and may be ten or tvvelve feet long if necessary. 

 This great length in i)ioportion"to the width, 

 saves fuel ; as a tire in the motnli of the arch (the 

 chimney being in opposite end) will heat the 

 whole length. 



3. Strain the syrup when put in for "sugaring 

 off," and put in a pint of milk to each pail full. 



4. Don't run the sugar in cakes, but "stiril 

 off." On this point sugar-makers differ. 



yVe add some hints from another source. — 

 Adds iuj(ue sugar, and puevent chryslalization. 

 Beware, then, ot sap that is soured, "or of using 

 tubs, liuckets, or kettles which are sour from any 

 cause. When the syrup is " sugared off;" put it 

 all in one deep vessel if possible, so that it may 

 be longer in cooling. The longer sui;ar is cool- 

 ing, the larger will be the grain. "Jn draining 

 sugar, it shoidd be kept in a'warm room, so that 

 the molasses in the sugar will be warm enough 

 to flow. Sugar refiners place their sugar in 

 moulds (eanheru or painted sheet-iron,) in the 

 shape of a sugar-loaf : common tunnels would 

 answer perhaps, the small end down, with a plug 

 at that end. These moulds are filled with hot 

 sugar, and placed over i)ans. Afterten ortwelve 

 liours, when the sugar is solid, the small plugs at 

 the bottom are taken out, and the bottom or tip 

 of the loaf of sng-ir is broken open with a wire, 

 to clear the way (or the molasses to flow. After 

 draining three or four days, the base of the loaf 

 is made perfectly level, imd a syrup, made by 

 dissolving in water the best refined sugar, is 

 poured iipon the loaf in the moulds to the depth 

 of an inch. This percolates through, dissolving 

 the mola.ssess matter, but not the chrystaline su- 

 gar. This process is called liquoring, and is re- 

 peated over and over again until the loaf is as 

 white as desirable. Thus refined sugar is man- 

 aged ; and if rare be taken in all the processes, 

 from the sap to the sugar, to keep all c/fa)i, we 

 presume that this process may be adopted and 

 result in good maple loaf sugar — good enough 

 for any body. In Jndia the same kind of moulds 

 are used ; but instead of pouring syrup upon the 

 loaves, they are covered with moist leaves, or 

 with a mixture of clay and water. In either case 

 the water or moisture is the agent for carrving off 

 the niolas.ses. Set the loaves in a hot ("not too 

 hot) oven to dry them thoroughly, afier thev have 

 been drained. 



We gather these hints from descriptions of 

 sugar-making in the Indies East and West. ]f 

 any body is disposed to make experiment.-^, let 

 lis hear of the results. 



Pri.nting. — Go into one of our civic printing 

 ofScfs, from which is daily leading forth the 

 bright impress of the rditniial minil in charac- 

 ters that shall never lade or die. Behold the 

 swift winged mercuries of the press visiting eve- 

 ry temple of science, every edifice from which 

 knowledge can iin|)ait its stores, gathering it to- 

 gethi r and sending it forth anon to the thousands 

 of minds in each of which it is immortal. There 

 IS more to astonish the mind itself, much more, 

 in one of these printing offices, than in the cala- 

 coml s of Egy|.t, the sable magi of the east, (he 

 sages cif anti(|nily, or the hidden oracles of Del- 

 phi ; t' cse morning and these evening sheets, 

 goiug forth abroad into tire world, a.^gimilating 



mind wiih mind, and making man the neighbor 

 of his fellow man in spite of distance, mountains 

 or intervening seas. Here, then, in the "art pre- 

 servative of all arts," do we find the gem, the ele- 

 ment, the living maieiial of early liistory and (he 

 triumph of nund over matter. 



God Was the tirst printer, lie gave from bis 

 awful baud, amid the thunder and blackness of 

 Sinai the tablets of stone, on which was printed 

 the mind of God. The decalogue of all the 

 moral law, the claims of iimn u|)on man, and of 

 God upon all. 



Priming is the art that shall go down to latest 

 years, to remotest posterity, to nmumerable mil- 

 lions yet unborn of God. the thoughts of men 

 who are living now; of men who lived centu- 

 ries since; they defv time, and the printed in- 

 scrijitof these men shall live, too full of soul to 

 be put into the grave wilii their perishable bodies. 

 It was a bright thought of that author, who in his 

 dying moments was just able to ask if the proofs 

 of his last works were corrected — "all correct- 

 ed?" "Yes, all." "Then 1 shall have a com- 

 plete edition in glory '."—J. JV. Maffilt. 



Tlie Silk Business at Auburn. 



Those who believe widi us, that the only ob- 

 stacles to the success of the culture and mann- 

 (itcture of silk in this country, are such as can lie 

 easily removed by perseverance and the capital 

 necessary for its manufacture, will rejoice at the 

 success which has attended the effort which lias 

 been made to introduce this business into the 

 Auburn prison, by the enlightened and well di- 

 rected efforts of Mr. Polhemns, the Agent of that 

 inslitutioii. It will be seen from the following 

 Report, rei^ently made to the Legislature, that 

 notwithstanding all the obstacles attendant on 

 the introduction of a new business, it has been 

 made sufficiently profitable to pay as large an 

 amount tor the labor of the prisoners, as any 

 other branch of industry affords: — 

 Report of the Agent of the State Prison at Auburn. 

 The effort to introduce the manufacture of silk 

 was commenced by the agent, on the 20th of 

 May, 1841, at the suggestion of the Governor. 

 A single throwing mill was purchased, and a 

 small quantity of cocoons was purchased in the 

 vicinity of Auburn. Two convicts were assign- 

 ed to the business, one of whom was employed 

 in turning the wheel, and the other in preparing 

 and serving the cocoons. After six months, four 

 other throwing mills, built in the prison, were 

 set in o|)eration in the same manner, with an ad- 

 dition of eight convicts. In April last, water 

 power was provided, and soon afterwards, five 

 other tlnowiug mills were put in operation, oiie 

 of which was |iurchased, and the other built 

 here. Two machines were subsequently added, 

 and in August last, a steam engine was substi- 

 tuted on the fnlure of the water power. The 

 effort had attracted some attention abroad, and a 

 full and regular supply of cocoons was received, 

 at |)rices varying from three to four dollars per 

 bushel. 



The machinery and apparatus now consists of 

 the steam engine, 12 throwing mills furnished 

 with G4 spindles, 12 bobbing wheels, 12 station- 

 ary wire swifts, pair of upright swifts, 8 pair 

 of horizontal swifts, 1 drying rack, 2 quilling 

 mills and apparatus, I set ot reeling pins, 10 

 seventy-two inch reels, 12 forty-four inch reels, 

 1 band maker, a dye bouse with kettles, iinple- 

 menls and fixtures, and other utensils and ini|)le- 

 ments. The value ot' the machinery, utensils, 

 and implements, is .§2,11.5, which may be as- 

 sumed as the cost, and of course, includes the 

 labor of the convicts in constructing the same. 

 The toice employed in the nianiiliiclure of silk, 

 has been increased from two to forty convicts, 

 and ibe aggregate labor of the whole since the 

 commencement, is 8,tiG2 days. 



The table hereto annexed, exhibits the result 

 of the operation. The aggregate value of the 

 avails of silk m;mufactiued, in sewing silks, twist 

 and tiibric, together with the materials and pro- 

 ducts on hand at low rale market prices, is 



1^12,763 26 

 The whole expense of the manufac- 

 ture, exclusive of the labor em- 

 ployed, is 9,7(Tt) 51* 



Leaving the sum of 



$3,99G 75 



" Of this sum, 58|4'6 went into ti.e hands of farnicrs, 

 for co«oon5 and reeled silk. — tV«. 



for the avails of the labor and interest on the 

 cnpitol ; etiual to 34 cents and 6 mills per day, 

 for the labor of each convict. A reference to 

 the agent's nnnual rejiort will show that this 

 average is equal to that of the products of the 

 labor of convicts under the conlracls in mechan- 

 ical departments. 



The sewing silk produced is .superior to the 

 imported article, in strength and softness of tex- 

 ture, in smoothness and in color, and is preferred 

 wherever both have been tiiirly cotnpared. 



The operation was begun merely as an experi- 

 ment; neither the agent nor the operatives had 

 any practical acquaintance with the manufacture. 

 The chief part of the machinery has been not 

 only constructed, but invented here ; consequent- 

 ly, there have been hindrances, delays, expenses, 

 and losses, which could not occur in a business 

 conducted with the advantages of skill and ex- 

 perience. 



The cost of the material has been far greater 

 than it would have been, had there been any 

 general attention to silk culture in the country. 

 The products encountered prejudices in the mar- 

 ket, and the market value of such products has 

 been depreciating, while the cost of the material 

 has not diminished. When these facts are con- 

 sidered in connection with the machinery pro- 

 vided, together with the material and products 

 on hand, and the condition of the busines.», and 

 the fiscal condition of the prison, the agent lias 

 no hesitation in declaring that the business may 

 be conveniently enlarged during the present year, 

 so as to increase the force employed to an hun- 

 dred men, with an increase of profits exceeding 

 fifty per cent. ; and that it may be so extended as 

 ultimately to employ all the convict labor which 

 can be assigned to it, consistently with a proper 

 conduct and management of the prison. 



The agent therefore feels himself authorized 

 to congratulate the Inspectors on the successful 

 introduction of a new, most interesting, and most 

 useful department of iudusiry; which can be 

 rendered at least as profitable as other modes of 

 employing the convicts, while it is e.xempt from 

 objections on every side. The financial advan- 

 tages thus secured, could scarcely be exaggera- 

 ted, since the results fortunately appear at a time 

 when more than an hundred of the convicts are 

 left unemployed by the operation of the law of 

 1842, designed to jirotect the mechanical labor 

 of our fellow citizen against competition in the 

 penitentiaries. But these advantages are incon- 

 siderable, compared with the general and lasting 

 benefits which must result from the successful 

 establishment of the silk culture and manufac- 

 ture in the L'niled Slates, a <lepartnient of indus- 

 try that hasenricbed and aggrandized every coun- 

 try by which it has been adopted. 



The manufactory here will give the necessary 

 impulse to the silk culture, while it will present 

 a model and furnish instruction to our fellow 

 citizens who may desire to engage in the manu- 

 facture ; and by its successful results, encourage 

 the employment of capital in the production of 

 fabrics, which, tliongb more generally used bv 

 the opulent, are slill regarded as among the most 

 indis|'ensable articles consumed in every civil- 

 ized countrv. 



HENRY POLIIEMUS. Agent. 

 State Prison, Auburn, Feb. I, 1843. 



The Swallow. — Kaim, in his travels in A- 

 merica, tells a pretty anecdote of the swallow, 

 which be says was related to him by a lady of 

 great respectability, who was a witness of the 

 tiict. A cou|)le of swallows built their nest in a 

 stable belonging to the lady in question, and the 

 female laid eggs in the nest, and was about to sit 

 on them. Some days after, the male was seen 

 flying .ibout the nest, sometimes silting on a nail 

 near it, and uttering a very |)laintive note which 

 betrayed his uneasiness. On a nearexaniination, 

 the female was found iind in her nest; fiom 

 which she was removed, and her body thrown 

 away. The male went to sit njion the eggs, but 

 after being about two hours on them, and [lerhaps 

 finding the business loo troublesome, he went 

 out and returiieil in the afternoon with another 

 female who sat upon the nest, and afterwards 

 ted llie young ones, till they were able to provide 

 for themselves. 



He that lives on his money, is wiser than he 

 that lives for his money. 



